Udaipur Tour

The city of Dawn, Udaipur is a lovely land around the azure water lake, hemmed in by the lush hills of the Aravallis. A vision in white drenched in romance and beauty, Udaipur is a fascinating blend of sights, sound and experiences and inspiration for the imagination of poets, painters and writers. Its kaleidoscope of fairy-tale palaces, lakes, temples, gardens and narrow lanes strewn with stalls, carry the flavor of a heroic past, epitomizing valour and chivalry. Their reflection in the placid waters of the Lake Pichhola is an enticing sight. Udaipur is the jewel of Mewar-a kingdom ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200 Years. The foundation of the city has an interesting legend associated with it. According to it, Maharana Udai Singh, the founder, was hunting one day when he met holy man meditations on a hill overlooking the Lake Pichhola. The hermit blessed the Maharana and advised him to build a palace at this favorable located spot with a fertile valley watered by the stream, a lake, an agreeable altitude and an amphitheatre of low mountains. Maharana followed the advice of the hermit and founded the city in 1559 A.D. overlooking the aquamarine expanses of the Lake Pichhola stands the splendid City Palace-a marvel in granite and marble. Of the original eleven gates of the Udaipur City, only five remain. The Suraj Pol or Sun Gate on the eastern side is the main entrance to the city. Exquisite lake palaces of Udaipur shimmering like jewels on Lake Pichhola are overwhelming in splendor. Several places of interest around Udaipur, including the majestic, Chittaurgarh, the mountain fortress of Kumbhalgarh, beautiful Jain temple of Ranakpur, Eklingji and Nathdwara and the cool retreat of Mt. Abu, make the visit to Udaipur a memorable one.


Climate
Udaipur has a typical desert climate. Summers are very hot and the mercury has even touched 47 degrees in the past. Dust storms may also occur occasionally. Rainfall in the place is also scarce. During winters, however, the weather becomes very cool and pleasant.

Best Time to Visit 
October-March

Transportation

Air : Debock Airport is 24 km from the city centre, Dairy Indian Airliness flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur Jaipur aurangbad, Mumbai and Delhi.

Rail : Udaipur is directly linked by rail with major cities some important train connection are : 9643 Express (Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jaipur-Ajmer-Chittaurgarh-Udaipur.)

Road : A wide network of bus service link Udaipur with several destinations. Some of the important distance are Agra 630km, Ahmedabad 262 km Jaipur 406 km .Jodhpur 275km and Mount Abu 185km.

PLACES OF INTEREST ARE:

Jag Mandir: In the middle of Lake Pichola is the island palace where Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan) sought refuge from his father, the Emperor Jehangir.

Jag Mandir (1651 AD) with its tower of yellow sandstone is lined within with marble. it is three stories in height and is capped by a dome and the flooring is done is striking back and white marble tiles. The temple with the palace precints is dedicated to the Lord of the World and is named after him.

Jagdeesh Temple : The temple of Jagannath Rai, now called Jagdishji, is a major monument of and should be seen carefully. Raised on a tall terrace and completed in 1651, it is a tribute alike to the tenacity of its builders and the resilience of the art tradition in represents. It attaches a double storied Mandapa (hall) to a double storied, Saandhara (that having a covered ambulatory) sanctum.

The Mandapa has another storey tucked within its pyramidal Samavarna (bell roof) while the hollow clustered spire over the sanctum contains two more, non-functional, stories. Lanes taking off from many of the gates of the Sheharpanah (city wall) converge on the Jagdish Temple and walking leisurely through them brings you face to face with the many layers of the cultural palimpsest that Udaipur is.

Saheliyon-ki-Bari: 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, chiseled kiosks and marble elephants.

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.

Pratap Memorial: 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.

Fateh Sagar: 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.

Sajjan Garh: Dominating the city's skyline is the monsoon palace of Sajjangarh. It offers a panoramic overview of the city's lakes, palaces and the surrounding countryside.

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.

Bagore Ki Haveli: Situated on the bank of Lake Pichola & incorporating the majestic Gangaur Ghat, this haveli was built by the then Prime Minister of Mewar in the second half of the 18th century. The property fell into a dilapidated state until restoration by the West Zone Culture Centre began in 1986. There are 138 rooms, balconies, courtyards & terraces. The Chambers of the Royal Ladies contain fine fresco paintings, and the glass & mirror inlay work in the Haveli is marvelous.

Places to See Udaipur

City Palace
City Palace towers over the Pichola Lake. Maharana Uday Singh initiated in the construction of the palace but succeeding Maharanas added several palaces and structures to the complex retained a surprising uniformity to the design. The entry to the Palace is from the Hati Pol, the Elephant gate. The Bari Pol or the Big gate brings you to the Tripolia, the Triple gate. It was once a custom that the Maharana would weigh under this gate in gold and silver, which was distributed to the populace. It is also now the main ticket office.


Fateh Prakash Palace
It's like being cocooned in authentic royal luxury at the Fateh Prakash Palace, the grand heritage palace of the HRH group. The warmth of royal hospitality greets you as you walk along the corridors lined with large paintings of the Mewar school that flourished in the seventeenth through nineteenth century.


The Lake Palace
The Lake Palace is located on the Jag Niwas Island and covers the whole of 1.5 hectare of the island in the middle of the Pichola Lake. Built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1743 it was meant as a royal summer palace and now converted in to a five star palace hotel. It is a magical palace and its image in the middle of the lake is like a leaf straight out of a fairy tale book with an excellent taste of intricate craftsmanship and the ethnic themes using the textiles and handicrafts all over highlight the beauty that is simply beyond compare the lake around makes a pleasant murmur with its rippling waves and lapping that adds to the mesmerising moments.

City Palace Museum
The main part of the palace is now preserved as a museum displaying a large and diverse array of artefacts. Down steps from the entrance is the armoury museum exhibiting a huge collection of protective gear, weapons including the lethal two-pronged sword. The City Palace museum is then entered through the Ganesh Deori meaning the door of Lord Ganesh. Lake Pichola
Pichola Lake derives its name from Pichola Village was submerged and Maharana Udai Singh enlarged the lake after he founded the city. He built a masonry dam known as Badipol and lake is now 4 km long and 3 km wide. This picturesque lake encloses the Jag Niwas Island and the Jag Mandir. And, the City Palace extends along its eastern banks.