Udaipur - An Imperial Aura

If You Did Not Visit The City of Lakes -
You have Missed The Eternal Charisma of Palace That Floats On Water !!!
Udaipur, reside on the banks of three lakes, that protects the everlasting beauty of this town. The heritage city reflect its image over the surface of lake Pichola. Which is located in the southern zone of Aravalli range. Udaipur also known as 'The White City' is located 274 km from Ajmer (Sufi City), 90 km from Ranakpur, 406 km from Jaipur, 665 km from Delhi (National Capital), 680 from Agra. The sand dunes has hundreds of folk tales to share, since from the time of Mewar.

The sand dunes has hundreds of folk tales to share, since the time immemorial. This city of lakes was founded by the Sisodia Rajputs of Mewars, who developed it moreover like a fairy-tale after the fall of Chittaurgarh in 1567. Maharana Udai Singh built many palaces and gardens during his regime, today much of historical interest. Udaipur has much to offer its visitors, the town surrounded by three lakes - Pichola, Fateh Sager and the Udai Sager that adds vibrant colors to this romantic city and is much popular among domestic and international tourists across the world. The beautiful palaces, lakes and gardens in its heydays are of great popularity like Jagniwas Island (Lake Palace), Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum, Monsoon Palace, Gulabbagh, Nehru Park, City Palaces. Udaipur Museums are the treasure hub of the erstwhile maharajas where you can see the great artwork of Royal Rajputana. Being an important part of Rajasthan, Udaipur is very much influenced with the Vaishnavism and Jainism, which are against the slaughter of animals. Hence they prefer the vegetarian cuisine. The hotels and restaurants in Udaipur do provide non-vegetarian facilities on demands.

The Eternal Charm !!!
The Lake Palace- : - Lake palace, also known as Jagniwas in its heydays. It's a beautiful island and is about 1.5 hectares long almost covering the whole island. Build by Maharana Jagat Singh II in 1754 AD the palace was considered to the royal summer palace of Rajputana, later on converted into luxury hotel in 1960 AD by Maharana Bhagwant Singh. The Lake Palace is complete luxury hotel with courtyard, restaurant, fountain and a swimming pool. The sparkling Lake Palace was largely responsible for spotting Udaipur on the international tourist map and has earned a big name across the world. The Lake palace and other two palaces in Udaipur (Shiv Niwas Palace and Monsoon Palace) were the ambience chosen for shooting 'Octopussy' the most famous Holly-Wood movie of James Bond. The ravishing location, majestic interiors, exquisite architecture and the eternal royalty has places it among the most exotic hotels in the world.

Inside the Heritage Town of Udaipur !!!
Udaipur is a great composition of lakes, palaces, museums that embellished its purity. There are many attractions in the erstwhile princely state, like Pratap Smarak:- Along with the terrain of pearl hills, overlooking the Fateh Sager Lake you will see a statue of Rajput gallant Maharan Pratap Singh astride his favorite horse Chetak, who frequently challenge the Mughal Emperors in its heydays. Another is the Saheliyon Ki Bari: - It is a elegant garden, that is located in the north of Udaipur. This beautiful garden of ancient times is well maintained with fountains, kiosks, marble elephants and a charming lotus pool.

The another attraction in the soil of Rajputana is Monsoon Palace : - The rigorous palace looks like a paramount on the head of rocky hills, it was build by Maharana Sajjan Singh in the late 19 century. This royal palace is located about 5 km west of Udaipur and also knows as Sajjan Garh. The Sajjan Garh gives an excellent view of the surrounding hills, pristine lakes and royal palaces in the mountains. According to legends, the palace was build to trace the movements of clouds that gives a brief of monsoon in the valley.

Beside this, there are also famous museums, Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum : - Here you can see a beautiful collection of royal arts and folklore, the museum is a preservation and promotion of local folks, that include turbans, dolls, dresses, musical instruments, paintings and puppets. The royal collection in this museum is considered to be many years old.

