Getting around Jodhpur

	Getting Around Jodhpur
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Should you stay in Jodhpur for longer than a day, and be tempted to see more than the fort and the bazaars, you can visit the gardens in the old capital of Mandor on the northern outskirts of town, where former rulers are remembered by elaborate temple-like constructions, or a remarkable collection of early Jain and Hindu temples further afield at Osian, an hour's drive away.

Jodhpur's arid surroundings can also be explored on organized " village safaris ", which take small groups of tourists out into rural Rajasthan for a taste of traditional life. The tours usually include four or five stops at villages set in scrubland where the rare black buck, a beautiful indigenous antelope that is a menace to crops, is protected by the local Bishnoi tribe. In desert dwellings, mostly circular thatched huts, you can taste traditional food, learn about herbal remedies, and watch crafts such as spinning and carpet-making.

The maharaja encourages the fair sale of Bishnoi handicrafts in the hope that they can thereby avoid the emigration to the city that has destroyed the traditional way of life of so much of India's rural population. These tours get mixed reviews; some enjoy the experience, others find it totally contrived.

A lot depends on the integrity of the operators and the relations they have with the villagers. Three inexpensive, commendable companies are: RTDC, based at the tourist office on High Court Road; the Govind Hotel on Station Road (phone 0291/622758); and Joshi, at Cosy Guest House, Novechokiya Road, Brahm Puri (phone 0291/612066). Rates start at around Rs400 per head for a group of five and it's a good idea to opt for a translator-guide, although this bumps the price up a little. Book at least one day in advance.