Jaswant Thada

Jaswant Thada
	The Jaswant Thada cenotaph in Jodhpur, India
Location	Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Builder	Maharaja Sardar Singh
Type	Cenotaph
Dedicated to	Maharaja Jaswant Singh II

The Jaswant Thada is a cenotaph located in Jodhpur, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was built by Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur State in 1899 in memory of his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, and serves as the cremation ground for the royal Rajput family of Marwar. The cenotaph is built out of intricately carved sheets of Makrana marble. These sheets are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a warm glow when illuminated by the Sun.

The cenotaph's grounds feature carved gazebos, a tiered garden, and a small lake. There are three other cenotaphs in the grounds. The cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh displays portraits of the rulers and Maharajas of Jodhpur.

History

Jaswant Thada was commissioned in 1899 by Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur as a royal cenotaph in memory of his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, and was completed in 1906 AD under the patronage of the Rathore dynasty.^[1]^[2] It is situated a short distance from Mehrangarh Fort, it was intended both as the Jodhpur royal family's cremation ground and as an enduring symbol of their legacy.^[3] Over the 20th century, the site became managed by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, which has conserved its grounds and established an on‑site museum displaying portraits of Marwar rulers and didactic panels on regional history.^[4]

Architecture

The Jaswant Thada was erected entirely of Makrana marble, Jaswant Thada's principal memorial is a pavilion‑style cenotaph composed of intricately carved, paper‑thin marble sheets that glow warmly under sunlight.^[5] The central dome resembling a miniature temple crown is supported by twelve slender marble pillars arranged in a square, each connected by finely detailed jali screens featuring floral and geometric motifs. These screens filter breeze and daylight to create shifting patterns across the interior. The structure is surrounded by the Tranquil lake, and the light reflections from the lake make the cenotaph looks like floating.^[6]

Gallery

Jaswant thada front
Side
Inside view

References

^ Jain, Ajay (2013). Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Kunzum. p. 11.
^ "Jaswant Thada". Mehrangarh Museum Trust. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
^ Sinha, Juhi (2007). Beyond the Dunes: Journeys in Rajasthan. Penguin. p. 72. ISBN 9780143063063.
^ Subodh Kapoor (2002). The Indian Encyclopaedia: Indo-Pak War-Kamla Karri. p. 3755. Jasvvant Thada, Close to the fort complex lies this white marble cenotaph, built in 1899, in commemoration of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II.Rare portraits of Jodhpur's rulers are also to be seen at Jaswant Thada.
^ "Explore the Majestic Jaswant Thada in Jodhpur". Incredible India. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
^ "Jaswant Thada: A white marble marvel in Jodhpur!". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 7 July 2025.