Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🗺️

Jodhpur

geography Maturity 11-13

Jodhpur is a big city.

View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
It is in India. The city is in a dry desert. Many houses are blue.
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
It has a large fort. Would you like to see the Blue City?

44 words

Jodhpur is a big city in India.

View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
It sits in a dry desert. The land is very hot there.

Many houses in the old town are blue. This is why people call it the Blue City.

Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg

The city has a large fort. It also has many temples and a palace.

A river called the Jojari flows through the city.

Many people visit Jodhpur to see its old sights. It is a famous place to travel.

86 words

Jodhpur is a large city in India.

View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
It sits in the state of Rajasthan. The city is in the Thar Desert. This land is very dry and hot.
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
Many people call it the Blue City. This is because many buildings in the old town are blue. The old city sits around the big Mehrangarh Fort. The city also has many temples and a palace.

Rao Jodha founded the city in 1459. He was a leader of the Rathore clan. Long ago, the city was a place for trade. People bought and sold silk and copper there. Today, Jodhpur is a famous place for tourists to visit.

PWD Road High rises.jpg
PWD Road High rises.jpg
It is also a place where many people study. There are many schools for big exams. A river called the Jojari flows through the city area. The city has about 1.6 million people. It is the second largest city in Rajasthan. It is near the middle of the state. This makes it a good place for travel.

178 words

Jodhpur is a large and famous city in India.

View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
It is the second-largest city in the state of Rajasthan. The city sits near the geographic center of the state. This makes it a very handy base for travelers. Jodhpur is located in the middle of the Thar Desert.
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
Because it is in the desert, the climate is very hot. The city is also called the Blue City. This name comes from the many blue buildings in the old town. The old part of the city circles the huge Mehrangarh Fort.
PWD Road High rises.jpg
PWD Road High rises.jpg
A wall with several gates surrounds this old area.

The weather in Jodhpur can be quite extreme. From March to October, the temperatures are very high. In the months of April, May, and June, it often goes above 40 °C. The monsoon season brings clouds that lower the heat a little. However, the air feels very heavy because the humidity rises. Rainfall usually happens between June and September. The amount of rain changes a lot from year to year. For example, in 1899, there was very little rain. But in 1917, there was a great flood.

Jodhpur railway station in Jodhpur city, Rajasthan 27.jpg
Jodhpur railway station in Jodhpur city, Rajasthan 27.jpg
A river called the Jojari flows through the urban area.

Jodhpur has a very long and interesting history. A leader named Rao Jodha founded the city in 1459. He was a chief of the Rathore clan. The city was named after him, meaning "City of Jodha." Long ago, Jodhpur was a very important place for trade. Merchants moved goods like silk, copper, and sandalwood through the city. Later, the Mughal Emperor Akbar took control of the kingdom. This helped the people learn new styles of art and building. In 1947, Jodhpur joined the Union of India.

Jodhpur Airport.png
Jodhpur Airport.png
It became part of the state of Rajasthan in 1949.

Today, the city is a busy place with many people. As of 2025, about 1.6 million people live there.

Jodhpur Railway Station.jpg
Jodhpur Railway Station.jpg
Jodhpur is a major center for many different industries. It helps contribute about $4 billion to the economy of Rajasthan. The city is also famous for its $200 million handicraft industry. Many people visit to see the beautiful palaces, forts, and temples. Jodhpur is also a place where many students go to study. It has large training centers for important national exams.
National Law University campus, Jodhpur.png
National Law University campus, Jodhpur.png
There are also many large universities in the area.

Jodhpur connects the past with the modern world. You can see old history in the temples and the fort. At the same time, you can see new growth in the city.

New Rajasthan High Court Building.jpg
New Rajasthan High Court Building.jpg
Large projects are happening nearby, like a new refinery in Pachpadra. This refinery is expected to bring many new jobs to the region. Even the way the city is run has changed. Now, the city is split into two parts for better management. These parts are called Jodhpur North and Jodhpur South. Both parts have their own mayor to help the people.
JNUuniversity.jpg
JNUuniversity.jpg
This helps the growing city stay organized.

521 words

Jodhpur is a major urban center in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan.

View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
It ranks as the state's second-largest city, following the capital, Jaipur. As of 2025, the city's population has reached approximately 1.6 million people. Jodhpur serves as the administrative headquarters for both the Jodhpur district and the Jodhpur division. The city is famously known as the "Blue City." This name describes the dominant blue color scheme found on buildings in the old town. This historic area circles the massive Mehrangarh Fort and is protected by a wall with several gates.
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg

The geography of Jodhpur is defined by its location within the stark landscape of the Thar Desert. Because of its position, the city experiences a hot desert climate, classified as Köppen BWh. This classification is due to very high potential evapotranspiration in the region. The weather is often extreme between March and October. In April, May, and June, temperatures routinely exceed 40 °C. While the monsoon season brings clouds that lower the temperature, the humidity rises. This increase in humidity makes the heat feel even more intense to those living there.

