Fortress of the Sun, and an Afternoon at Sambhali Trust

This is a second attempt at publishing! The internet like electricity and hotwater is like a box of chocolates in India....

PART 1: MEHRANGARH FORT

First Impressions

We started the morning at Mehrangarh Fort, which towers about 400 feet above Jodhpur. I was impressed before we even got inside. The modern steel walkways and security checkpoints have been painted the same colour as the fort's stone, so nothing looks garish or official. 

Walls Carved From the Cliff

Rao Jodha began the fort in 1459, though most of it dates from the 1600s. The walls are up to 36 metres high and 21 metres thick, and they rise straight out of the rock they were cut from. We climbed through a series of gates, one still scarred by cannonballs.

At the last, the Loha Pol, small red handprints mark the royal widows who committed Sati on on Maharaja Man Singh's funeral pyre in 1843, a sobering moment. Sati had already been outlawed for 14 and presumably they were drugged out of their minds and NOT in serenely calm 📷 [gates, walls]

Our Own Pace

We were given headphones for an audio tour, which let us stop where we liked and take as long as we wanted. We spent a couple of hours. Mehrangarh means "Fort of the Sun", after the sun god the ruling family claim descent from, and it's still owned by the royal family. The current maharaja, Gaj Singh II, took the throne in 1952 at the age of four.

Palanquins and Women's Quarters

The museum is full of royal treasures, including the gilded palanquins (palki) used to carry royalty. We also got a glimpse of women's life in the fort, with its screened windows. Restoration is ongoing, and it's great to see.

PART 2: THE SAMBHALI TRUST

What It Is

Then it was off to the Sambhali Trust, the charity behind so many of our activities. It was founded in 2007 by Govind Singh Rathore, who began with 16 women under the thatched roof of his own house. Today it runs empowerment centres in Jodhpur, Setrawa and Jaisalmer, and has reached tens of thousands of women and children.

How It Works

Women usually spend about a year learning skills, and children get scholarships, so some stay with the Trust for many years, learning to read and write. They get opportunities they might otherwise have not.

Our Afternoon

Our visit was a paid activity, which is a good way for guests to help. We tried tie-dye, which in Rajasthan is called bandhani, where tiny knots in the cloth resist the dye and leave patterns.

We watched a cooking demonstration, enjoyed local musicians and dancers,

 ate far more food, and had henna painted on our hands. 

We were especially impressed with the Khartal playing -  an ancient Indian percussion instrument made of a pair of flat, rectangular wooden sticks often referred to as Indian castanets. Players produce sharp, high-speed rhythmic clacking by holding both blocks in one hand and snapping them together using a thumb and finger technique. Most prominently featured in Rajasthani folk music and devotional bhajan singing, 

The Shop and the Foundation

The women and children make crafts, which are sold in the shop, and I came away with a few pieces. The Sambhali Development Foundation, started in 2024, also runs a café and guided walks to help the Trust support itself.

Volunteer If You Can

There seem to be fewer volunteers this year, and it's something I'd recommend to any traveller wanting to make a difference. I'm glad we could contribute as tourists. ❤️