Cultures and traditions of Jodhpur

Turbans
Turbans

Jodhpur, formerly known as Marwar, the capital of the Rajput rulers, has long history of various traditions which are followed till date. I too wanted to have a glimpse into it, so went around exploring with another friend. In earlier times, cities like Bikaner, Jalore, Pali, Nagaur, Jodhpur, etc., were united and known as Marwar. They later on got their own identity and now, Marwar is no longer used for the name of any city. Jodhpur is famous world-wide for its turbans, locally known as ‘safa’. There are various styles and varieties of turbans, varying from communities to communities within Jodhpur.

Turbans
Turbans

People in Jodhpur like to wear colourful clothes, hence the brilliant colours of the turbans. The ladies wear colourful chunris and odhnis. Turbans have their benefits in this desert area, as these protect the head from the scorching heat and can also be used as a pillow or sheet. Usually made of muslin clothe and cotton, a turban costs anywhere from Rs. 50 to Rs. 20,000, depending upon its quality.

Rajasthani Food
Rajasthani Thali

I also tried the Rajasthani thali at a restaurant named Gypsy in the Sardarpura Market. Although dhokla was there in the thali, which is a Gujarati dish, all the other dishes made it worth it, thanks to the four varieties of chapatis, including the one made from maize flour. Jodhpur is also famous for “Mawa ki kachori”, which is an excellent sweet dish.

Horse Riding
Riding a horse

Jodhpur can not be experienced without knowing about Marwari horses, and I was even lucky to ride one. A friend of mine here goes for horse riding daily in the morning and I did not want to loose this opportunity, so I accompanied him. Marwari horses are known for their well-built muscular body, chiselled face, round convex eyes and true to the breed, the tip of their ears touching each other when they rotate it 180 degrees. There were various horses with elegant names like Road to Victory, Flaring Sun, Western Angel, Stylish Strokes, Bolt, Sikander, Ram Dev, etc.

Marwari Horse
Marwari Horse – Best of the breed

I feel very lucky to have come to this city while on my cycling journey and discovering the ethnicity of Jodhpur.