PWD Road High rises.jpg
PWD Road High rises.jpg

Rainfall in Jodhpur is highly unpredictable and fluctuates greatly. Most precipitation occurs between June and September. The amount of rain varies significantly from year to year. For instance, during the famine year of 1899, the city received only 11 mm of rain. In contrast, the flood year of 1917 saw as much as 1,110 mm. The Jojari River, a tributary of the Luni River, flows through the Jodhpur Urban Area from Banad to Salawas. To manage this water resource, a riverfront development project was approved in January 2021. This project covers a 35 km stretch of the river under the Namami Gange programme.

The history of Jodhpur is deeply tied to the Rathore clan and the Kingdom of Marwar. Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief, founded the city in 1459. The name "Jodhpur" is derived from his name, meaning "City of Jodha."

Jodhpur Airport.png
Jodhpur Airport.png
Initially, the nearby town of Mandore served as the capital. However, Jodhpur soon took over that role because of its strategic location. It sat on a vital road linking Delhi to Gujarat. This allowed the city to profit from trade in goods like silk, copper, sandalwood, and dates. Later, the Mughal Emperor Akbar annexed the kingdom, making Marwar a Mughal vassal. This period introduced new styles of art and architecture to the region.

Political changes shaped the modern identity of the city. In 1755, the Marathas became the new overlords of the region following the decline of the Mughal Empire. During the British Raj, Jodhpur state held the largest land area in Rajputana. In 1947, as India gained independence, Maharaja Hanwant Singh signed the Instrument of Accession. This act merged the state into the Union of India. On March 30, 1949, Jodhpur became part of the newly formed state of Rajasthan.

Jodhpur railway station in Jodhpur city, Rajasthan 27.jpg
Jodhpur railway station in Jodhpur city, Rajasthan 27.jpg
Today, the city is managed by two municipal corporations: Jodhpur North and Jodhpur South. Each corporation consists of 80 wards and is led by its own mayor.

Economically, Jodhpur is a powerhouse for the state of Rajasthan. It contributes approximately $4 billion to the regional economy. The city is also a central hub for India's $200 million handicraft industry.

Rajasthanthali.jpg
Rajasthanthali.jpg
Beyond traditional crafts, Jodhpur is a major center for education and professional training. It hosts the largest standardized test training industry in western Rajasthan. Many students travel here to prepare for exams like the IIT-JEE and NEET. The city is also home to various higher education institutions.
National Law University campus, Jodhpur.png
National Law University campus, Jodhpur.png
These include the National Law University and the Footwear Design and Development Institute.
Footwear Design and Development Institute, Jodhpur.png
Footwear Design and Development Institute, Jodhpur.png

Looking forward, Jodhpur is positioned for significant industrial growth. A major refinery project is underway in Pachpadra, located just 60 km from the Boranada industrial area. This refinery, a joint project between HPCL and the Rajasthan government, is expected to produce nine million metric tonnes per annum. It is described as the "Jewel of the Desert" because it will create many new jobs.

New Rajasthan High Court Building.jpg
New Rajasthan High Court Building.jpg
Additionally, the massive Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) will impact the area. Marwar Junction, located 100 km from the city, will serve as one of nine freight loading points for this project. This development will likely transform the industrial landscape of the entire region.

742 words
🖼️ Images & Media (13)
File:JODHPUR 1960.jpg
JODHPUR 1960.jpg
File:Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
Street Scene of Jodhpur India 1906.jpg
File:View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
View from veer durgadas bridge.jpg
File:PWD Road High rises.jpg
PWD Road High rises.jpg
File:Rajasthanthali.jpg
Rajasthanthali.jpg
File:IIT Jodhpur.jpg
IIT Jodhpur.jpg
File:Footwear Design and Development Institute, Jodhpur.png
Footwear Design and Development...
File:National Law University campus, Jodhpur.png
National Law University campus, Jodhpur.png
File:JNUuniversity.jpg
JNUuniversity.jpg
File:New Rajasthan High Court Building.jpg
New Rajasthan High Court Building.jpg
File:Jodhpur Railway Station.jpg
Jodhpur Railway Station.jpg
File:Jodhpur railway station in Jodhpur city, Rajasthan 27.jpg
Jodhpur railway station in Jodhpur city,...

+ 1 more

Up Next
🗺️
Udaipur
Geography
More to explore

What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.