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Udaipur is situated on the
banks of the lovely Lake Pichola and the lake of Fatehsagar, in
Southern Rajasthan, the Eden like Udaipur, cocooned by the
Aravalli Hills, is a dotted with numerous beautiful palaces,
domes, shrines among other top tourist attractions. 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. 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.
The Lake Palace
One of the most romantic cities in
 Rajasthan,
Udaipur is also known as the city of lakes. The marble palaces,
beautifully laid out gardens and the lakes make Udaipur seem
almost like a mirage in the desert.
The founder of Udaipur, Maharana Udai Singh, was overcome by the
misfortunes that his old capital of Chittaurgarh had to face due
to repeated attacks by the Mughal armies. On the advice of a holy
man, Udai Singh shifted his capital to the banks of Lake Pichola-
the city was named Udaipur after him.
This marble palace that seems to be floating on the Lake Pichola
is undoubtedly the main attraction of Udaipur. Now a luxury hotel,
this palace can be accessed by boat from the city palace which
overlooks it.
Other attractions in Udaipur include Krishna Vilas, Lake Fateh
Sagar,Sajjan Niwas and Gulab Bagh, Machchalaya Magra, Doodh Talai,
Jag Mandir, and the Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum.
Jaisamand lake
48 kms from the city, this artificial lake was bui lt
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.
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.
The City Palace
Overlooking the la ke
Pichola is the City Palace, a marvel of marble and granite. The
largest palace in Rajasthan, its exquisite worksmanship makes it a
must on every visitor's itinerary. The three mahals - Baari,
Dilkush and Moti, the Suraj Gokhada of the Sun Balcony, the Mor
Chowk Known for its beautiful peacock Mosaics ; the shrine of
Dhuni Mata and the Museum of Rana Pratap are the highlights of
this complex.
Jagdeesh Temple
Close to the City Palace is the Jagdish Temple which houses some
imposing sculpted figures and heavily ornamented interiors. At a
short distance is the Sahelion-ki-Bari or the Garden of Maidens
which has four pools and delicately carved kiosks and elephants in
marble. Built in the early 18th century, this is now a popular
tourist spot.
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.
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.
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