Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, spreads over 72 hectares, near the historic Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The park contains ecologically restored desert and arid land vegetation. The park was created in 2006 to try and restore the natural ecology of a large, rocky area adjoining and below the fort. It was opened to the public in February 2011. The area in and around the park contains distinctive volcanic rock and sandstone formations. The park includes a Visitors Centre with Interpretation Gallery, a native plant nursery, small shop and cafe. There are four trails (yellow, green, red, and blue trails), about 880 m to 1115 m long, that visitors can take and trained guides and naturalists are also available.

Jodhpur Welded Tuff national geological monument

Jodhpur Welded Tuff here has been declared the National Geological Monuments of India by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), for their protection, maintenance, promotion and enhancement of geotourism.National Geological Monument, from Geological Survey of India website
/ref>national geo-heritage of India
INTACH The volcanic rocks at Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park were formed somewhere between 745 and 680 million years ago. The volcanic formations are chiefly

rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained groundmass. The mineral ...

, with

welded tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...

, and breccia found in some areas. There is a gully passing through the park (an old aqueduct or canal to carry rainwater from a wider catchment in the north to Padamsar lake at the base of the fort), where breccia is visible today. Also seen are rocks with large to intermediate crystal sizes and from fine textured tuff to large-grained (porphyritic) rhyolite.

Plant and animal life

The park has around 250 species of native plants, including a large number of arid region lithophytes. Some of the common plants include trees such as Rohido (''

Tecomella undulata ''Tecomella undulata'' is a tree species, locally known as rohida, found in Oman, and from southwest Iran to northwest India. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Tecomella''. It is a medium-sized tree that produces quality timber and ...

''), Kumatiyo (''

Acacia senegal ''Senegalia senegal'' (also known as ''Acacia senegal'') is a small thorny deciduous tree from the genus ''Senegalia'', which is known by several common names, including gum acacia, gum arabic tree, Sudan gum and Sudan gum arabic. In parts of In ...

''), Hingoto (''

Balanites roxburghii ''Balanites roxburghii'' is a spiny, evergreen tree. It is common in open sandy plains of the Indian peninsula, western Rajasthan, west Bengal, Maharashtra , Gujarat and drier parts of India. The specific epithet ''roxburghii'' refers to the ...

''), Peeloo ('' Salvadora persica''), Kharo Jaal (''

Salvadora oleoides ''Salvadora oleoides'' is a small bushy evergreen tree found in India and Pakistan and southern Iran. The root and stem possess various antimicrobial agents and is traditionally used as toothbrush in Pakistan and India Habitat The vann is commo ...

''), Sargooro ('' Moringa concanensis''), Goondi (''

Cordia sinensis ''Cordia sinensis '' is a species of flowering tree in the borage family, Boraginaceae. The species’ range extend from South Africa, through East Africa, Madagascar, West Africa and the Middle East to the Indian Subcontinent and Eastern Indoch ...

''), and Bordi (''

Ziziphus nummularia ''Ziziphus nummularia'', commonly known as wild jujube or jhahrberi in Hindi, is a species of ''Ziziphus'' native to the Thar Desert of western India and southeastern Pakistan, south Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Zimbabwe. ''Ziziphus nummular ...

''). Among shrubs, the leafless spurge or Thhor (''

Euphorbia caducifolia ''Euphorbia caducifolia'' is a subtropical succulent species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is found in India where it is known as the leafless milk hedge. Description ''Euphorbia caducifolia'' forms a dense, branching bush ...

'') is one of the common succulents. Other shrubs include Bui (''

Aerva javanica ''Aerva javanica'', the kapok bush or desert cotton, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. It has a native distribution incorporating much of Africa (including Madagascar), and the south-west and south of Asia, and it has become adve ...

''), Aakado ('' Calotropis procera''), Kair (''

Capparis decidua ''Capparis decidua'', commonly known as karira, is a useful plant in its marginal habitat. Description It is a small much-branched tree or shrub. It bears a mass of slender, gray-green leafless branches, the small caducous leaves being found ...

''), Ghatbor ('' Fleuggia leucopyrus''), Kheer Kheemp (''

Sarcostemma acidum ''Cynanchum acidum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, typically found in the arid parts of peninsular India where it is used in religious sacrifices. The plant is religiously linked to Hinduism and is believed to be a m ...

