Jaswant Thada: Places to visit in Jodhpur

Welcome back to my Jodhpur travel series! Yes, it has been very long since my Mehrangarh fort article. So please accept my apologies. But I am here now with the second part of my Jodhpur diaries and will be taking you on an imaginary journey to Jaswant Thada.

I think it is one of the less visited sites in Jodhpur which is surprising. Why? Because Jaswant Thada is less than a kilometer away from the Mehrangarh fort! I know, right?! Simply hop on an auto and you are there before you know it.

So what is Jaswant Thada? Well, it is a cenotaph. A cenotaph is a monument for a person who is buried elsewhere. You’re welcome. xD It is a memorial site of the Rajput rulers of the place. The place looks like a temple and in plain words is an architectural brilliance.

Made of white marble, the place was built in the 19th century by Maharaja Sardar Singh in the memory of his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, the 33rd Rathore ruler of Jodhpur. What I absolutely love about the place is its beautiful garden. From the top of the staircase, you have an absolutely breathtaking view of the garden and the city of Jodhpur.

There is a lake that greets you as you enter the place. Fun fact: the lake and Jaswant Thada are a part of the Rao Jodha Desert Park. You can see many birds, peacocks and a variety of flowers here. Walking along, you enter the garden where there is a fountain the middle that really brings the whole place together.

Then, the huge staircase awaits you. What is absolutely wonderful here is that the whole place just ‘glows’. I kid you not. Jaswant Thada is known as the Taj Mahal of Mewar. To understand this glow, I went online and searched about it. Apparently, “The mausoleum is built out of intricately carved sheets of marble. These sheets are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a warm glow when illuminated by the sun.” (Wikipedia) So that explains it.

The place is not grand, per se. I mean, if you compare it with the rest, it lacks that pomp and show. But this place is peace personified. Also, it is quiet. It exhibits a variety of paintings and portraits of Jodhpur rulers. So this is one place you should visit.

However, you do not need to spend all day here. You can make a quick stop after visiting Mehrangarh fort. Also, the entry ticket to Jaswant Thada is pretty cheap. I think it is 30 INR. So do not think twice before going. You will enjoy the place. I promise!

-Mrinaal Datt

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