Last Updated on: 3rd January 2026, 08:42 am
Rajasthan is perhaps India’s most colorful state, with Jaipur being dubbed the ‘Pink City,’ Udaipur the ‘White City,’ Jaisalmer the ‘Golden City,’ and Jodhpur the ‘Blue City.’ But in addition to the beautiful blue hue of Jodhpur’s traditional houses, the city is also home to a plethora of eye-catching street art.
As opposed to the more abstract or politically-charged murals you might find in modern metropolises throughout the world, Jodhpur’s street art largely focuses on traditional artistic motifs and scenes depicting local culture.
Conveniently, most of the city’s prominent murals can be found in a single area at the foot of the Mehrangarh Fort. But as we’ll cover below, many of them take quite a bit of effort – and some luck – to seek out.
For more information on reaching Jodhpur and where to stay, be sure to check the end of the article.
Exploring Jodhpur Street Art
The best place to see street art in Jodhpur is a particular area known as the Blue Corridor, situated to the south of Mehrangarh Fort.
Many visitors on their way to the fort will naturally pass by many of these murals, but as we’ll cover shortly, many others are tucked away within narrow back alleys.
The murals here largely depict local life and culture, while various Hindu religious scenes also make appearances. One major theme you’ll see repeated throughout the area, for example, is traditional Rajasthani music.
Rajasthani folk music typically sings the praises of heroes and kings from the Rajput era, while other songs focus on Hindu devotional themes.
Common instruments, meanwhile, include a harmonium and various types of stringed instruments such as the chautara, kamayacha, or Ravanhatha.
Nowadays, tourists can enjoy Rajasthani musical performances at different rooftop restaurants throughout the city almost nightly.
Many of the Blue Corridor’s murals also depict people in Rajasthani traditional dress.
Women typically wear what’s known as a ghagra, consisting of a long skirt and blouse, together with long colorful headscarves known as chunaris or odhinis. It’s quite common to see women wearing traditional dress throughout Rajasthan even today.
Rajasthani men, meanwhile, have traditionally worn turbans, also known as pagris. But the younger generations rarely wear them these days.
As you make your way up to Mehrangarh Fort, you’ll see even more murals. Without yet paying the entry ticket and going inside, visitors can walk along the top of the hill outside the fort for free.
Here I saw a large mural seemingly depicting a traditional wedding procession, along with others showing Rajasthani dances and camels, animals that were vital for long journeys across the nearby Thar desert.
While you will find some more murals in the alleyways of the western side of the fort, most of them are indeed located around the Blue Corridor to the south. And I’d end up returning there to seek out more.
Speaking of the Blue Corridor, why are so many buildings around painted blue, thus giving Jodhpur its ‘Blue City’ moniker?
The general area surrounding the fort has traditionally been known as Brahmapuri. And in Rajput times, it was common for local Brahmins to paint their houses blue to signify their status.
Interestingly, the blue paint also worked to cool the homes in the intense summer heat, and so it became a longstanding tradition.
But now, with the advent of modern air conditioning, combined with the fact that the indigo used to make the paint has a tendency to damage the soil, many modern houses don’t get painted at all.
Recently, campaigns such as the ‘Let’s Colour’ Initiative have worked to change that.
The initiative has not only encouraged residents to paint their houses blue in the traditional style, but it’s also promoted the creation of murals throughout the Old City.
The murals not only help beautify the city to attract tourists, but some of the paint now uses special technology to reduce heat by up to 5°C in summer, allowing residents to save on their electricity bills.
Upon my return to the Blue Corridor, I was taking pictures of some murals I happened to pass by when a local boy approached me. He could barely speak English, but he signaled me to follow him.
I soon found myself squeezing through narrow labyrinthine alleyways I surely would not have discovered on my own. The boy pointed, waited for me to snap some photographs, and then continued walking.
We passed by more murals of women in traditional dress, Rajasthani musicians, and various floral and animal motifs. And of course, plenty of blue houses. Even some of the staircases in this part of town have been decorated.
Eventually, the boy signaled that our impromptu tour was finished. Unsurprisingly, he asked for a tip, which I was more than happy to give him.
While we’ll be covering the main attractions around Jodhpur in an in-depth city guide, art lovers should be sure to set at least a few hours aside for freely exploring Jodhpur’s narrow alleyways during their stay in town.
Additional Info
Jodhpur is well-connected by train with other cities throughout Rajasthan, including Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Ajmer. Oddly, however, you can’t reach Jodhpur directly from Udaipur, so you’ll have to transfer in Ajmer, a city near Pushkar.
Coming from further away, you can reach Jodhpur directly from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and more.
Jodhpur can also be reached by plane from Delhi or Mumbai.
If you’re doing a long trip through India, it’s best to create an account on the official Indian Railways (IRCTC) website. But that’s much easier said than done!
If you’re just doing a shorter trip, it’s best to book train tickets through 12GoAsia. You’ll pay a significantly higher fee, but it’s a much smoother experience.
The above link is an affiliate link, but I did use 12GoAsia a few times before I got my IRCTC account set up and I had no issues.
With a population of over 1 million, Jodhpur is Rajasthan’s second-largest city. But most of its touristic attractions are located around Mehrangarh Fort, an area generally referred to as the ‘Old City.’
As a whole, the Old City is quite large. But it would be wise to stay toward the east, within easy walking distance of the Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar). The reason is that you can’t hire an Uber from within the Old City, with the app making you walk out of the gate on Clock Tower Road in order to get picked up.
If you stay within the Old City, many attractions will be accessible on foot, but there are still some more remote landmarks that you’ll definitely want to use Uber to see.
The downside of the Old City is that reckless motorbike drivers make walking highly unpleasant, while I had to deal with groups of people gathering in the streets and shouting well past midnight. Furthermore, Jodhpur’s Old City is home to some of the priciest restaurants I’ve encountered in India, with very few budget options in the area.
Nevertheless, it’s still the best location for shorter stays. I stayed at Madhur Villa Guest House which is situated within a family home not far from the fort. The family was very kind and the location was great (it was right by a coffee shop), though I did experience the noise issues mentioned above.
Other highly-rated budget options in the Old City include Dev Kothi – Boutique Heritage Stay and Krishna Prakash Heritage Haveli. And for those able to splurge, Khamma Heritage has excellent reviews.
You may instead decide to stay in a more modern section of Jodhpur and commute to the Old City. In that case, Aashirwad Homestay and Baijoo Niwas both seem like good options.