Mehrangarh rises from a 125-meter cliff above Jodhpur, the fort that Rao Jodha began in 1459 and that successive rulers expanded into one of India's most formidable. The gates that cannon scarred but never breached, the palaces within walls that war built, the museum that displays what rulers accumulated - Mehrangarh is what Rajput power looked like when power meant defense.

The fort provides the views that every visitor seeks - the blue city below, the Thar Desert beyond, the sense of elevation that the climb creates. The zip line that now crosses the fort's approach is modernity's addition; the fort itself is purely traditional.

Jodhpur's blue is what photographs feature, the houses painted in shades of indigo that create the visual coherence that earned the nickname. The blue that originally marked Brahmin houses, that spread to the entire old city through imitation and tradition, that now defines what Jodhpur looks like from above.

The blue serves practical purposes - the lime and indigo mixture that protects walls and may repel insects - but the blue is primarily identity. The blue is what makes Jodhpur instantly recognizable; the blue is what tourism promotes and residents maintain.

The old city that clusters beneath Mehrangarh is where Jodhpur's working life continues, the narrow streets that vehicles cannot enter, the markets that serve local needs. The Sardar Market near the Clock Tower where commerce concentrates, the streets that organize by trade as bazaars traditionally did - the old city is what Jodhpur was before modernity spread beyond the walls.

The old city is dense and confusing and rewarding, the exploration that maps cannot guide, the encounters that density creates. The old city is where the blue is bluest, where Jodhpur's character most concentrates.

Jodhpur sits at the edge of the Thar Desert, the location that made it commercial center for routes that crossed the wasteland. The desert that begins at the city's edge provides the excursions that tourists take - the camel rides, the village visits, the sense of emptiness that contrast with the city requires.

The desert edge defines Jodhpur's climate - the heat that summer brings, the sand that wind carries, the sky that distance clears. The desert is what makes Jodhpur challenging and what makes it distinct.

The royal family of Jodhpur remains present, the descendants of maharajas who now operate heritage hotels and manage what ancestors accumulated. The Umaid Bhawan Palace that the last ruling Maharaja built - one of the world's largest private residences - is partly royal residence, partly museum, partly luxury hotel.

The royalty represents what Indian independence transformed - the power that titles no longer hold, the wealth that commerce must now generate, the heritage that tourism values. The royalty is what Jodhpur's history created; tourism is what keeps royal heritage relevant.