Brahmapuri, a neighborhood in Jodhpur, is situated at the base of a renowned fort perched on a hilltop. Established in 1459 by the Rajput king Rao Jodha, after whom the city is named, the fortified settlement emerged in the shadow of Mehrangarh Fort and later became recognized as the original old city of Jodhpur, distinguished by its blue homes.
For years, the captivating blue houses at the heart of an Indian city have attracted visitors from all over the world. However, these iconic structures are gradually losing both their charm and their vibrant color.
According to Esther Christine Schmidt, assistant professor at Jindal School of Art and Architecture, the characteristic blue color likely did not appear before the 17th century. Since then, the blue-tinted homes have become a unique symbol of Jodhpur’s identity.
Sunayana Rathore, curator of the Mehrangarh Museum, explains that despite urban expansion over the last 70 years, Brahmapuri remains the heart of Jodhpur, a city in Rajasthan often referred to as the “Blue City.” The name Brahmapuri translates to “the town of Brahmins” in Sanskrit, as it was originally a settlement for upper-caste families who used blue as a marker of their spiritual and social status within the Hindu caste system.
Similar to the Jews of Chefchaouen in Morocco—who painted their homes and other structures blue in the 15th century while fleeing the Spanish Inquisition—the residents of Brahmapuri adopted the blue color, which came to symbolize a sacred connection in their culture. The blue paint mixed with limestone plaster also helped cool the interiors of the buildings and drew tourists to the striking neighborhood.
However, unlike in Chefchaouen, Jodhpur’s blue hue has started to fade due to various factors. Historically, the abundance of natural indigo in nearby Bayana, an eastern Rajasthan town once known for indigo production, made the color accessible. But as the cultivation of indigo declined, owing to its harmful effects on the soil, the blue tradition waned.
Furthermore, rising temperatures—up from an average of 37.5°C in the 1950s to 38.5°C by 2016—have made blue paint less effective for cooling. People now turn to modern solutions like air conditioning to cope with the intense heat, notes Udit Bhatia, a civil engineering professor at IIT Gandhinagar.
Mr. Bhatia adds that the original blue paint, containing pest-repellent elements like natural indigo mixed with copper sulfate, also contributed to the local ecosystem. He points out that urbanization has led to a neglect of traditional practices that once harmonized with natural systems.
As dark colors replace blue on the walls, the heat island effect becomes more pronounced, with concrete, cement, and glass structures amplifying the heat. Additionally, newer building techniques that use materials like cement rather than lime plaster make it difficult to preserve the blue color.
Aditya Dave, a civil engineer from Brahmapuri, says his family’s 300-year-old home still retains its blue appearance for the most part, although the rising cost of indigo has made repainting more expensive. Open drains have also worsened the issue by dirtying the walls. For his own home, built five years ago, Dave opted for a tiled facade that requires less maintenance.
The fading blue leaves some visitors feeling disappointed, according to Deepak Soni, a local garments seller who collaborates with authorities to preserve and restore Brahmapuri’s blue homes. He advocates for maintaining the city’s distinctive identity, comparing Jodhpur’s struggle to Chefchaouen’s enduring blue tradition.
In 2018, Soni, who grew up in Brahmapuri, negotiated with local leaders to save the area’s unique heritage. Since 2019, he has spearheaded community fundraising efforts to repaint 500 homes in blue each year. Today, approximately half of Brahmapuri’s estimated 33,000 houses are still blue, and Soni is working on a plan to apply lime plaster to increase that number.
For Soni, preserving the blue city is a matter of local pride. “If we don’t value our heritage, why would anyone else care about our city?” he says.
