Udaipur known as the City of Lakes was the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar in Rajputana Agency and now the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western part of India. The city comprises of several beautiful lakes named: Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar. Besides its scenic location, historical and cultural importance, it is also known for its Rajput-era palaces. The Lake Palace, for instance, covers an entire island in the Pichola Lake. Many of the palaces have been converted into luxury hotels. It is often called the "Venice of the East”.

Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II, the capital of the erstwhile Mewar kingdom after Nagda, located on the Banas River northeast of Udaipur. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot and it would be well protected. Udai Singh established the palace there. When the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Chittor in 1568, Udai Singh shifted the capital to Udaipur. As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia Ranas and later Maharanas, reasserted their independence and recaptured most of Mewar except the fort of Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818. After India's Independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Udaipur acceded to the Government of India, and Mewar was integrated into India's Rajasthan state.
Sisodias or the Guhilots (Suryavansh) who ruled the Mewar region were against Mughal dominion. Due to rugged terrain of Aravalli range unsuitable for heavily armoured Mughal horses, Udaipur remained isolated from Mughal influence in spite of much pressure. Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur was the only royalty who did not attend the Delhi Durbar for King George V in 1911.

Climate

The climate of Udaipur is tropical, with the mercury staying between a maximum of 42.3°C and a minimum of 28.8°C during summers. Winters are mild with the maximum temperature rising to 28.8°C and the minimum dipping to 2.5°C.
Festivals:

Shilpgram, a crafts village 3km west of Fateh Sagar, displays the traditional houses from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra. There are also demonstrations by musicians, dancers, or artisans from these states. The 10 day festival is held to exhibit exquisite art and craft.
Mewar Festival:
The tradition and culture of Rajasthan dominates every other thing in one's mind during the festival. The Mewar Festival is celebrated to welcome the advent of spring. It coincides with the festival of Gangaur in Udaipur and has a unique charm about it. The festival of Gangaur is very significant for women of Rajasthan. It is a time for them to dress up in their best clothes and participate in the festival. The Mewar Festival id held during March - April.
The images of Isar and Gangaur are dressed by the people who gather to celebrate the festival by carrying them in a ceremonial procession through different parts of the city. The processions reache the Gangaur Ghat of Lake Pichola where the images are transferred to special boats amidst much singing and festivity. Aftyer completion of the religious part of the festival, the cultural events start. The Rajasthani culture is portrayed through songs, dances and other programs. The festival is ended with an impressive fireworks display. The participants enjoy the festval to the fullest extent like other fairs and festivals celebrated throughout the state. 
Gangaur Festival -
Gangaur festival held in March - April is popular among women who pray to the goddess Parvati. The major attraction of the festival is the procession of caparisoned horses and elephants accompanying the image of Lord Shiva. The women carry the idols of goddess Parvati i.e. Gauri in form of a procession to Gangaur Ghat of Pichola lake. The women participants cheer and dance in the colourful procession. At the end, they distribute sweets.
Teej :
The married women pray for a happy and long married life in Teej festival dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. It is the festival celebrating the advent of monsoon. The festival is held in all parts of Rajasthan during the monsoons i.e. July-August. It is the festival of swings which are decorated with flowers. Young girls and women dressed in green and red clothes sing songs in celebration. 
Transport

Air: Dabok airport, also known as Maharana Pratap Airport, is 24 KM from the city centre. Daily Indian Airlines flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi. There are daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur on Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines.

Rail: Udaipur City Railway Station provides connectivity with Delhi, Mumbai Jaipur and Ahmedabad. Udaipur is connected with Kolkatta, by the "Ananya Express". A train has also been introduced between Mumbai and Udaipur via Vadodara, Ratlam and Chittorgarh. There are daily 2 Intercity Express between Udaipur to Indore and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

Road: The city lies on the Golden Quadrilateral, midway between Delhi and Mumbai National Highway (NH) 8; it is around 700 KM from either metro. The roads in this part of the country are paved and fit for private vehicles. One can either drive from Jaipur (around 6 hours via Chittorgarh) or Surat (9 hours), or take a Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) bus from Bikaner House, India Gate in Delhi. There are several luxury bus services to and fro Jaipur.

The East West Corridor which starts from Porbandar and ends at Silchar passes and is intersecting the Golden Quadrilateral and shares the common space from Udaipur to Chittor.

Local transport: Taxis without meter, auto rickshaws, tongas and regular city bus services are available for Udaipur City.

