Udaipur,
popularly called as the 'City of Lakes' is situated amidst the Aravali hills
and shimmering blue water lakes. One of the popular tourist destinations of
Rajasthan, Udaipur is also considered as one of most romantic places in
India. The city founded by Maharana Udai Singh in 1567, was last of the
several Mewar capitals. Udaipur is the birthplace of the legendary Maharana
Pratap. The magnificent forts, palaces, lakes and gardens carry the flavour
of heroic past of the city. The 'City of Lakes' is known for its scenic
lakes such as the Pichola Lake, Udai Sagar and Fateh Sagar. Besides the
lakes, Udaipur houses many palace of Rajputs, the most famous is the Lake
Palace. Once there were eleven gateways to enter the city, but today only
five survive. The Sun Gate or the Suraj Pol located to the eastern side is
the main entrance to the city.
Climate of Udaipur
As the city is surrounded by several lakes, so the climate is pleasant
here. The climate of the city is not extreme, the summers are hot and
winters are cold. Summer temp : Max 38.3°C - Min 28.8°C, Winter
temp : Max 28.3°C - Min 8°C. The ideal time to visit Udaipur is
September and March.
Major Tourist Attractions in Udaipur
» City Palace - The City Palace is majestic white
royal building, standing along the shores of Pichola Lake and is situated on
the top of hill. Built is granite and marble, the massive is surrounded by
crenelated walls. The construction of the palace was originally started by
Maharaja Udai Singh, the later additions were made by the subsequent
Maharajas.
The City Palace one of the largest complex in Rajasthan, houses the
beautiful Jagdish Temple. The palace has spacious courtyards, pavilions,
terraces, corridors, rooms and hanging gardens. The 'Tripolia' or the Triple
Gate is the main entrance to the palace. A museum also lies inside the fort
complex, which has the collection of the armour of the Maharana Pratap and
the drums & bugles of Rana Sanga.
»
Maharana Pratap Memorial - Situated atop the Moti Magri (Pearl hill)
this is the memorial of the valiant hero Maharana Pratap. Overlooking the
Fateh Sagar Lake, the memorial has equestrian bronze statue of Maharana
Pratap. Apart from this memorial Sajjan Garh, Gulab Bagh, Dudh Talai Park,
the Sunset point are other attractions here.
» Lake Palace - Lake Palace originally known as Jag
Niwas, was built in 1754 by Maharana Jagat Singh II. Built on an island in
the middle of Pichola Lake, Lake Palace was the summer residence of rulers
of Mewar. Now this summer palace is converted into a luxury hotel.
» Ahar - Situated at a distance of 3 Kms from
Udaipur, Ahar was once the capital of Sisodias. Ahar is famous for profusion
of cenotaphs of Mewar rulers. Other attraction is the small government
museum which has a rare collection of antiquities, earthen pots, iron
objects and numerous art items.
» Jagdish Temple - The Indo-Aruan style
temple was Built in 1651 by Maharana Jagat Singh. The temple is one of the
largest and the most beautiful temple of Udaipur.
» Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandir - Bharatiya Lok Kala
Mandir is a museum of folk arts. The museum has the interesting collection
of folk dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks, dolls, folk musical instruments,
folk deities and paintings. The puppet shows are arranged in its auditorium
on request.
»
Fateh Sagar Lake - The lake is situated north of Pichola lake. It was
built by Maharana Jai Singh, but it was named after Fateh Singh who rebuilt
it.
» Pichhola Lake - The beautiful lake is surrounded
by hills, palaces,temples, bathing ghats and embankments. The major
attractions of the lake is island palaces Jag Mandir and Jag Niwas(Lake
Palace).
Shopping
The famous shopping centres are Hathipole, Clock Tower, Chetak Circle,
Palace Road and Bapu Bazaar. The shops offer the items like folk toys,
brightly coloured garments, silver jewellery, hand printed textiles, batiks,
tie & dye sarees and fabrics.
How To Reach
» By Air - The Dabok Airport is situated at a
distance of 21 Kms from Udaipur. The airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Jaipur and Jodhpur.
» By Rail - Udaipur has the trains from all the
major cities of the country. Every day trains are available from Jaipur and
Delhi.
» Road - Udaipur is well-connected by highways and
state roads to the cities of the state as well as outside the state.
Rajasthan Roadways buses ply from Jaipur, Delhi and Gujarat.
Accommodation
The city of lakes has several hotels, which offer comfortable stay to
guests. The hotel range from luxury to budget hotels cater to the needs of
the tourists. Some of the famous hotels include Taj Lake Palace Hotel, Hotel
Anand Bhawan, Shiv Niwas Palace, and Shikarbadi Hotel. Besides the hotels,
other accommodation options like guest houses and paying guest
accommodations are available.
