Udaipur
General Information
One of the most romantic cities in Rajasthan,
Udaipur is also known as the city of
lakes. The marble palaces, beautifully
laid out gardens and the lakes make
Udaipur seem almost like a mirage. The
City of Dawn, surrounded by the ancient
Aravali Mountains and set on the edge
of three lakes, is a brilliant kaleidoscope
of narrow lanes flanked by bright stalls,
gardens, lakes, palaces and temples.
'Udaipur', known as the lovely lakeside
capital of Mewar. The kingdom of Mewar,
with which many legends of bravery are
associated, was considered the most
respectable of all Rajput princely states
in Rajasthan. The Rulers of Mewar are
still remembered for their bravery &
courage they showed for protecting their
motherland from external invaders. Udaipur's
beauty and its remarkable past blossoms
in the heart of the visitors for a long
time. The kingdom of Mewar was ruled
by the Sisodia dynasty for over 1200
years from Chittorgarh before Maharana
Udai Singh II founded Udaipur in 1568
following the final sacking of their
hill fortress. In sharp contrast to
its spartan and martial persona are
lakes, hills, temples, gardens and fairy-tale
palaces that make Udaipur the most romantic
and enchanting place in Rajasthan. Apart
from Udaipur's own splendours, there
are several other places to visit in
its vicinity – Jaisamand Lake,
the fort of Kumbhalgarh and the temples
at Ranakpur, Eklingji, Nagda, Kankroli
and Nathdwara. .
Main
Sightseeing of Udaipur
City Palace & Musium
: A majestic architectural
marvel towering over the lake on a
hill surrounded by crenellated walls,
it is a conglomeration of courtyards,
pavilions, terraces, corridors, rooms
and hanging gardens. The main entrance
is through the triple arched gate,
the 'Tripolia' with eight marble porticos.
The maharajas were weighed under the
gate in gold, the equivalent amount
of which was distributed among the
populace.
The Suraj Gokhada :
The balcony of the sun, is where the
Suryavanshi Maharanas of Mewar presented
themselves to the people in time of
trouble to restore their confidence.
The 'Mor Chowk' known for its exquisite
peacock mosaics in glass and the 'Chini
Chitrashala' noted for its blue and
white ceramics are other attractions
in the Palace.
Jagdish Temple :
Built in 1651 A.D. by Maharana Jagat
Singh, this Indo-Aryan temple is the
largest and the most beautiful temple
of Udaipur with noteworthy sculpted
images.
Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum
: The interesting collection
exhibited by this Indian folk arts
museum includes folk dresses, ornaments,
puppets, masks, dolls, folk musical
instruments, folk deities and paintings.
Saheliyon-ki-Bari :
"Garden of the maids of Honour"
this small ornamental garden was a
popular relaxing spot where royal
ladies came for a stroll and hence
the name. The garden has many fountains
in its four delightful pools, chiselled
kiosks and marble elephants.
Pratap Memorial :
Atop the Moti Margi or pearl hill,
overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is
the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana
Pratap with a bronze statue of the
Maharana.
Fateh Sagar Lake :
A beautiful lake, overlooked by a
number of hills on the three sides
and the Pratap Memorial on the north
was built by Maharana Fateh Singh.
In the middle of the lake is Nehru
Park - a lovely garden island with
a boat shaped café accessible
by an enjoyable boat ride.
Pichhola Lake :
The picturesque lake that entranced
Maharaja Udai Singh. It was later
enlarged by the founder. The lake
is surrounded by hills, palaces, temples
bathing ghats and embankments. Two
island palaces, Jag Mandir and Nag
Niwas (Lake Palace) on the lake are
of breathtaking magnificence.
Ahar : The ancient
capital of Sisodias, 3 km from Udaipur,
Ahar boasts of a profusion of royal
cenotaphs of the rulers of Mewar.
A rare collection of antiquities including
earthen pots, iron objects and other
art items excavated in the region
are displayed in a small Govt. museum.
Sajjan Garh : Dominating
the city's skyline is the monsoon
palace of Sajjan Garh. It offers a
panoramic overview of the city's lakes,
palaces and the surrounding countryside.
Shilpgram : Literally
meaning "Craftsmen’s Village"
is a living ethnographic museum depicting
the enormous diversities in craft,
art and culture between various Indian
states. Shiplgram comprises 26 huts
set in 70 acres of natural surroundings
at the foot of the Aravali Mountains.
