Tall, proud and powerful, Fort Meherangarh is located on a hill a hundred and twenty metres above the Indian town of Jodhpur. The fort dates back to 1459 and Rao Jodha, the leader of the Rathor, one of the country’s most influential aristocratic families.

The rooms, halls and courtyards of the palace still exude the legendary atmosphere and magical power of the former maharajas. However, gruesome events once took place in this location: the handprints of a former ruler’s wives serve as a reminder of a cruel Hindu tradition. The burning to death of widows on their dead husband’s funeral pyre was practised right up until the middle of the 20th century even though the then British colonial leaders prohibited it.

Within sight of the fort there is another intriguing landmark of Jodhpur, the Jaswant Thada, magnificent burial place of the Rathor Dynasty. The garden was once used for cremation ceremonies. Its most striking memorial was built in honour of Jaswant Singh The Second.

It is not surprising that Fort Meherangarh and the funeral monuments of Jaswant Thada are considered to be among the most important sites Jodhpur, former capital of the Marwar princes.