Mehrangarh Fort is situated on a rocky cliff 400 feet above the town of Jodhpur. The fort's ramparts, which are hewn out of the rock face, are 130 feet high in places, and are protected by a battery of medieval cannon. The entrance is fortified by seven gateways which provide a series of locks along the main access to the fort. Several gates are often strung together, each a short turn to the next, creating a zig zag approach to the fort. The main gate is heavy and spiked.
Outside the Loha Pol or Iron Gate is a wall with the hand prints of fifteen royal satis who immolated themselves on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands.
The palace complex within the fort is constructed around a series of interconnecting courtyards. First built in 1459, it has been added to over the centuries by successive generations of maharajas. It is divided into three areas:
1. the outer court which contains the stables and kitchens;
2. the durbarhall (reception rooms) and maharajas' palaces;
3. the zenana or queen's palaces.

Click on the links below to see a larger view of each photograph.

Related Web Sites

• Maharaja of Jodhpur web site Mehrangarh Fort, royal properties, royal trusts, more
• India Profile Article "Jodhpur, A Royal Treat"
• India Tourist Office web site Jodhpur
• Tribune India "City of Forts, Fortitude and Palaces"
• Cal Tech Photographs of Osiyan and Jodhpur