Gulab Bagh : A spectacular
rose Garden laid out by Maharana Sajjan
Singh. A library in the garden has
a rare collection of ancient handwritten
manuscripts and books.
Gangaur Ghat : Gangaur
ghat is located on the bank of world
famous picturesque lake Pichola..The
festival of teez & gangaur are
celebrated on this ghat..
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Excursions
from Udaipur
Nathdwara (48
km) : with its temple of Shrinathji
(Lord Krishna) is a renowned pilgrim
centre. It is said that in 1691, while
the statue of Shrinath (Krishna) was
being moved from Mathura to escape an
attack by the fanatical Aurangzeb, the
wheels of the carriage carrying the
statue got stuck in the mud. Taking
this as a divine message that Lord Krishna
wanted to make that his abode, a temple
was built there and the town grew around
it. In the colourful bazaar outside
the temple you can find some of Nathdwara’s
famed Pichhawai cloth paintings.
Eklingji (22
km) : The complex of 108 beautifully
sculpted temples dedicated to Lord Shiva,
built in 734 AD. At Nagda, which lies,
just 2 km away are the 10th century
richly carved Sas-Bahu temples, and
the splendid Jain temple of Adbudji.
Jaisamand Lake and Wildlife
Sanctuary (48 kms) : Situated
at the southeast part of Udaipur. The
exceptionally picturesque area around
one of Asia’s largest man-made
lakes, built in the 17th century, with
palaces, temples, graceful cenotaphs
and marble steps leading down to the
water, makes a pleasant getaway.
Kumbhalgarh (84 km)
: is the most spectacular of the 32
forts built by Rana Kumbha. Lying on
top of the Aravalli range at 1100 m,
it fell only once in its history. Its
ramparts run for 4 km along the Aravalli
hills.
Ranakpur (90 kms) :
This peaceful valley of Ranakpur, one
of the five main pilgrim centres for
the Jains. The main shrine in the 500-year
old temple complex (preserved in near
perfect condition) is the huge Chaumukha
Temple dedicated to Adinath, the first
Jain saint. It is the largest and most
complex Jain temple in India with 29
halls and 80 domes supported by 1444
ornately carved pillars, no two pillars
alike. There are two other Jain temples
in the complex, and, some distance away,
a Sun temple.
Kankroli (65 kms),
on the banks of the Rajasamand Lake,
65 km from Udaipur, is the site of a
Vaishnava temple of Dwarkadhish and
a beautiful Jain temple built by Dayal
Shah, which has some intricate marble
carvings.
Chittorgarh (112 kms) : The
historic hilltop fortress of Chittaurgarh,
replete with heroic tales of the Sisodia
rulers, is 112 km to the east. Capital
of Mewar for 800 years, repeatedly ravaged
by Muslim invaders, it epitomises Rajput
values and valour. The exploits of Rani
Padmini, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga, Maharana
Pratap, the poet-saint Princess Meerabai
and others who lived here before them,
are still recounted with pride throughout
Rajasthan.
Mount Abu (185 kms) : The
beautiful town of Mount Abu is the only
hill station in Rajasthan (Altitude
1200 m). There are excellent walks,
boating in the picturesque Nakki Lake,
and several popular viewpoints (including
the inevitable ‘Honeymoon Point’!)
where you get enchanting views of the
surrounding landscape. However, the
piece de resistance of your visit here
would be the brilliantly carved Dilwara
Jain temples, about 5 km to the north,
which are among the finest in the world.
Two of the temples in the complex, the
Vimal Vasahi (built in 1031, and the
oldest) and Tejpal Temple (built in
1231), are especially brilliant and
leave you spell bound. The carving here
is so intricate and delicate that they
appear to be made out of ivory rather
than marble..
How
to reach Udaipur?
By Air : The nearest
airport of Udaipur is Maharana Pratap
Airport which is 21 km from the city.
Daily flights connect Udaipur to Jaipur,
Jodhpur, Mumbai, Aurangabad and Delhi.
By Train : Udaipur
is good rail connections to Delhi, Ahmedabad,
Jaipur, Ajmer and Chittaurgarh and from
there to all parts of India.
By Road : Well-connected
road network between Udaipur and other
parts of Rajasthan. The important city
major distances are Agra 630 kms, Ahmedabad
262 kms, Jaipur 406 kms, Jodhpur 275
kms and Mt. Abu 185 kms.
