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Udaipur is known as the Venice of the east. It is also called
the city of lakes. The Lake Palace on Jag Niwas Island in the
middle of Pichola Lakes is the finest example of its
architectural and cultural explo sion.
The grand City Palace on the banks of the lake compliments the
palace along with the Monsoon Palace (Sajjan Garh) on the hill
above. Udaipur is also the centre for performing arts, craft and
its famed miniature paintings.The Shilp Gram festival is a
center of attraction during the season.
Udaipur is situated around the shimmering clear blue water
lakes, which whisper the mood of a bygone era.
The city was founded in 1567 AD by
Maharana Udai Singh on the advice of a sage. Udaipur was last of
the numerous Mewar capitals. It was in Udaipur that legendary
Maharana Pratap was born. He was obsessed with Chittaur and the
past glories of the Sisodia clan possessed his mind. Maharana
Pratap left Udaipur to win back Chittaur from the Mughals. But
he failed in his attempts and Udaipur remained the capital of
Mewar till India got her independence.The memory of the failure
of noble Pratap gives Udaipur its pervading mood of nostalgic
wistfulness.
The city acquires its scenic beauty from the Aravallis. Three
lakes- Pichola, Fateh Sagar and Udai Sagar make it an oasis in
the desert.
Udaipur is known as the ' City of Lakes'. The two most scenic
and famous lakes of the city are Lake Pichola and Lake Fateh
Sagar.
The Lake Palace
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
in the desert.
The founder of Udaipur, Maharana Udai Singh, was overcome by the
misfortunes that his old capital of Chittaurgarh had to face due
to repeated attacks by the Mughal armies. On the advice of a
holy man, Udai Singh shifted his capital to the banks of Lake
Pichola- the city was named Udaipur after him.
This
marble palace that seems to be floating on the Lake Pichola is
undoubtedly the main attraction of Udaipur. Now a luxury hotel,
this palace can be accessed by boat from the city palace which
overlooks it.
Other attractions in Udaipur include Krishna Vilas, Lake Fateh
Sagar,Sajjan Niwas and Gulab Bagh, Machchalaya Magra, Doodh
Talai, Jag Mandir, and the Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum.
THE CITY PALACE
Overlooking the lake Pichola is the City Palace, a marvel of marble and
granite. The largest palace in Rajasthan, its exquisite
worksmanship makes it a must on every visitor's itinerary. The
three mahals - Baari, Dilkush and Moti, the Suraj Gokhada of the
Sun Balcony, the Mor Chowk Known for its beautiful peacock
Mosaics ; the shrine of Dhuni Mata and the Museum of Rana Pratap
are the highlights of this complex.
AHAR
Archaeological ruins that date back to 4000 B.C. are found here.
A museum stands next to the excavation site. Also of interest
are the beautiful cenotaphs of kings near the Gangabhairu tank
 Jagdeesh
Temple
Close to the City Palace is the Jagdish Temple which houses some
imposing sculpted figures and heavily ornamented interiors. At a
short distance is the Sahelion-ki-Bari or the Garden of Maidens
which has four pools and delicately carved kiosks and elephants
in marble. Built in the early 18th century, this is now a
popular tourist spot.
Sahelion-Ki-Bari: On the shores of Fateh Sagar Lake was
built a garden for the 48 young girls waiting to be sent to the
royal house as part of dowry. This garden is laid with extensive
lawns, fountains and shady walking lanes. There are four pools
with dainty kiosks and fountains with elephant trunks for
spouts. These gardens appear discrete and impeccable in taste.
Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal: This is a museum of folk arts,
which has rich collection of folk dresses, ornaments, puppets,
masks, dolls, folk musical instruments and paintings. World
famous puppeteers put shows here, on request in advance.
Jaisamand lake: 48 kms from the city, this artificial lake
was built in 17th century by Maharana Jai Singh. The marble 'Chhatris'
along the embankment add grace to this second largest lake in
Asia. On either sides of the lake were built the palaces for the
favourite queens of the King. People of the Bhil tribe still
inhabit the islands in Jaisamand lake.
Pratap Memorial: Erected atop Modi Magri is this
equestrian bronze statue of the valiant hero, Maharana Pratap.
Sajjan Garh, Gulab Bagh, Dudh Talai Park, the Sunset point are
also the places to be seen
How To Get To Udaipur
By Air: The airport at Udaipur air links it with other
major cities of India like Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad,
and Mumbai.
By Rail: The railway network connects Udaipur with
Delhi, Chittor, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Ajmer, and Jodhpur.
By Road: Udaipur can be easily reached by road as well.
There are well-maintained roads linking it to tourism
destinations in Rajasthan and neighbouring states of Gujarat,
Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
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Rajasthan is one of the 26 states that, along, with
seven union territories forms the republic of India. Rajasthan
is one of the 26 states that, along, with seven union
territories forms the republic of India. Located in the
north-west, it shares its borders with Punjab, Hariyana, Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and and Gujarat, The Complete Rajasthan
-- Take a desert- burning sand in the long summers, large tracts
of dune-decked plains, with scarce water and even scarcer
vegetation and create a habitation with the mind's eye, if you
can. And the come to Rajasthan to see if you imagination can
begin to match where reality takes over.
History
Archaeological and historical evidence shows a continuous human
habitation of the area dating back 100,000 years. Between the
7th and the 11th century AD, several dynasties arose, with
Rajput strength reaching its peak at the beginning of the 16th
century. Emperor Akbar brought the Rajput states into the Mughal
Empire; by early 19th century, they allied with the Marathas.
Later, the British established supremacy in the region.
Rajasthan soon emerged as a centre of Indian nationalism. When
the new constitution went into effect in 1950, Rajput princes
surrendered their powers to the Indian Union.
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