Where to Find the Blue City in Jodhpur – Rajasthan, India 2023

Everything you need to know about the beautiful Blue City of India. A guide to finding and exploring the amazing Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Includes where to find the best blue streets for photography and sightseeing in the Rajasthani city of Jodhpur, India.

The second-largest city in Rajasthan, Jodhpur attracts travelers far and wide, looking to see the incredible palaces, forts, and temples. Situated in the harsh Thar Desert, this historic Marwar Capital features densely populated metropolitan labyrinths encircling a mind-blowing and impenetrable fortress, the Mehrangarh Fort.

Known by many nicknames, from the Sun City to the Fort City, perhaps the most fascinating sobriquet is its designation as the Blue City of India at least for photographers.

In this guide, I’ll detail what I believe to be the best “blue areas” and streets in Jodhpur after spending days, camera in hand, exploring all corners of this incredible place.

Jodhpur: Is it Really All Blue?

It's long been the case that Instagram and other outlets with viral capacity can somewhat distort our expectations. I know that this was true for me in the case of Jodhpur, when I was struggling to find the baby blue-lined streets I had seen and heard so much about.

The truth is Jodhpur definitely has an overall theme of "blue," but it certainly isn't the Chefchaouen of India. The majority of the metropolitan areas of Jodhpur are not painted blue but instead carry the same style of washed-white concrete render architecture as many other Rajasthani cities.

However, don't get your hopes down. The city of Jodhpur does deserve its eloquent nickname– you just need to know where to look to find the Blue City location.

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RELATED: Things to do in Jodhpur in One Day – One Day Jodhpur Itinerary

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Where to Find the Blue City in Jodhpur India

The majority of blue streets of Jodhpur are within the Old City, on the southwest edge of the fort. Below I'll detail the best spots to go to check them out. If you're not yet in Jodhpur, try to aim to stay somewhere near the Old City or near the Mehrangarh Fort. If you scroll to the bottom of this post, I've also got a section outlining the best accommodation options.

Again, don't expect every inch of every wall to be blue-washed, or you might leave a little disappointed. Personally, I prefer the old, weathered walls with varying shades of blue. A hundred layers of weathered paint and intricate religious paintings tell a story through these walls and are more enjoyable to photograph.

Jodhpur is huge! So, try to stay central if you can.

Jodhpur Old City Map

Below are two Old City maps that are useful for finding the Blue City of Jodhpur.

Travel Hack: Click on the photo of the locations map above and it will load on your Google Maps app. You can save it by clicking the grey star at the top, which will add it to "Your Places" on your Google Maps account. This way, you have a handy digital app on the go with all the scene locations pinned– just refer back to this article (or bookmark it) for the explanations!

Navchowkiya - Beautiful Blue Houses & Buildings

Navchowkiya, or "Nav Chowk," sometimes "Navi/Nawi Chowk" is one of the best places in Jodhpur to find blue buildings. Getting here requires a roughly 20-minute walk or 10-minute rickshaw ride from the central points of Ghanta Ghar clocktower and the Sardar Market area.

To avoid getting lost, it's best to just plug in "Navchowkiya" to your Google Maps and let it direct you. The intricate web of sprawling laneways and narrow corridors is easy to get tangled in. For this reason, try to take the "Clock Tower Road" west until you reach Navchowkiya.

Besides, it's best to avoid getting lost until you actually find the Blue City.

Once you arrive, you'll almost immediately start noticing the ever-bluer buildings. Surprisingly, these streets are very quiet, and you'll almost certainly have it all to yourself, bar of course, the curious locals who may or may not be ecstatic about a photo. There isn't a particular street that is bluer than any other, so just wander, explore, and try to find some hidden gems for yourself.

Chandpole - Unexplored Blue City

A second, often talked about area of Jodhpur to find the Blue City is Chandpole. This is located just beside Navchowkiya and has a similar blue theme going on.

To reiterate, it's impossible to tell you the exact street to look for in Chandpole. However, I have pinned the GPS coordinates on the map above that I found to be one of the most beautiful and vibrant blue neighborhoods in the Old City of Jodhpur. This area is tucked almost directly between Chandpole and Navchowkiya and sits below the towering fort.

• GPS Coordinates: 26° 17' 51.852" N 73° 0' 51.084" E

Epic Blue City View From the Mehrangarh Fort

Arguably the best way to get a sense of the scale of Jodhpur's Blue City is to admire it from the Mehrangarh Fort. This offers one of the best blue city views in Jodhpur due to its elevated position.

Furthermore, exploring the fort is also one of the best things to do in Jodhpur, so make sure to check it out.

Why is Jodhpur Called the Blue City and Why is it Blue?

Jodhpur gets its name as the "Blue City" because Rajasthan has become famous for its vibrant, color-washed cities. For example, Jaipur is known as the Pink City, Udaipur, The White City, and Jaisalmer, the Golden City.

But, why is Jodhpur blue? After doing some research and speaking to some locals, I discovered that nobody has a clear answer. However, there are some ideas as to why Jodhpur is blue.

The first reason is that Jodhpur was and has a large population. of Brahmin castes who devout their loyalty to Lord Shiva. Shiva's holy color, and the color of the Brahmins is blue. Therefore, much of the old city was painted blue.

Other ideas include the fact that blue walls are believed to deter mosquitos. This was interesting because both the inside and outside of the buildings seem to be painted blue. Blue is also a soothing color that reflects heat well. Which, also makes sense because the summer heat of the Sun City is very extreme.

More Jodhpur Blue City Photography

With the guide out of the way, here are some of my personal favorite shots that I captured when exploring the Blue City Jodhpur. Unfortunately, I snapped my SD card from the drone. I was devastated but at least I had some low-quality backups synced to my phone.

More: Must-Visit Places in Rajasthan

I hope that this quick guide to finding photography opportunities in the Blue City in Jodhpur was useful. If you find some more hidden "blue streets," make sure to let other travelers and keen photographers know by leaving a comment underneath.

For now, why not check out some of my other blogs and guides for must-see and must-visit destinations in Rajasthan, India? I guarantee you'll find something worth adding to your Indian travel itinerary.

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