Places of tourist interest:

City Palace, Udaipur
The massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559 on the east bank of Lake Pichola is known as the City Palace of Udaipur. The balconies provide panoramic views of the "Jag Niwas" (the Lake Palace Hotel) , Jag Mandir on one side and the city of Udaipur on the other. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate - the Tripolia, built in 1725. The way now leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping terraces, corridors and gardens.
Suraj Gokhda is a place where the maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in the times of trouble to the people to restore confidence. The Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), gets its name from the mosaics in glass decorating its walls. The chini chitrashala is noteworthy while a series of wall paintings of Krishna are on display in Bhim Vilas. There are numerous other palaces such as Dilkhush mahal, Sheesh mahal, Moti mahal and Krishna vilas - in memory of a princess of striking beauty who poisoned herself to avert a bloody battle for her hand by rival princes. Now the palace contains many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils and attracts thousands of visitors every day.
The former guesthouses of the city palace, Shiv Niwas Palace and the Fateh Prakash Palace have been converted into heritage hotels.

Lake Palace: The Lake Palace built in 1743-1746 is made of marble and situated on an Island in Lake Pichola. It was originally built as a royal summer palace, but is now a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the "Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces" banner.

Jag Mandir: Jag Mandir is another island in Lake Pichola which is known for its garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father. Now, there is a restaurant run by the HRH group of hotels.

Monsoon Palace: Monsoon Palace also known as Sajjan Garh Palace The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all of the lakes. This palace had a way to collect rain water for consumption all year around.

Jagdish Temple: The Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist in 1651 A.D. It is an example of Indo - Aryan architecture.

Fateh Sagar Lake
Fateh Sagar Lake is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh after much destruction was caused by heavy rains. In 1993-1994, the water vanished from the lake, but in 2005-2006, the lake regained its water.
Lake Pichola
Lake Pichola has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4 km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II. 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 the lake the Lake Palace stands, which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel. The lake remains fairly shallow even during heavy rains, and gets dry easily in times of severe drought. This year (2010), the lake is full of water.
Saheliyon-ki-Bari
Sahelion ki Bari was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fateh Sagar Lake have lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant-shaped fountains. These fountains are fed by the water of the lake gushing through ducts made for the purpose.

Gulab Bagh and Zoo
A rose garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh is situated near the palace on the east side of Lake Pichhola. A library in the garden has a collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Some of the part of the Satyarth Prakash has been written in this library. Satyarth Prakash stup is situated in Gulab Bagh. Within the garden, there is a zoo with tigers, leopards, Chinkara gazelle, birds, and many wild animals. Children can enjoy mini train, track of which covers the main part of the garden and the zoo.
Doodh Talai
A rock and fountain garden and the sunset point from which one can enjoy the sunset view in Lake Pichhola and a panoramic view of the old city. Also one can enjoy the Aerial tramway (rope way) which connects one of the dudh talai gardens to Karni Mata temple.
Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal
A museum of folk arts. It also hosts puppet shows in its auditorium. Rajasthani puppet show is very famous and the tourist should not miss the show if get such opportunity.
Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti Magri
Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak".
Bohara Ganesh Ji
This temple is situated near old railway station (Thokar) and M L S University. This is old and famous Ganesh Temple with standing statue of Shree Ganesh Ji considered very fruitful (Chamatkarik).Thousands of Bhaktas(devotees) come here every Wednesday.
Nehru Garden
This is a park situated in the middle of Fateh Sager Lake. This park covers about 41 acres (170,000 m2), with flower gardens and a lily pond. It was inaugurated on the birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The garden overlooks the ancient Moti Mahal of Maharana Pratap and gives a view of the Aravalli hills on three sides.
Bagore-ki-Haveli
This is an old building built right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat. The haveli now stages Rajasthani traditional dance and music.
Ahar Museum
Located about 2 km east of Udaipur is a cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphs of Maharanas cremated there. One cenotaph is that Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is also Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery, as well as some sculptures and other archaeological finds. Some pieces date back to 1700 BC and a tenth-century metal figure of Buddha is a special attraction.
Shilpgram
A crafts village located northwest of Udaipur, Shilpgram hosts an annual crafts fair which is one of the biggest in India; people from different states in the country have stalls showcasing their art and crafts work.
Neemach Mata Temple
This temple is located on a green hill in the Dewali area of Udaipur. It has both stairs and an uphill slope way to climb, which is around 800 meters.
Udaipur Solar Observatory
Asia's only solar observatory, the Udaipur Solar Observatory, is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatehsagar.

