Outside the centre of Jodhpur there are some fine places to visit.
The first place I went to was Mandore Gardens, which the guesthouse owner told me about and isn’t mentioned at all in my guidebook. I’m glad I went: it was peaceful, had a surprisingly attractive temple and there were loads of monkeys! I had the usual entertainment of returning on a local bus full of people starring at me.
The second place I went to was Umaid Bhawan Palace, which was India’s last great palace. Apparently it was altruistically built as a drought relief measure by the somewhat eccentric owner, Umaid Singh. Some of the blocks used were so heavy that they were placed on ice then slid into place. The blocks are locked together rather than joined with mortar. The Palace is now a grand hotel so you can’t see most of it unless you’re staying there. There are also a few vintage cars on show, including a Rolls Royce, Cadillac, and Morris Minor.
Finally, I went to Jaswant Thada, a glowing white marble memorial – called the Taj Mahal of Rajasthan.
