Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

I had a tuk-tuk tour of Jodhpur booked for today, so I was up early to go round the corner to Sam's Art Cafe for breakfast. I had poha and a black coffee. It was delicious, but four times the price I was paying at the street stalls in Udaipur!

My guide, Ramesh, was on time to pick me up. We set off to our first stop - Mehrangarh Fort. This is the fortress that dominates the city skyline, and that I can see clearly from the roof of my accommodation.

On the way there, Ramesh stopped to show me five-metre lengths of turban fabric drying in the sun. It is the height of wedding season, so red turbans in various patterns and styles are everywhere. Men tend to hire them. The fabric can then be recycled when they return them to the shop.

Mehrangarh Fort stands on a hilltop, rising about 122 m (400 ft) above the surrounding plains. The complex spans 1,200 acres (486 hectares). It was initially built around 1459 by the Rajput ruler of the Rathore clan, Rao Jodha, though most of the existing structure is from the 17th century, built by his successors. The fort has seven gates, which include the main entrance Jai Pol (meaning 'victory gate'), built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over the Jaipur and Bikaner armies in 1806. The Fattehpol ( 'victory gate') commemorates the victory of Maharaja Ajit Singh over the Mughals. The English writer and Nobel Prize winner, Rudyard Kipling, described the fort as "a palace that might have been built by Titans and coloured by the morning sun."Læs mere