Udaipur is also known for its temples, which are carved out of milky white stone. Jagdish Temple: - is one of the holy places for worship only 150m north of the town. Hundreds of tourists throng every year to get the blessing of Hindu god and goddess inside the roof of ageless faith. The echoes of temple bells inside the temple premises give an everlasting peace to devotees of all beliefs. The sacred temple enshrines with a black stone image of Vishnu as Jaganath (Lord of universe). It is a fine Indo-Aryan temple, build by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651. As you reach at the entrance of temple, there you can see a image of Garuda in a shrine.

The Appealing Meadows !!!
Nehru Park : Its a beautiful park, situated in the middle of Fateh Sager Lake. This attractive park is blessed with great fauna of beauty, hence covers the huge area of about 41 acres with its flower gardens and a lily pond. As the name suggest, it was inaugurated on the birth anniversary of First Prime Minster of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The garden overlooks the ancient Moti Mahal of MahaRana Pratap and gives a delightful view of Aravalli hills surrounded from the three sides. You can also access here by an enjoyable boat ride.

Gulab Bagh : Gulab Bagh "garden of roses" also known as Sajjan Niwas Garden. The garden covers nearly 100 acres of major area, hence it is the biggest and one of the best maintained gardens in India. Apart from the trees, zoo and flowerbeds, there is an easy access to the near by museum, originally known as Victoria Hall, this museum displays the royal collection of curios and antiques. It has now been shifted to Karan Vilas Mahal within the City Palace complex. There is also a public library attached to the garden, which has large volumes and illustrated manuscripts archeology and history. Apart from the lush green belt, the Gulab Bagh provides an adequate environment to flora and fauna in the large occupied area. The beautiful Gulab Bagh has moreover become a habitat for the animals like tigers, leopards, chinkara and some of the feathered spices in the zoo.

Festivals of Varied Expressions !!!
Udaipur fairs and festivals are of great importance, as each one of them have some specific reason in its past. Thousands of domestic and international tourists travel to Udaipur every year to reveal the charm of this cultural extravaganza.
Indulge in many festival merriment like Beneshwar Fair, Mewar Festival and Pratap Jyanti. Each of them is celebrated with processions, traditional folk songs and dance.. The Beneshwar Fair is of great importance in Indian culture. The word Beneshwar is derived from Linga (Lord Shiva). According to Indian myths, on the full moon night that falls in the month of January-February every year, thousands of tribals join together in the convergence of two rivers, Som and Mahi in Rajasthan. These devotes submerge the ashes of their relatives, as a memorial service. After that, they bathe in the river and then take the blessing of Lord Shiva at Dungarpur in Rajasthan. Another is Mewar Festival, celebrated to welcome spring season, which is filled with huge mob on the streets of Udaipur. The fair is fully dedicated to goddess Pravati. This colorful festival held in March- April every year. Thousands of participants gather on the streets of Udaipur to take the Shobha-Yatra (enchanting journey) with elephants, camels, horses and folk artists. Beside this is the Pratap Jyanti this festivals is one of the most important chapter in the soil of Udaipur Pratap Jyanti is one of the ceremonial procession, the local area peoples leads to a huge procession to the Haldi Ghati (battlefield) in the memory of great warrior MahaRana Pratap. The Jyanti takes place in the month of May-June.

The Shopping Bonanza at Udaipur Bazaars !!!
Udaipur is a major shopping center for tourist. Here you can checks the original art work, silver jewelry, stone sculptures and wooden figures. The bustling shops are lined near the city palace, where you can look for original Rajasthani arts and crafts. Around the Jagdish Mandir, Rajasthali is the best place that sells everything from miniature to fake antiques. There is almost every variety of Rajasthani craft, specially the miniature paintings in the Rajput-Mughal styles, these paintings are done on a piece of cloth, wood, marbles, papers and even on leaves which is worth a purchase. In the opposite circle of Jagdish Mandir, is the Om Art Emporium that has the fake antique and the wonderful old photograph gallery. Other famous shopping centers include Chetak Circle, Bapu Bazaar, Clock tower, City Market and Hathipol. There are cluster of shops near the lake palace road from where you can buy the unique items of Royal Rajasthan.

