THE PLACE: Jodhpur, The Blue City

Jodhpur, once known as Marwar, is located in the heart of the Thar Desert of northwest India. It is second largest city in the state of Rajasthan. Jodhpur is referred to as India's Blue City where shades of blue abound to combat the heat of the desert. It is surrounded on the west by the Mehrangarh fort and on the east by the majestic sandstone Palace of Umaid Bhawan. The many monuments, temples and gardens lend a multi-faceted grandeur that reflects the city's rich history.

Founded in 1459 AD, Jodhpur remains a leading trading centre for wool, cattle, camels and salt. The city is cordoned off from the desert by an immense wall. Eight gates, each facing a different direction, allow passage into the city, its vibrant streets and marble palaces.

Today, Jodhpur is home to more than 846,408 people and an estimated 35,000 street dogs. The Trust established its headquarters in Jodhpur not only in response to the calls of the local authorities seeking a solution to deal with the large number of street dogs, but also because Jodhpur provided a perfect city to undertake the Project. Surrounded by the desert, it offers a relatively contained setting which would support our dog population data gathering more accurately. In addition, the knowledge developed in undertaking an animal birth control program and vaccination campaign in Jaipur, such as dealing with extremes in temperature, would be directly transferable to Jodhpur.