Blue is the only colour that the painter Pablo Picasso found apt enough to express his gloom. After the death of his friend Carlos Casegemas, Picasso abandoned the rest of his palette for many years in favour of this colour. Blue is also the colour of the gods Krishna, Shiva and Rama. It is said that they’re depicted in blue to match the colour of the sky, signifying their relationship with the infinite. 

The use of blue in Jodhpur, however, has a different connotation. From 1459, on the orders of the city’s founder Rao Jodha (the 15th chief of the Rajput clan), a kind of cerulean was used to paint the houses blue. But some say the colour was used to differentiate Brahmin houses from the rest. It is said that this was because back then, they were the only community that could afford blue paint. There might be some truth to this since many of these houses are owned by brahmins. On the other hand, it is also believed that the chemical constituents of this blue paint–copper sulphate and limestone–keeps termites away from the house and blue, being a light colour, also keeps the houses cool in the scorching desert heat. Those who believe the latter say that it is a mere coincidence that most of the blue houses are brahmin, and will be happy to show you a blue house owned by a non-brahmin family. 

Any which way, as the years have gone by, the colour blue has become cheaper and consequently has become a characteristic of the old city of Jodhpur. It is no longer a caste-marker, if it ever was. The blue houses of Jodhpur are quite a visual treat for locals and visitors alike. When viewed from Mehrangarh Fort, the city can be seen in all its bluesy resplendence—a perfect locale for Picasso to grieve the loss of his friend.