Now this is a Fort!!

Adventures in Indian Medicine – Tim still not feeling well and decides to take Mr. Bantu up on his offer.  I head off with one of the workers (Koran from Nepal) to the pharmacy.  It’s a quick walk through these narrow streets and there it is – a streetfront pharmacy.  You take one step up to the counter, just out of the way of motorbikes, tuk tuks, pedestrians, dogs, cows . . . and relate your symptoms.  The pharmacist nods and then cuts off two pills from two different slabs and tells me how they are to be taken.  The cost – 20 rupees, including the consultation!  That’s about 30 cents.  

All four pills later and Tim’s feeling much better!  We’re off to the Fort!!

Now this is a Fort!!  Built by the Raj Jodha, it rivals anything we’ve seen anywhere in the world.  It predates Columbus’s voyage to the New World and is just plain spectacular.  We learn that the Jodha family (and hence Jodhpur) did not officially join India until the mid 1950’s!  After the Brits withdrew!  I hope the photos do it some kind of justice. 

We’ve been looking at the fort from down below; seen from inside the walls, it is breathtaking.  we've been seeing just a small portion of it.

These doors at the top of the long, sloping access road are massive and studded with elephant repelling spikes.  The idea of riding to battle on an elephant boggles my imagination . . . 

The scale and workmanship are absolutely astounding.

I have to keep reminding myself that this was built before Columbus sailed for the West Indies!

The Hall of Pleasure . . . a riot of color and ornamentation.

One of many ornamented archways . . . 

The sounds of drumming reverberate within these stone walls.

The view of the city from the walls of the fort.  The current Raj Jodha and his family still live in the palace compound (you can just make it out on the far edge of the city) which includes a few high-end hotel rooms!  The brahminpuri neighborhood stands out, and we even manage to pick out our rooftop restaurant!

Two giggling young ladies on their camel!!

And the Raj of Jodha has set this up as a National Trust and appears to have done it all right.  Every ticket comes with an audio guide (no touts promoting their guide talents), there are alternate routes to the strenuous climbs inside the fort, several tasteful places to get a cold drink and rest, and at the very end of the tour, a first-class gift shop.  Can't resist a few touristy souvenirs!