India: Jodhpur – Mehrangarh Fort
Mehrangarh Fort is a pure Lord of the Rings material. The fort was built by Rao Jodha in 1459 on top on single hill 410m/1200ft above the city and was meant both as the royal residence for maharajas and also to protect the residents from many invaders. The fort is visible pretty much from anywhere in Jodhpur and a twisty road leads up to one of the seven entrance gates. The walls are beyond massive, rising vertically into the sky with almost no top in sight. The palace buildings and courtyard take the centerpiece inside the fort (next post), while walking along the walls, you get panoramic views of Jodhpur below. Jodhpur is know as the “blue city”, and while not all houses are painted blue (like in Moroccan Chefchauen), there are many patches of buildings that all colored light indigo blue (apparently a good color to reflect the scorching desert sun).
