Inspired
by the love and reverence of his Maharani, this beautiful memorial in
Marble, often described as the "Taj Mahal of Marwar" was built in
memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singhji II of Jodhpur (1873-1895) by his on
Maharaja Sardar Singhji (1895-1911), completed in 1906 A.D. at the cost,
then, of Rs. 2,84,676.
The
last rites of the Rulers of Jodhpur were formerly performed at Mandore, the
old capital of Marwar. After Maharaja Jaswant Singhji's demise in 1895 and
the completion of this monument, they have been performed here. The smaller
cenotaphs to the east mark the spots where his successors were cremated.
The main memorial has been built like a temple where Puja is
performed and photographs of the deceased Rulers are displayed. The worship
of ancestors is common to the Rajput clans.
After the merger of
the State the complex remained the exclusive cremation ground of the Jodhpur
Royal Family and until 1996 the State Government maintained the monuments.
Recently, it has been entrusted to the care of the Mehrangarh Museum Trust.
We have initiated a comprehensive restoration of the monuments, the gardens
and Dev-Kund, (the water-body seen to the west of the complex, still used by
the Royal Family for ritual bathing after a cremation).
