Jaswant Thada
Interesting facts
- Its marble came from Makrana, the same Rajasthan quarries that supplied the Taj Mahal and Kolkata's Victoria Memorial.
- Makrana stone is almost pure calcium carbonate with tightly interlocking grains, which is why sheets cut thin enough can let light through.
- Its white marble has earned it the nickname 'Taj Mahal of Marwar'.
- The main hall was built like a temple, and puja is still performed there in keeping with the Rajput custom of honouring ancestors.
- The temple-like central dome rests on twelve slender marble pillars arranged in a square.
- Jaswant Singh II, who ruled from 1873 to 1895, brought the telegraph, railways and courts of justice to his state.
- In 1875 Jaswant Singh II was made a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India.
- The memorial was raised by his son Sardar Singh, who ruled Jodhpur from 1895 until 1911.
- The grounds host early-morning concerts during the Rajasthan International Folk Festival and the World Sacred Spirit Festival.
Why it is worth it
Jaswant Thada is a memorial of white marble so thin that sunlight passes through it: the carved walls of the main cenotaph are made of finely polished sheets of Makrana marble that take on a warm glow when the sun strikes them. It stands a short distance from Mehrangarh Fort, the great fortress that towers over the city of Jodhpur.
The cenotaph was commissioned in 1899 by Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur in memory of his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, and was completed in 1906. It was conceived both as a memorial and as the cremation ground of the Rathore royal family of Marwar, a role it still holds; three further cenotaphs stand in the grounds. The main structure is a pavilion-style monument whose central dome, shaped like a miniature temple spire, rests on slender marble columns linked by pierced jali screens with floral and geometric patterns. The screens filter light and air into the interior, where portraits of the rulers and maharajas of Jodhpur are displayed.
Around the cenotaph lie carved pavilions, a tiered garden and a small lake whose reflections make the white building appear to float. The site is cared for by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, which has conserved its grounds and set up displays on the history of the region and its rulers.
Jodhpur itself, the second-largest city of Rajasthan, was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha of the Rathore dynasty and was for centuries the capital of the kingdom of Marwar. Lying on the edge of the Thar Desert, it is known as the Blue City for the blue-painted houses of the old town, which wrap around the foot of Mehrangarh and are enclosed by a wall with several gates.
Getting there
Jaswant Thada is near Mehrangarh Fort, about 4 km from central Jodhpur. The nearest airport is Jodhpur Airport (JDH), about 6 km away, and the city is served by Jodhpur railway station.
Plan your visit
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Nearby places
- Mehrangarh Fort 0.9 km · fortress
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From the encyclopaedia
The Jaswant Thada is a cenotaph located in Jodhpur, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was built by Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur State in 1899 in memory of his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, and serves as the cremation ground for the royal Rajput family of Marwar. The cenotaph is built out of intricately carved sheets of Makrana marble. These sheets are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a warm glow when illuminated by the Sun.
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