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The blue houses of Brahmapuri have become a distinctive marker of Jodhpur's identity
The Brahmapuri district of the Indian city of Jodhpur lies at the foot of a famous hilltop fort.
Built in 1459 by the Rajput king Rao Jodha – after whom the city was named – the walled and walled settlement rose in the shadow of Mehrangarh Fort and was eventually recognized as the ancient or original city of Jodhpur, with its azure-colored houses.
Esther Christine Schmidt, an assistant professor at the Jindal School of Art and Architecture, says the iconic blue color was probably not adopted until the 17th century.
But since then, the area's blue-colored houses have become a distinct marker of Jodhpur's identity and have attracted worldwide attention.
In fact, Jodhpur, in the state of Rajasthan, is nicknamed the “blue city” because Brahmapuri remains its heart, despite expansions over the past 70 years, says Sunayana Rathore, the curator of the Mehrangarh Museum.
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Jodhpur has often been compared to Chefchaouen, visited by tourists from all over the world.
Brahmapuri – which roughly translates to “city of Brahmins” in Sanskrit – was built as a colony of upper-caste families who adopted the color blue as a symbol of their socio-cultural piety in the Hindu caste system.
They stand out, like the Jews of Chefchaouen – or the blue city of Morocco – who settled in the oldest part of the city, known as Medina, in the 15th century, fleeing the Inquisition Spanish. They are believed to have colored their homes, mosques and even public offices a blue hue, considered a divine hue in Judaism, signifying the sacred sky.
Ultimately, the color proved beneficial in more ways than one. Blue paint mixed with limestone plaster – also used in Brahmapuri houses – refreshed the interiors of the structures, in addition to attracting tourists attracted by the striking appearance of the neighborhood.
But unlike Chefchaouen, the blue color in Jodhpur has started to fade. There are several reasons for this.
Historically, blue was a viable option for the people of Brahmapuri due to the easy availability of natural indigo in the region: the town of Bayana in eastern Rajasthan was then one of the main centers of production of local indigo. But over the years, indigo fell out of favor because its cultivation caused excessive damage to the soil.
Tarun Sharma
Jodhpur's blue hues give way to other colors
Additionally, temperatures have risen so much that blue paint is no longer enough to keep homes cool. Rising disposable incomes have also led to a gradual shift towards modern amenities like air conditioners that help people cope with the scorching heat.
“Temperatures have been increasing gradually over the years,” says Udit Bhatia, assistant professor of civil engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, who works on resilience infrastructure and the impacts of climate extremes on systems. built and natural.
A trend analysis by IIT Gandhinagar showed that Jodhpur's average temperature increased from 37.5°C in the 1950s to 38.5°C in 2016.
As well as keeping homes cool, Mr Bhatia says the paint also had pest repelling qualities, as the natural indigo was mixed with bright blue copper sulfate, a popular antifouling agent commonly used in 20th century paints.
Tarun Sharma
As temperatures rise, blue paint is no longer enough to keep homes cool
While Mr. Bhatia doesn't think urbanization is a bad thing, he points out that it can lead to the abandonment, in a rather unscientific way, of traditions designed to serve systems and ecologies.
“Yesterday, if someone walked down an alley in Jodhpur with blue houses on either side, and today he walks down the same alley where the houses are now painted a darker color, even the breeze would blow it away. lighter will make him feel warmer than he could have imagined they felt earlier,” he says.
This is called the heat island effect, where the effect of rising temperatures is compounded when heat and sunlight are amplified and reflected back into the environment by concrete, cement and glass used to build the structures. With darker paints, the impact is further amplified.
Additionally, as cities increasingly open up to new cultures and peoples, indigenous construction methods – such as the use of lime plaster in warmer climates – are being replaced by newer techniques such as the use of cement or concrete, which do not absorb the blue pigment well.
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By some estimates, about half of Brahmapuri's approximately 33,000 households are still blue.
Aditya Dave, a 29-year-old civil engineer from Brahmapuri, says the 300-year-old family home has retained most of the blue, although from time to time they now repaint the exterior walls in other colors.
This is mainly because the scarcity of indigo has driven up costs in recent years. Painting houses blue cost around 5,000 rupees ($60) a decade ago, while today it would cost more than 30,000 rupees.
“Today, there are also open pipes running alongside the houses, which dirty the blue paint and damage the walls,” says Mr Dave.
That's why when he built his own house in Brahmapuri five years ago, he chose a tiled facade that doesn't need frequent renovation.
“It’s just more cost-effective that way,” he says.
Tarun Sharma
Many locals say the city is losing its unique identity that attracts tourists from all over the world.
But this transformation leaves visitors feeling cheated, says Deepak Soni, a clothing seller who works with local authorities to preserve Brahmapuri's existing blue houses and restore those that have abandoned their hue.
“We should be embarrassed that when someone looks for the houses that formed the identity of our city, they can't find them. Many foreigners compare Jodhpur to Chefchaouen. If Chefchaouen managed to keep their houses blue for centuries, why not us? he asks.
In 2018, Mr. Soni, originally from Brahmapuri and now living beyond the walled part of Jodhpur, negotiated with local authorities and communities to save the unique heritage of their hometown. Since 2019, he has also raised funds locally from Brahmapuri residents to have the exterior walls of 500 houses painted blue every year.
Tarun Sharma
Some activists have tried to raise money to paint the exterior walls of houses blue.
Over the years, he has convinced nearly 3,000 Brahmapuri homeowners to return to blue for the exterior walls and roofs of their homes, “so that at least when someone takes a photo in Brahmapuri, the back -plan appears blue,” he said.
Mr Soni estimates that about half of Brahmapuri's approximately 33,000 households are currently blue.
He is working with local authorities and legislators on a project to apply lime render, so that more houses can be painted that color.
It's the least he can do for the town where he lives, he says.
“Why would people from outside Jodhpur care about our city if we don’t care about its heritage and do something to save it?
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