Mandore Gardens Jodhpur – Memorable and Magnificent

So what is so special about Mandore Gardens Jodhpur? And why did I wish to dedicate an entire blogpost to this lost Garden near the city of Jodhpur? Read on to discover why this not so popular tourist destination wowed me totally.

How to Reach Mandore Gardens Jodhpur

Mandore Gardens is just barely 6km north of Jodhpur; it is a drive halfway to Osian. Osian is quickly gaining popularity with tourists who wish to experience and get a feel of dessert life. So when we were planning to visit Osian on Day 3, we incorporated Mandore gardens in the first half of the day.  Needless did I realize I would enjoy a walk through this royal Garden of the bygone area so much.

Historic Sentiments of  Mandore Garden

Mandore is most popular for the chattris memorializing the leaders of Marwar until the late 1890s. After all, it was the original capital of Marwar until the mid-fifteenth century.  Mandore was the main seat of the power of Pratiharas of Mandavyapura. The princess of the Pratiharas wedded King Rao Chunda of Rathore line, who got the Mandore’s Junagarh Fort as a dowry settlement. One of the best places here is the Mandore Gardens that remain steadfast to tell the story of a former period. The chattris in the Mandore Gardens mark the cremation sites of the maharajas of Jodhpur.

Our Visit to Magnificent Mandore Gardens

We started off after breakfast in the hotel car. One hour into a typical highway drive we reached Mandore Gardens. The entrance of the Garden is lined with shops and restaurants on both sides. There is no entry fee to get inside.

To my surprise, the Garden was not very crowded at all. Not many tourists could be seen. My husband even suggested we could take a quick trip as it just looked like a regular park. Initially, you will see green lawns on both sides but as you approach further you can see the actual thing.  Just that after a few minutes of walking you can spot the Chattris at a distance. 

The Chattris and Cenotaphs

Here we first saw the imperial chattris, they were dome-like open structures and very pretty to see. It was lined against a lush green background of lawns all around. The lawns were wet with water and I even had my magic moment of feeling like a Princess. Each Chattri had a nameplate describing which Maharaja it belonged to.

The significant fascination of Mandore gardens is the Royal cenotaphs. The compositional style engaged with sanctuaries and remembrance is exceptionally alluring and regal looking.

As we leisurely walked through the garden, I spotted plenty of locals walking with bags and small suitcases, wondering where they were headed. Read on to find out why they were entering the Garden.

The cenotaph of Maharaja Ajit Singh

 The Royal Cenotaphs of Marwar were larger structures made completely with Red stone. While few of the Cenotaphs are constructed in the usual chhatri style, few are built-in magnificent grandeur and beautiful carvings. These two cenotaphs of Maharaja Ajit Singh and Maharaja Jaswant Singh were the best at Mandore Gardens. The cenotaph of Maharaja Ajit Singh totally stands out as an architectural wonder. Its the biggest one with three-storeyed sires taking you to the top.  The pillars and walls are intricately carved and still well maintained till date. I spotted some animals and birds motifs in the carvings and the inner ceiling carvings were the best of all. Don’t forget to look up in wonder at the circular inner dome carvings, so fascinating!!

Halls Of Heroes in Mandore Gardens

Hall of Heroes is another must-visit place situated in Mandore garden. This stop explains the values and bravery with the history of folk fighters of Rajputs. The Rooms of the hall are filled with beautiful paintings and rock statues of Rajput heroes. Statues of heroes, colorful paintings are crafted on a huge rock and this Hall of Heroes is the depiction of locality heroes like Chamunda and Pabuji. The best part of Hall of Heroes is 16 figures that are carved out of a single rock.

The Temple in Mandore Garden

So the locals who were seen heading hurriedly with suitcases were headed to this temple. They have provisions to stay around this temple. Some of them come to conduct religious ceremonies that last a few days. That day, we saw a wedding ceremony in progress, it was accompanied by loud music and chants. The locals even requested we click a few selfies with them. The temple has images of several Hindu deities with beautiful paintings. This temple is the symbol of great artists of olden times. The beautiful images of 33 crore Gods are designed in the form of colorful images.

Tips for Tourists and Visitors

1. The best time to visit this beautiful property is post Monsoon to Winter Season, i.e. – October to March. Mandore is lush green and at its best. Roaming outside in the gardens is even more enjoyable when the temperature is moderate.

2. All Photo enthusiasts will enjoy going ‘click-click’ here. Mandore is a photographer’s paradise so carry a really good camera along with you.

3. One stretch near the temple is where you will find plenty of Langurs; so beware of them, avoid teasing or feeding them.

4. Wear comfortable clothes and footwear as there is a lot of walking around the garden. However avoid laced shoes, as each entry into a Chattri or Cenotaph requires you to take off footwear.

5. You need approx 2 hr to see the entire Mandore gardens. It may even take you longer as there is so much to capture with your eyes and camera.

6. Besides bottled water, icecream and chips nothing much to eat is available in the Garden so carry adequate water and snacks if required while going there.

7. Carry a hat and sunglasses if you are visiting in the afternoon.

8. Do not litter this beautiful place, least we can do.

My Final Thoughts on Mandore Gardens Jodhpur

Spending half a day in these gardens further deepened my knowledge and love for our historical Culture and Architectural beauty of our country. If you are someone like me who enjoys discovering and learning more, doing something offbeat while enjoying photography, then you should make a visit to the Madore gardens. However, make sure you do your bit of reading and research before heading to here because it is not possible to get any written literature or a guide to help you around at Mandore.

All I can say is let the magic of Mandore Gardens enchant you!!