The Handicrafts !!!
Rajasthan handicrafts are worldwide known for its expertise. These handicrafts are durable and delicate, which earns dubious popularity as they reach the shops for sale. The sophisticated skill and handwork adds everlasting charm when these handicrafts are spread on floor surface of your home. It is a profession, which is running since ages in the generations of local craftsmen. The Jaipur handicrafts are exported within the geographical boundaries of India as well as in abroad, it includes a unique range of collection starting from painting on the silk, miniature, cotton, marble, gem stone, paper and the paintings defining the ancient time of Mughals. The Jaipur streets are embellished ready-made fabrics, embroidery and hand block printings. The small village of Sanganer - 16 km in the south range of Jaipur is a hub of block printing and tie and dye textile. For block printing fabrics there are number of shops including the sakshi, which also has the tremendous range of Blue Pottery. About 20 Km from Sanganer is a small village called Bagru, which is also popular for its block printing, particularly of colorful design featuring circular motifs. You can place your order here for the required textile print that can be delivered directly to your residing place.

Charm of Rural Life Around Udaipur !!!
There are number of small rural towns and village destinations around Udaipur showcasing all the splendor of rural village life. The Nathdwara village, is nearly 48 km north of Udaipur and is believed to be the sacred shrine of Vaishnavis build in the 18th century. Explore the inside of the temple premises wonder at the sight of black stone image of Vishnu. Thousands of pilgrims visit this shrine during Deewali, Holi and Janmashtami some of the famous festivals of India. Nathdwara is also famous for its Pichwai paintings, a masterpiece for your shopping kit.

Another beautiful village town to visit is Kumbhalgarh, it is located 84 km north of Aravalli hills in Udaipur. Housing the colossal Kumbhalgarh Fort an important landmark of Mewar rulers. It was build in 15th century by Maharana Khumbh. The fort was used to protect the Rajput warriors at the time of danger. See some of the famous religious temples, royal palaces, flourishing gardens and water storage facilities inside the fort premises.

Ranakpur another town lying at a distance of 48 km is famous for its cluster of Jain Temples. These temples are known to be biggest Jain Temples in India and are extremely splendorous in their architecture and carvings, worth a glance. The town has all the attractions of rural and ancient villages, full of life and color. Enjoy your stay in the remoteness of Udaipur and feel the real flavor of Rajasthani village life that definitely cast a spell on its visitors.

Getting There
Airways : Maharana Pratap airport is just 21 km far from the city center of Udaipur. The aerodrome is well connected by Indian Airlines and Jet Airways with the flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Aurangabad. The Indian Airlines has at least one flight a day to Delhi (National Capital).

Railways : Udaipur is nestled in the western railway meter gauge network. The Railway Station is about 4 Km. far from the city center. Udaipur is directly connected by rail with Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Chittaurgarh, Jodhpur and Ahmadabad. Mumbai is connected via Ahmadabad.

Roadways : There are frequent bus services with in Rajasthan and other states. The RSTC (Rajasthan State Transport Corporation) is well connected by road. From Udaipur to Ahmadabad 262 km, Bombay is 739 km, Delhi is 670 km, Jaipur is 407 km, Chittaurgarh is 115 km and Mount Abu is 185 km.

Local Transport : The most convenient mode of transportation within the Udaipur city are local buses, auto rickshaws, taxi, cycle-rickshaws and tongas, which are easily available throughout the city.

