Udaipur:
Udaipur, formerly the capital of the Mewar Kingdom, is a city in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded by Maharana Udai Singh II in 1559, it’s set around a series of artificial lakes and is known for its lavish royal residences. City Palace, overlooking Lake Pichola, is a monumental complex of 11 palaces, courtyards and gardens, famed for its intricate peacock mosaics.
Lake Pichola boat tours take visitors past the 18th-century, white-marble Lake Palace, which covers an entire island and is now a hotel. Another island contains the domed Jagmandir Palace, former summer resort of the Maharanas, mostly constructed in the 17th century. Elsewhere, in Udaipur’s sprawling old city, is towering Jagdish Temple, completed in 1651 and dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. The Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum of regional folk art is known for its traditional puppet shows, while the hilltop Monsoon Palace offers sweeping views of the city and the surrounding ridges.
Top Most Attractions in Udaipur
City Palace :- The City Palace stands tall over Pichola Lake, having served as an abode for the ruling royalty. Construction was begun by Maharana Udai Singh and was continued by successive Maharanas who incorporated several palaces and structures to the complex. Interestingly, each addition preserved the original style of the design. Visitors enter the palace through Bari Pol (the Big Gate) which leads one to Tripolia (the Triple Gate) where it was once a custom to distribute the Maharaja’s weight in gold and silver to his subjects. It now serves as the main ticket office. The palace has numerous balconies, cupolas and towers that overlook Pichola Lake. The structure is just as beautiful inside as it is spectacular from the outside. Each palace is designed in a unique way, and decorations like mirrored tiles, paintings, glass work and ornamental tiles bring to life the opulence of the era. Today, the main section of the palace has been converted into a museum that houses a large collection of artifacts.
Lake Pichola :- Pichola Lake is one of the most beautiful and picturesque lakes of Rajasthan, India. Located in the heart of the city, Pichola Lake is the oldest and one of the largest lakes of Udaipur. In 1362, the beautiful lake was built by Pichhu Banjara during the ruling period of Maharana Lakha. Talking about the dimensions of Pichhola Lake, it is extended to 3 miles in length, 2 miles in width and has depth of 30 feet. The beauty of this lake has not separated anyone to attract towards it. The lake looks more enchanting with its scenic surroundings. Maharana Udai Singh must have been certainly captivated by the charm of this pristine lake with the perfect backdrop of lush green hills as when he founded the city of Udaipur, he enlarged this lake. He also constructed a dam made in stone that falls under the ‘Badipol’ region on the shore of this lake.
Fateh Sagar Lake :- Fateh Sagar Lake is an artificial lake in Udaipur and one of the four beautiful lakes in the city. Constructed in 1678, the lake comprises three small islands and is surrounded by scenic views of the mighty Aravalli Mountains. One of the islands has been converted into a public park called Nehru Park, which is a popular picnic spot and has a striking water jet fountain. The Udaipur Solar Observatory is also situated on one of the islands in the Lake.
Jagdish Temple :- Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur in Rajasthan. Jagdish Temple is one of the tourist attraction in Udaipur. It is a major monument in Udaipur, built by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist in 1651. The Jagdish Temple is raised on a tall terrace. The temple was originally called the temple of Jagannath Rai but is now called Jagdish ji. This temple is a great example of architecture and art. The area is the main tourist place in the Udaipur city.
Jag mandir :- Jag Mandir is a palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. It is also called the “Lake Garden Palace”. The palace is located in Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Its construction is credited to three Maharanas of the Sisodia Rajputs of Mewar kingdom. The construction of the palace was started in 1551 by Maharana Amar Singh, continued by Maharana Karan Singh (1620–1628) and finally completed by Maharana Jagat Singh I (1628–1652). It is named as “Jagat Mandir” in honour of the last named Maharana Jagat Singh. The royal family used the palace as a summer resort and pleasure palace for holding parties. The palace served as a refuge to asylum seekers on two separate occasions..
Saheliyo Ki Bari :- Saheliyon Ki Bari, one of the most beautiful and popular destinations of Udaipur is located on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. Apart from scenic beauty the garden also possesses a museum, of which the main attraction are some stuffed cobras. After few years, Maharana Bhopal Singh imported some fountains from England and built a pavilion of rain fountains in 1889. One can also see some of the cenotaphs made of marbles inside the garden. The terraces of these cenotaphs have water fountains shaped like birds from whose beaks water gushes out in thin sprays like the singing rain – producing a wonderful sight. All these things make Sahelion ki Bari an interesting place to visit. During the reign of Maharana Fateh Singh, the flood occurred in Fateh Sagar lake and damaged some part of the Sahelion ki Bari but king reconstructed it to give the present form.
Shilpgram : – Shilpgram is a rural arts and crafts complex, situated 3 km (1.9 mi) west of the city of Udaipur, India. The center is spread over an undulating terrain of about 70 acres of land, surrounded by the Aravali mountains. Shilpgram is an ethnographic museum that depicts the lifestyles of the folk and tribal people of the region. With an objective of increasing awareness and knowledge about the rural arts and crafts, the Shilpgram provides opportunity to rural and urban artists to come together and interact through the process of camps and workshops.
Gulab Bagh & Zoo :- Conceptualized and built by Maharana Sajjan Singh, Gulab Bagh is also known as Sajjan Niwas Garden. The garden covers an area of about 100 acres and has a large variety of well maintained roses. Named after the gulab (roses) that grow here, Gulab Bagh is located on the banks of the famous Pichola Lake. The main attraction of Gulab Bagh are the roses in the garden. There are several varieties of roses found here including some from foreign lands.
Zoo – While the zoo is not a huge, it does house several interesting animals. The chinkaras, the female leopard and the tigers are a must see. The bird section of the zoo showcases some very unique parakeets and huge owls too.
Bhartiya lok Kala mandal :- Bhartiya lok Kala mandal was founded by Padma Shri devi lal samar in 1952. The main objective of the Institute is to conduct studies on the folk art, songs and festivals of regions like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh etc and to revive a vanishing folk culture. The institute has a puppet unit that trains children, teachers and other artists in the art of puppetry, as this is a very powerful non-conventional educative medium. It also boasts of regular performances that are a feast to behold. A group of 25 artists go on tour, both within India and abroad with a repertoire of puppet-shows and various folk dances. Their performances have brought the Institute a number of honours on a national and international level.
Maharana Pratap Memorial :- Maharana Pratap Memorial is a historic site that is dedicated to the gallant Maharana Pratap. Situated at the top of Moti Margi or Pearl Hill, the memorial overlooks the Fateh Sagar Lake. In Hindi, memorial is known as “smarak” and smarak is always made in the memory of loved ones. Maharana Pratap Memorial was constructed with the initiative taken by Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar with the help of a public trust.
The memorial comprises a life-sized bronze statue of Maharana Pratap balanced on his loyal and favorite horse, Chetak. It is believed that Chetak was a faithful horse. He was extremely protective towards Maharana Pratap and stood by his master till his last breath. Chetak was killed in the battle of Haldighati. People visit this memorial to pay their homage to the Rajput hero, Rana Pratap and his loyal mount ‘Chetak’. This outstanding statue has also been picturised for various Bollywood movies. If you are a photographer, then you will truly love this place. From the comfortable height of the hill, you can click some of the best pictures of Udaipur city. One can also visit the attractive Japanese Rock Garden and the remnants of one of the forts of Udaipur, which are located near this hill.
