Brahmapuri – which roughly translates to “the town of Brahmins” in Sanskrit – was built as a colony of upper-caste families who adopted the colour blue as a symbol of their sociocultural piety in the Hindu caste system.
They set themselves apart, much like the Jews of Chefchaouen – or the blue city of Morocco – who settled in the older part of town known as Medina, in the 15th Century, while fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. They are believed to have coloured their homes, mosques and even public offices in a rinse of blue, considered a divine hue in Judaism, signifying the holy skies.
Eventually, the colour proved to be beneficial in more ways than one. The blue paint mixed with limestone plaster – also used in the homes of Brahmapuri – cooled the interiors of the structures, besides bringing in tourists drawn by the neighbourhood’s striking appearance.
But unlike in Chefchaouen, the blue colour in Jodhpur has begun to fade. There are several reasons for this.
Historically, blue was a viable option for the residents of Brahmapuri because of the easy availability of natural indigo in the region – the town of Bayana in eastern Rajasthan was then one of the major indigo-producing centres in the country. But over the years, indigo fell out of favour because growing the crop damaged the soil excessively.