''), Kheemp (''

Leptadenia pyrotechnica ''Leptadenia pyrotechnica'' ( hi, खींप; pa, ਖਿੱਪ) is the botanical name of a desert herb of the family Apocynaceae. It is widespread from Senegal to India. It is known as in Hindi and Urdu, and in Punjabi.L. R. Burdak (1982): R ...

''), and Googal ('' Commiphora wightii''). File:Sarcostemma DSC0219.jpg, ''Sarcostemma acidum'' flowering File:Sarcostemma DSC0216.jpg, Common banded awl butterfly on ''Sarcostemma acidum'' flowers File:Ecaducifolia DSC0222.jpg, ''Euphorbia caducifolia'' growing in rocky area File:Ecaducifolia DSC0220.jpg, ''Euphorbia caducifolia'' close up File:RVBulbul DSC0129.jpg, Red-vented Bulbul on fruiting ''Fleuggia leucopyrus'' File:Indian crested porcupine.jpg, Indian crested porcupine Rao Jodha Jodhpur Rajasthan File:IGOriole DSCN2139.jpg, Female Indian Golden Oriole The park has several reptile species and over 200 species of birds and is an eBird hotspot. Mammals include free-ranging dogs, Indian crested porcupine, and northern or five-striped palm squirrel. File:PlainTiger DSC0151.jpg, Plain Tiger butterfly in Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park File:CommonBabbler DSC0176.jpg, Common Babbler on the rocks File:IndianCormorant DSC0215.jpg, Indian Cormorant at lake in Jaswant Thada File:GreatEgret DSC0204.jpg, Great Egret in lake at Jaswant Thada File:GreyFrancolin DSC0195.jpg, Grey Francolin amidst rocks and desert vegetation File:WEBulbul DSC0136.jpg, White-eared Bulbul on Fleuggea leucopyrus File:FSPSquirrel DSC0139.jpg, Five-striped or northern palm squirrel in Rao Jodha

Restoration

The Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park has attempted both architectural and ecological restoration. The Visitors Centre is housed in Singhoria Pol, a 17th-century gateway into Jodpur city, which had fallen into ruins and disrepair. The gateway was restored and the Visitors Centre, completed in February 2011, has an Interpretation Gallery about the desert, plants, and history, integrated into the passages and rooms over and around the gate. The historic city wall that had crumbled in places was also restored, which assisted in protecting the area from grazing livestock during ecological restoration. Ecological restoration was carried out to remove invasive alien plants and bring back the original desert and arid land vegetation of the region. The park area was earlier overrun by '' Prosopis juliflora'' (local name ''baavlia''), an invasive, thorny shrub introduced from Central America almost a century ago. The ''Prosopis juliflora'' was carefully removed from the volcanic rocks with the help of local Khandwaliya people, expert in rock chiseling. The park now has around 250 species of native plants. A small 'xeriscape' or 'Xeri garden' at the Visitor's Centre has been created to display a range of xeric and rocky

microhabitats In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

, each with several characteristic native plant species. The restoration or rewilding project has been spearheaded by

Pradip Krishen Pradip Krishen (born 1949) is an Indian filmmaker, naturalist and environmentalist. He has directed three films, ''Massey Sahib'' in 1985, ''In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones'' in 1989 and ''Electric Moon'' for Channel 4, UK in 1991. His films ...

, a filmmaker who renounced filmmaking due to corruption in the Industry. Mr. Krishen turned to gardening and environmental conservation, serving in this way to rejuvenate the deteriorating Indian landscape and its people. RaoJodha_restoration_DSC0145

Native Plants Nursery

The park has a native plants nursery where native rock-loving and arid region plants are propagated from seeds and cuttings. The nursery is located near the 'piao' or public drinking water station on the way down from the fort. The seedlings raised here are planted out for ecological restoration of the park area each year around the monsoon. Over 80 native plant species have been raised and planted out in the park. File:RJDRP Nursery entrance DSC0286.jpg, Entrance to the Native Plants Nursery, Rao Jodha Desert ROck Park File:RJDRP Nursery DSC0285.jpg, View of native plants nursery at Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park File:RJDRP Nursery DSC0282.jpg, Seedlings being raised in polybags under shade File:RJDRP Nursery DSC0284.jpg, Larger native plant seedlings stacked in the nursery

References

{{commons category, Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park National Geological Monuments in India Protected areas of Rajasthan 2006 establishments in Rajasthan Protected areas established in 2006 Jodhpur district