... Lake Palace     ... Darbar Hall     ... City Palace     ... Crystal Gallery    ... Lake Pichola

Lake Palace : A Royal Retreat !!!
Lake Palace is situated on the banks of Jag Niwas Island, originally built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1743 A.D, which took nearly 3 long years to build this glittering palace and was finally inaugurated in the year 1746. This beautiful lake palace mirror down an image of sparkling marbles, which are still rare in the world. The marvelous lake palace nearly covers the whole area of 1.5 hectare of the island in the middle of the shimmering Pichola Lake. Lake palace was once the royal summer residence of various Maharanas, but in the recent year, it is now being converted into a five star heritage palace hotel, with all the great amenities and modern facilities. For most of the visitors, lake palace hotel is none other than a royal retreat, most interestingly, at the time of sunrise and sunset. As it makes the best time to see the dazzling image of the palace on the surface of serene Lake Pichola, just imagine the murmur of water around the palace with the howling waves, which can add tangible moments to cherish throughout your life. More Information on Lake Palace Hotel

Durbar Hall : The Glittering Durbar Hall !!!
Udaipur has always served aristocracy to number of royal bloods, and those times the need was felt to build Durbar Halls, so that whenever there is a need for announcements or declarations, it act as useful medium to inform kings men and village peoples. However, the Durbar Hall at the Fateh Prakash Palace is an stunning example of those times. Udaipur's Darbar Hall is undoubtedly one of India's most impressive hall with lavish interior and great sightseeings that depicts on the walls of hall. The visitors are allowed to see the royal weapons and lionhearted portraits of former Maharanas of Mewar. The hall has an exquisite ceiling and is surrounded by viewing galleries from where the ladies of the palace could get a view from the privacy of their veils. Its a must visit hall once you plan your trip to tour the city of lakes “Udaipur”.

Crystal Gallery : The Quartz Gallery !!!
The luminous crystal gallery is located inside Fateh Prakash Palace, which is none other than a mind blowing collection of rare crystals. These glistering crystals was once ordered by Maharana Sajjan Singh from F & C Osler England. But, he could not see these beautiful crystals, due to his untimely death. The Fateh Prakash Crystal Gallery portray a wide range of crystals, which are rare in the world, some of these item are dinning table, dressers, sofa sets, fountains, tables, and even the beds, array of washing bowls, decanters and perfume bottles can be seen inside the gallery. The gallery also comprise of an exquisite jewel studded carpet, which no boundaries top express. more..

Jagdish Temple : Ageless Faith, Timeless Grace !!!
Udaipur's Jagdish Temple is one of the most renowned temple complex of the city. It was originally built by Maharana Jagat Singh I in year 1651 A.D. This alluring worship place enshrines with a black stone image of Lord Vishnuji. Whereas, here one can also see the vehicles of Lord Vishnu, the Garuda, which is made up of harsh brass. Next you can see the exterior and the plinth, which are covered with the base relief of alligators. At the entrance, steps up to the temple are flanked by elephants and horsemen. However, Jagdish Temple is the largest and most splendid temple ever build in Udaipur. One will be surprised with the live music and ringing bells, which can be heard throughout the day.

Lake Pichola : The Sapphire Udaipur !!!
Lake Pichola is one of the most fascinating lake, which has two island, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This beautiful shimmering lake is 4km long and 3 km wide, originally build by Maharana Udai Singh II after he discovered the jewel of Rajasthan “Udaipur”. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace of Udaipur (Bansi Ghat). In the heart of lake, most delicate world marvel is build 'City Palace' which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel. This captivating palace hotel is considered to be 3 decades old in the history of Udaipur. The Lake remains fairly shallow, at the time of heavy rains, and gets dry easily at the time of severe drought. Once the island dries, it makes the best time to take the leisure walk inside the most remote parts of Lake Pichola, where one can sight row of crocodiles, which is none other a thrilling experience for most of the enthusiastic travellers.

Fateh Sager Lake : Lovers Paradise !!!
Fateh Sager Lake is one of the most romantic vicinity for young lovers, it is situated in the north of Lake Nicholas. It is the most peaceful and relaxing place to spend leisures for much of the travellers and Udaipur localities . This beautiful Fateh Sager Lake bestow with infinite beauty of the Aravali hills at the backdrop of serene lake body. It was originally build by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh, As lot of destruction was caused, due to the heavy rains. Whereas, today Fateh Sager Lake is the most preferable site for endless wanderers, the mornings and evenings are very much refreshing around the lake, and in the middle of lake, you can see a grand Nehru park, which is a popular garden island, showcase an image of boat shaped cafe. The lake is one of the major attractions of Udaipur, these are some real moments that you will going to witness, once please your eyes with the precious sapphire of Udaipur.

