Udaipur

Founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II as the capital of the erstwhile Mewar Kingdom this beautiful city of India is also called “the city of lakes” or in other word you can say “Venice of the East”, Udaipur offers three interconnected lakes within the town- the Fateh Sagar Lake, the Lake Pichhola and the smaller Swaroop Sagar Lake.

Being a city of Rajasthan, Udaipur relives the reminisces of a heroic past, valor and chivalry.

It is claimed that Jag Mandir of Udaipur was the inspiration behind Shahjahan’s creation of the Taj Mahal. Indian sections of the James Bond film Octopussy were filmed in the city.

Attractions of  Udaipur

Udaipur gratifies the thirst of tourists by offering numerous tourist attractions. From a fort to Palace and from a Haveli to Solar Observatory everything is worth watching in Udaipur. The beautiful palaces of the city depict the lavish lifestyle of the ancient rulers. Though, the city is otherwise small and most of the tourist places will take approximately 20-25 minutes for viewing but visit as each one has its own unique architecture that is worth viewing.

Udaipur City Palace  

The elegant palace originally built by Mahrana Uday Singh II rises 30 meters above Lake Pichola and extends up to 244 meters. It has museums, gardens and a number of small and big palaces, the entry to the Palace are from the Hati Pol, the Elephant gate. Balconies, cupolas and towers surmount the palace to give a wonderful view of the lake. The palace complex has been built entirely in granite and marble.

Lakes   

Udaipur is also referred as the “Kashmir of Rajasthan” (a reference to Dal Lake) and not without reason. The lake city offers three inter-connected lakes within the town.

Lake Pichhola

An artificial fresh water lake, created in the year 1362 AD, named after the nearby Picholi village. This picturesque lake encloses the Jag Niwas Island and the Jag Mandir. And, the City Palace extends along its eastern banks.

Fateh Sagar Lake

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.

Swaroop Sagar Lake

Locally known as Kumharia Talab, Swaroop Sagar is a small artificial lake built by Maharana Swaroop Singh. This pretty lake flows behind the popular Jagdish Temple, near Chand Pol adjoining Rangsagar. Connected with Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake, Swaroop Sagar was built to provide water to the people of Udaipur. You can club your visit to the lake with a tour of Jagdish Temple and other attractions on Lake Pichola.

Bagore-ki-Haveli

This is a very congenial old building built right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat. Amir Chand Badwa, the Prime Minister of Mewar, built it in the eighteenth century. The Haveli consist hundred of rooms. The glass and mirror in the interiors of the Haveli delicate work and well preserved too.

Thrills and Fun

Ropeway 

Newly introduced in Udaipur this is most important tourist attraction. Installed between two mountains right on the bank of Lake Pichola. The view from the Gondolas is breath taking and if you have passion for photography you must not miss this. It is from here that you can click best view of Udaipur including Lake Pichola, Lake Fateh Sagar, magnificent City Palace complex, Sajjangarh Fort and above all artistic landscaped Aravali mountains on the other side of the lake. Do not miss the sun setting across lush green Aravali Hills across Lake Pichola. This thrill is not even very costly it just takes 60 per adult and 30 per Kid.

Dal-Bati-Churama of  Udaipur

This famous dish of Udaipur is one of the most flavorful thing in the world. Dal-Bati-Churama for lunch and/or dinner is an excellent idea. Also famous is the Rabdi sweet. However you will also find lots of varieties of food including Italian and Spanish even in the simplest of Havelis. Dine at one of the Rajasthan Dhabas near City Palace where you can have typical Rajasthani food and “it will be a life time food you will get”

Cultural Activities  

With its long, fascinating history and rich cultural background, Udaipur is a magical place with endless opportunities to gain insight into the heritage of the area and its peoples. The city has a number of excellent art galleries, while folk performances are among the most interesting aspects of traditional culture to be seen.

How to reach there  ?

Airlines

Situated in a satellite town, Dabok airport also known as Maharana Pratap Airport about is about 20 kilometers from Udaipur. Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, and Kingfisher Airlines operate daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai & Jaipur to Udaipur.

Roads

The city lies on the Golden Quadrilateral National Highway (NH) 8, midway between Delhi and Mumbai, located around 700 kilometers from either city. 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).

Distance from major destinations:

Agra                          630km

Ahmadabad          262 km

Jaipur                      406 km

Jodhpur                   275km

Mount Abu              185km

Buses

State Transport Authorities and private tour agents operate daily buses between Udaipur-Jaipur, Udaipur-Delhi, Udaipur-Ahmadabad, and Udaipur-Jodhpur. Some of these buses also have sleeper coaches for a comfortable journey. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) buses from Bikaner House, India Gate in Delhi are also available.

Cabs        

You can easily visit Udaipur by hiring a car to drive. There are many car rental companies available which provides cars on rent. You would require, submitting the photocopy of your international driver’s license to rent vehicles. Prices depend on the kind of transport you rent and the length of time you rent it for.

Trains

One of the important railheads of North Western Railways is the Udaipur City railway station. It is Situated 4 km east of the city centre.  Express and superfast trains from all over the country are available from this station. Udaipur railway station is directly connected by numerous trains with important places like:

•  Delhi
•  Jaipur
•  Ajmer
•  Jodhpur
•  Ahmadabad
•  Mumbai

The luxurious train of Indian Railways “Palace on wheels”, which runs on the Golden triangle tourism circuit, also has its halt at this station.