Other paces to visit:

Nathdwara - Shri Nathdwara (a pathway to Lord Shri Krishna) lies 48 km from Udaipur and literally means the gateway to the Lord. Devotees throng the shrine in large numbers during occasions of "Janmashtmi", the day of the Lord's birth, and other festivals like Holi. It is famous for its 'pichwai' paintings, with Shri Krishna in the centre and is recognized for profuse use of gold colour.
Ranakpur is located in Rajsamand District, 110 km north of Udaipur. A village is famous for the most important Jain temples with more than 1400 marble pillars support the temple. Opposite to the Jain temple is the much older Sun Temple..
Chittorgarh- About 140 km from Udaipur, Chittorgarh was the capital of Mewar from 734 AD to 1559. Chittorgarh Fortress is a massive one situated on a hilltop near Chittorgarh town in Rajasthan state in India. It is convenient to visit the Fort early in the morning after detraining from the train at Chittorgarh at dawn and after visiting the Foirt proceed towards Udaipur by bus or car. Tanga is available to up-to the gate of the fort from the station.
Haldighati - A mountain pass in Rajsamand District that hosted the battle between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and the Mughal emperor Akbar. Now, it is a memorial site.

Kumbhalgarh – It is a 15th-century fortress, built by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, with 36 KM of walls. Over 360 temples are within the fort. It also has a wildlife sanctuary. Located in Rajsamand District, 84 km from Udaipur. The vista from the top of the palace typically extends tens of kilometers into the Aravalli hills.

Mount Abu - A popular tourist hill station.
Eklingji - Eklingji is a temple complexes situated nearly 22 km in the north of Udaipur. It was built in 734 A.D. and consists of 108 temples chiseled out of sandstone and marbles; it is devoted to the royal family of Mewar.
Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the most rugged of the Aravali in Pali, Rajsamand and Udaipur districts of Rajasthan. It takes its name after the historic fort of Kumbhalgarh, which comes into view over the Park. It is 578 km² in area and at an altitude of 500 to 1,300 M. It is home to a very large variety of wildlife, some of which are highly endangered species. The wildlife includes wolf, leopards, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, smabhar, nilgai, chaisingh (the four horned antelope), chinkara, and hare.
Kankroli and Rajsamand Lake: Dwarakadish Temple and Nau Choukiya.
Rishabhdeo: also known as "Kesariya ji" or "Kala Baoji" Famous Jain pilgrimage center sacred to Jains and local tribals.
Jagat: It is known as Khajuraho of Rajasthan, famous for Jagadambeshwari Durga temple.
Bambora: Bambora fort and Idana mata temple.
Jaisamand Lake: It is the second biggest man-made lake in the Asia. Very picturesque and beautiful lake has many inhabitable islands.
Udaisagar Lake
Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary
Baneshwar:120 km from Udaipur on Banswara road near Sabla, Jakham. Som and Mahi river are merged here, every year Kumbh for Aadiwasi's in January month organised.
Galiakot (Mazar-e-Seyadi Fakhruddun Shaheed)
Dungarpur: Gap sagar, city palace
Banswara: Mahi dam and Tripura Sundari temple
Chawand -The Third Capital of Mewar and also the place where Great Maharana Pratap spent his last years.
Bandoli: near Chawand, Maharana Pratap's canopy is situated here
Mayaro ki Gufa; Rana Pratap used to keep his arms and ammunitions here.
Molela - A village near Haldi Ghati famous for its red pottery "terracota".
Kamal Nath- near Jhadol, it is said that Ravana the demon king of lanka worshiped here of Lord Shiva and offer his head instead of lotus flower to God. Rana pratap also stayed here for some time durinf Haldighati war.
Matrikundia: holi place near Rashmi on Banas river bank.
Sanwaliaji Temple: 70 km east from Udaipur famous krishna temple.
Avari Mata temple: 80 km in east from Udaipur
Jhakham Dam: in Sita mata century
Salumber: fort, pond, temples, famous for Hadi Rani's sacrifice.
Charbhuja ji: at Gadbor village in Rajsamand district, one of the char-dham of Mewar, 90 km in north from Udaipur.
Sardar garh: fort and lotus (Kamal) shaped "Alakh mandir" [self-realization place of Mahatma Bhuri Bai]
Laksmanpura: famous for Ram Jharokha,village of notable saint Sri Guman Singh ji, 25 km east from Udaipur
Nauwa: near Khemli 20 km from udaipur, self -realization place for yogivirya Baoji Chatur Singh ji Mewar.
Bemla: famous for Kurabadia Bheruji, beautiful land-scape, Bemleshwar mahadev, dhuni.
Tidi Dam: 40km in south of Udaipur near Jawarmines
Som Kagdar Dam: 65km in South of Udaipur and near Kherwara
Som-Kamala-Amba Dam: near Aaspur
Nandeshwar ji: 11 km south-west from Udaipur on Jhadol road.
Ubeshwar ji:19 km west from Udaipur
Mansi Wakal dam: 60 km from Udaipur
Keleshwar Mahadeo: 29 km west of Udaipur
Jhameshwar Mahadeo: 22 km in south of Udaipur, mahadeo temple, Ambika mata temple, water fall and picnic spot
Baghdada:Crocodile park and habitate center, 12 kn south of Udaipur.

Last Updated on Saturday, 06 November 2010 01:28