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.
RAJASTHAN
TRAIN TRAVEL
PALACE ON WHEELS
Ever wondered what luxury in the royal times was all about!
Welcome to Palace On Wheels, a luxury train that carries with
it an ambience of the Rajputana era and an exciting fairytale
journey, which takes the visitor to the imperial cities of
Rajasthan every single day. The coaches also carry out an
image of the Rajput states with beautiful interiors. Last but
not the least the "Royal Treat" for the passengers on board
include saloons, bar lounges & libraries in every coach as
well as restaurant and organized shopping facilites.
ATTRACTIONS
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.
Lake
Pichola is surrounded by hills, palaces, temples, bathing
ghats and has two island palaces- Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir.
Lake Fateh sagar lies to north of Pichola and was built by
Maharana Jai Singh but it got the name of Fateh Singh who
rebuilt its dam. Both the lakes are breathtakingly beautiful
and one can take a cruise on their waters. The sunset over
these lakes is a sight to be cherished.
PALACES
City Palace: This majestic white royal building towers
itself on a hill and is surrounded by crenellated walls. The
palace stands along the shores of Pichola.
Lake Palace: This former
summer residence of the royal family has now been converted
into a fabulous hotel.
GARDENS
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.
MUSEUMS 
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.
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.
TEMPLES
Jagdish Temple: Dedicated to Vishnu, this temple was
built in 1651 AD by Maharana Jagat Singh.
EXCURSIONS
TEMPLES
Eklingji: 22 kms from the city is a temple complex of
108 temples enclosed by high walls. Built in 1734 AD, the
temples are dedicated to the royal deity Ekling ji. The
complex has been chiselled out of sandstone and marble. It has
an ornate 'mandap' or pillared hall, the canopy of a huge
pyramidical roof composed of hundreds of knots.
Nathdwara:
This temple is one the most celebrated Vaishnava shrines
of Lord Krishna or Nathji. Thousands of pilgrims visit this
shrine during the festivals. Foreigners are not allowed in the
temple and photography is prohibited. It is located 48 kms
from Udaipur.
Kankroli: Known as Dwarkadhish, this temple is an
important Vaishnava temple and ranks very high among the
temples of the Vallabhacharya. 65 kms from the city.
Ranakpur: (98 Kms) Famous for the beautiful Jain
temples.
Jagat (58 Kms): The tenth century Ambika Mata Temple is
well preserved in all its splendour.
Rishabhdeoji (65 Kms): Popularly known as Kesariyaji
because of the large saffron offerings, this temple is
dedicated to the Jain Tirthankara Rishabhdeoji.
CITIES
Nagda: This ancient place in Mewar is famous for their
intricate carvings of the graceful 'apsaras'. 23 kms from the
city.
Haldighati: This place, 40 kms from Udaipur, has
immense historical importance. It was at Haldighati in 1576 AD
that armies of Maharana Pratap and Mughal Emperor Akbar
clashed. A 'chhatri' with delicate white marble columns is
dedicated to the indomitable hero and his loyal charger.
FORTS
Kumbhal Garh Fort: Kumbhalgarh Fort was built by
Maharana Kumbha in the 15th century. Perched on the Aravallis,
this is the second most important fort in Rajasthan after the
Chittaurgarh Fort. Nearby is the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife
Sanctuary.
LAKES
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.
Rajsamand lake (66 Kms): This is dam built by Maharana
Rai Singh in 1660.
HOW TO GET
THERE
Air: The
City of Lakes is well connected by air services. The Dabok
Airport is 21 kms from the city centre.
Rail: Railway has trains from all over the country to
destination Udaipur. The Palace On Wheels covers this
magnificent city during its eight day package tour.
Road: There are bus services from tourist places in
Rajasthan , Gujarat and Delhi.
PLACES TO
STAY
The Lake
Palace Hotel is considered to be among the best hotels
around the world. The Rajasthan Tourism Development
Corporation provides various categories of rooms and dormitory
at the Kajri Hotel. Apart from the hotels, there are Tourist
guest houses and municipal guest houses. There are
dharamshalas and the railway offers its retiring rooms at
nominal rates. Paying guest accommodations are also
available.
General Information Population:
About three lakhs
Main Languages: Rajasthani, Hindi, English
Location: 115 km From Chittorgarh,
Rajasthan
Attractions: Lake Palace, City
Palace
Famous As: City Of Lakes
Best Time To Visit: October To
April
