Jodhpur Guide
Stepwells & Lakes of Jodhpur
Jodhpur stepwells and lakes: the restored Toorji Ka Jhalra in the old city, quieter Mahila Bagh Ka Jhalra, Kaylana Lake for sunset and the old Balsamand reservoir.
On the edge of the Thar, water decided where people could live. Jodhpur's rulers and nobles dug lakes on the rocky ground around the city and built jhalras and baoris, or stepwells, inside it, with flights of carved steps reaching down to the water.
Toorji Ka Jhalra, in the old city below Mehrangarh, is the one to see. A queen of Maharaja Abhay Singh built it in the 1740s; it lay silted up for decades until a restoration in the 2010s cleared it, and its red sandstone steps are now the centre of a lively square of cafés and shops. Mahila Bagh Ka Jhalra, nearby, is smaller and far quieter.
Outside the old city, Kaylana Lake to the west is the place for sunset, while Balsamand Lake to the north is a far older reservoir, edged by gardens and a lakeside palace.
4 Sights
Stepwells & Lakes of Jodhpur, One By One
Open any of them for its history, what to look for and how it fits into a day.
Good To Know
Visiting Stepwells & Lakes of Jodhpur
What is the most famous stepwell in Jodhpur?
- Toorji Ka Jhalra, an eighteenth-century stepwell in the old city, a short walk from the Clock Tower and Sardar Market.
Is Toorji Ka Jhalra free to visit?
- Yes. It's an open public square, and the cafés around it make it an easy place to stop on an old-city walk.
More in Jodhpur: every sight in Jodhpur
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