Udaipur is a beautiful city housing enchanting lakes and surrounded
by the lush hills of the Aravalis. Udaipur was a jewel of Mewar kingdom
which was ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200 years.
There is an interesting legend associated with the foundation of the city
which says that Maharana Udai Singh, the founder of the city, went on
hunting one day when he came across a holy man meditating on a hill facing
the Lake Pichola. The hermit showered his blessings on the Maharana and
advised him to build a palace at this suitably located spot with a fertile
valley watered by the stream, a lake, an favourable altitude and an
amphitheatre of low mountains. Thus, Maharana founded the city in 1559 AD
and today, the splendid city of Udaipur stands gracefully reflecting the
enchanting architectural glory of the gone era.
Attractions in Udaipur
» City Palace : The City Palace was originally built
by Maharaja Udai Singh when he founded Udaipur. His successors later added
to the original structure and today, the City Place proudly claims to be the
largest royal complex in entire Rajasthan. The magnificent palace that
overlooks Lake Pichola has other palaces, a crystal gallery, a museum and a
durbar hall within its premises. Each part of the palace is reflective of
either Rajput architecture or Mughal architecture. The palace is richly
ornate with mosaics, miniatures, mirror works and motifs. A place worth
visiting for every tourist.
» Lake Palace : The Lake palace, situated amidst
Lake Pichola, was built by Maharana Jagat Singh and served as a summer
palace for the royal family. This white marble structure is a fascinating
beauty that attracts numerous tourists round the year. Today, the palace
serves as a luxury hotel and provides its visitors an insight into the royal
past of Udaipur.
» Jag Mandir : Jag Mandir is an island palace which
was built by Maharana Jagat Singh and is named after him. Later Rana Karan
Singh developed it further. The palace is significant because it is here
that prince Khurram stayed after he decided to revolted against his father
Emperor Jahangir.
» Sahelion ki Bari : Better known as the ‘garden
of the maids of honour’, Sahelion ki Bari was laid down by Maharana
Sangram Singh as a pleasure garden for the 48 maids who constituted the
dowry of the prince. The garden is perfect place to relax and enjoy the
beauty of the Lotus pool, lawns, flowerbeds and fountains.
»
Jagdish temple : Built in 1651 AD, the Jagdish temple is dedicated to
Lord Jagannath. Maharana Jagat Singh spent lavishly to construct this
temple. The three storeyed temple has a richly decorated and towering spire
that gives it a magnificent look. Inside the temple rich carvings enhance
the beauty of the temple.
The temple also houses shrines dedicated to various other gods and
goddesses like Lord Ganesh, Shiva, the Sun God and Goddess Shakti.
» Fateh Sagar Lake : Fateh Sagar Lake is not a
natural lake. It was dug up by the orders of Maharana Jai Singh and later
developed by Maharana Fateh Singh. It is connected to the other lake of
Udaipur, Lake Pichola by means of a canal. The lake houses three important
islands out of which the largest one is a park while the second largest one
has a solar observatory. The island with a park is a wonderful place for
picnic with a boat shaped cafe.
Getting There
» By Air : Dabok Airport, is the nearest airport
from Udaipur and is located 21 km from the city centre. A well developed
network of air services link Udaipur to New Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur,
Ahmedabad, Aurangabad and Mumbai.
» By Train : Udaipur Railway station is 4
km from the focal point of the city. A well organised system of railways
link Udaipur with all the major cities of India such as Chittaurgarh, Ajmer,
Jaipur and Delhi. Palace On Wheels is a foremost attraction of course which
is itself a tourist attraction.
» By Road : National and state highways connect
Udaipur to various major cities of India such as Delhi, Jaipur, Chittrogarh,
Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Indore, Kota, Mount Abu and Mumbai. There are bus service
to and from Gujarat, Delhi and major cities of Rajasthan that end at the bus
terminal, 2 km from the railway station.
