History 101
World's worst trip?
Bad choice of destination? Poor accommodations?
No amenities? Unfriendly people?
Our miserable unwilling traveler had, however, just one good thing.
An enormous stomach for the unexpected.
And so it was, he ended up making the most famous trip in human history.
Jodhpur sings the blues.
Why are so many houses painted blue in the city of Jodhpur, India?
Jodhpur (Jode-poor) is the second-largest city in the state of Rajasthan and stands within the Thar Desert. The year-round sunny weather has prompted many to call it Sun City, but the “Blue City” is a much more commonly used nickname.
At the center of the old city is 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort. Residents around the fort started painting their houses blue, and others later followed suit. The reason is a bit of a mystery.
Some have suggested that the blue helps keep the homes cool inside and the mosquitoes out. But if that were the case, wouldn’t residents of other Indian cities in similar climates do the same?
Another theory is that Brahmins, members of the top priestly Hindu caste, first painted their houses blue to distinguish themselves from the rest of the population. Others later followed suit.
But, still, why blue? Another guess is the symbolism of blue for water in a city set in a vast desert. (The blue homes are visually stunning, set against the dry, brown desertscape.)
Our expert in India, however, says Jodhpur’s houses are blue for another reason. Once upon a time, termites caused vast destruction in the city’s homes. The traditional application of lime wash did little to resolve the problem. Lo and behold, someone suggested mixing copper sulfate into the lime wash to get rid of the termites.
Problem solved. And the Blue City was born.