Shilpgram Village : The Village of Crafts
Shilpgram, immensely popular among tourist as a craft village. This beautiful village is situated nearly 3 km west of Fateh Sagar in Udaipur. This ethnic village area houses 26 huts, covering an area of nearly 70 acres of natural vegetation in the foot of Aravali Range. The eternal charm of village comprises of traditional houses straight from the four states of India namely as Rajasthan, Goa, Gujrat and Maharashtra. Although, villages seems more eye-catching during Shilpgram Utsav that held in the month of December every year. At the time of festivals, it becomes an excellent abode to get the unique collection of art and crafts. Shilpgram village also facilitates live demonstrations by musicians, dancers and artisans from various states and made it a hub to get unparalleled accumulation of weaving, embroidery, mirror and woodwork. Shilpgram has two museums that display the local artifacts of rural and tribal life. Various huts are build in the zone from where you can get traditional crafts, here you can shop for some of the unique items fabricated by the local craftsmen. Besides this, one can also take the charm of riding camels and camel carts. You can also enjoy the traditional rural cuisine and can taste authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in some of the famous restaurants like Shilpi and woodland who also serve good Indian, Continental, Chinese delicacies.

City Palace
City Palace towers stand tall over beautiful Lake Pichola. The constructed was started by Maharana Uday Singh, but number of additions were made later by his succeeding Maharanas. There are many gates to enter and exit like the Hati Pol (Elephant Gate), Bari Pol (Big Gate), Tripolia Pol (Triple Gate). But the main entry to the complex is through the Hati pol. Whereas, the Suraj Gokhada (Balcony of the Sun) is made, where Maharanas used to boost the morale of his people at the time of difficulties. The main part of the palace is now preserved as a museum, displaying a wide range of artifacts. Down steps from the entrance is the armoury museum, which showcase a huge collection of protective gear, weapons including the lethal two pronged sword, which is carefully preserved here. The City Palace museum is then entered through the Ganesh Deori meaning the door of Lord Ganesh. This leads to the Rajya Angan, the royal courtyard that is the very spot where Maharana Udai Singh met the sage, who told him to build a city here. The rooms of the palace are superbly decorated with mirror tiles and paintings. Other most alluring places to visit in the complex are Manak Mahal, Moti Mahal, Chini Mahal, Surya Chopar, Bari Mahal, Zenana Mahal, and the Lakshmi Chowk. more..

Eklingji : Construction of Great Age
Eklingji is one of the biggest temple complexes situated nearly 22 km in the north of Udaipur. It is convenient to reach the temple location by bus and car. The Eklingji temple is escorted by the long walls of hard rock. This fascinating temple was built in 734 A.D, which consist of 108 temples chiseled out of sandstone and marbles. The temple complex is devoted to the royal family of Mewar. Beside this there are many ancient temples like Shiva Temple, this temple was build in the time of Maharana Raimal between 1473 and 1509.

The walled complex of Eklingji has an elaborately pillared hall under a large pyramidal roof and depicts the four-faced Shiva image of black marble. Most of the faithful pilgrims visit temple on Monday to seek the special blessings of god. Whereas other days of the week the temple is relatively crowd free. The Maharana of Udaipur pays a private visit to the temple on Monday evening. Nearly 1 km before Eklingji, the Nagda town is located. This place is famous for its Sas-bahu and Adbudji temple. The Sas-Bahu Temple is widely known for its exquisite carvings on the stones. The temple carvings are related to the incidents of great Indian epic Ramayana. Eklingji is a great devotional place for Hindu tourist in India. The tourist can access to this place from RSTC buses that runs from Udaipur to Eklingji and other major destinations of Rajasthan, that hardly takes an hour (60 Minutes) to reach Eklingji from Udaipur.