Hin: जोधपुर jōdhpūr
‘Jodha’s City’ City, District, Rajasthan
From Jodha and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’.
Rao Jodha, a Rathore Rajput, founded Jodhpur in 1459. It was the capital of his Marwar kingdom [from Hin: maru, ‘desert’; and wara, ‘abode’, ‘settlement’].
The Mehrangarh Fort [from Skt: mihirāṇa, ‘(a name for) Siva’ or mihira, ‘sun (god)’; and Hin: gaṛḥ, ‘fort’], which he built, is one of the largest in India sitting on an hill 125m above the city with mighty walls (36m high and 21m wide).
The city was on an important trade route connecting Gujarat and Delhi, dealing in opium, silk, sandalwood, metals and foodstuffs.
Jodhpur is Rajasthan’s second-largest city and a former princely state under the British. It is known as the ‘Blue City’ houses in the old city are painted a vivid blue, once an indicator of caste, but now a more generic symbol of the city itself like the long riding breeches favoured by the Maharaja in the 19th century for playing polo.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Rajasthan place names.
Jodhpur City from Ramparts Jpatokal
