of this hill, the irate hermit cursed him for intruding into his solitary cave; the curse "Jodha! May your citadel ever suffer a scarcity of water!", is true to this day as there is no water on the hill. The King, while continuing to build his fort, also appeased the hermit by building a temple and a pond for the hermit to reside and meditate. The fort called the Mehrangarh Fort (etymology: 'Mihir' (Sanskrit)–Sun or Sun–deity; 'garh' (Sanskrit)–fort), located at the center of the Jodhpur city, thus known as the citadel of the Sun, and the Malani Igneous Suite hill are both famous now - the fort for its grandeur and the rock for its unique geological formation spread over an area of of the hill. Another folk legend about the formation of the Thar Desert region, with the Malani Igneous Suit as an integral component, is of Lord Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana. In order to rescue his wife Sita, who was abducted by the demon–king Ravana, he attempted to cross the ocean but was turned back by the Sea–God. In a fit of fury, he raised his arrow to empty the ocean and force the Lord of the Sea to retreat, but discharged the arrow into another body of water located in western Rajasthan that resulted in its drying up. This is the area known as Marwar (former Jodhpur State) or Marusthali (desert region) or the land of the dead. Access The Geological monument is located in the heart of Jodhpur city, at the Mehrangarh fort hill range, which is connected by road, rail and air with the rest of the country. It is SW of Jaipurcity. by the State Highway. The Northern Railway Main Line and Northern Railway Phalodi Branch passes through Jodhpur Town. The Fort is away from the Jodhpur airport. Gallery References Jodhpur district Geology of Rajasthan Proterozoic National Geological Monuments in India