Romance of Udaipur

Besides shimmering Lake Pichola, with the ochre and purple ridges of the wooded Aravalli Hills stretching away in every direction, Udaipur has a romance of setting unmatched in Rajasthan and arguably in all India. Fantastic palaces, temples, havelis and countless narrow, crooked, colourful streets add the human counterpoint to the city’s natural charms. Udaipur is the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. The city is named after its founder Maharana Uday Singh.

My passion for travelling comes from my mom who nurtured this during our family holidays since childhood. I stayed in Jaipur for 1.5 years, however, during that stay, I never got to visit Udaipur and she kept telling me about the charms of the city. Hence, when I decided to visit Rajasthan again, I knew that Udaipur will definitely be in my agenda.

We reached Udaipur in the evening and the sight that greeted us was the huge City Palace that lines the eastern shore of Lake Pichola, with its balconies gazing out at Udaipur’s other famous landmark, the Lake Palace – a fairy-tale confection that seems to float on the lake’s waters, gleaming by day and spotlit by night. Eastward, away from the lake shore, extends a tangled inner city of lanes lined with homes, temples, shops and businesses that is fascinating to explore. 

We checked into our Hotel "Lake Pichola" (http://www.lakepicholahotel.com/) by crossing some narrow streets fit enough to pass one car. We were given a deluxe double bed room on the 1st floor. All rooms at Lake Pichola Hotel are styled with traditionalist architecture and fixtures, Rajputana style furnishing; yet offer all up to date modern services to make the stay extremely comfortable. Each room is a reflection of the hotel's heritage and has a balcony with a breathtaking view of the Old City, City Palace, Jag Mandir and serene waters of the Lake itself. Sitting in their balconies you will feel that you have reached the bygone era of the Kings and Queens. At first glance, I have fallen in love with the hotel and with this beautiful city.

The next morning we woke up with an overcast sky worrying whether it is going to rain. I kept praying that it doesn't rain because it will spoil my chance taking photographs of this beautiful city. After an early breakfast, we got into our car and drove towards the palace. We first went to the city center and hopped into the ropeway. Ropeway in Udaipur is newly introduced and is an important tourist attraction. It is installed between two mountains right on the bank of Lake Pichola. The Ropeway links Deen Dayal Park, Doodh Talai and Machhla Hill top through a fixed grip mono cable jig back system. It is from here that you can click best view of Udaipur city 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.

View from the top of the hill

After enjoying the panoramic view of the city from the top of the hill, we came back and went straight to the City Palace. We bought a package tour of Boat ride at Lake Pichola, the City Palace Museum, the Crystal Gallery and the Vintage Car Museum from the entrance gate. 

First, we decided to take the boat ride around Lake Pichola. This lake is the centre-piece around which Udaipur revolves. The lake lies to the immediate west of the ridge on which the City Palace of Udaipur stands. The lake is now 4 km long and 3 km wide. The lake is fairly shallow and can actually dry up in severe droughts. One day's heavy rain is sufficient to fill the lake for a year. Amusingly, the water of the lake belongs to the Government of India whilst the land under water belongs to the royal family. A ride on the boat gives you an opportunity to see the most important city landmarks including the 7 star Udai Vilas Hotel belonging to the Taj Group. If you have the time, please take the boat ride during the sunset as well.

City Palace as seen from the lake

My hotel "Lake Pichola" on the bank of the lake

City Palace boat which took us for the ride

Udai Vilas Hotel - Taj Oberoi Group

During the ride, we stopped at the Jag Mandir Island. Jag Mandir is a beautiful palace located on the southern island of Lake Pichola. The three-storied building is a palatial structure made in yellow sandstone and marble. Built in early years of 17th century, Jag Mandir Palace was raised by Maharana Karan Singh to serve as a hiding place for Prince Khurram (popularly known as Shah Jahan). You would be mesmerized to see the eight life-sized Elephants carved out of white marble, giving the impression of guarding this beautiful island Palace. Currently the Palace complex also comprises a Darikhana Restaurant that serves lip smacking cuisine of Rajasthan. 

Jag Mandir Island - Notice the elephants

Darikhana Restaurant

Entrance to Jag Mandir Island

After the delightful boating experience, we went to visit the City Palace Museum. Surmounted by balconies, towers and cupolas towering over the lake, the imposing City Palace is Rajasthan’s largest palace, with a facade 244 m long and 30.4 m high. Construction was begun by Maharana Udai Singh II, the city’s founder, and it later became a conglomeration of structures (including 11 separate smaller palaces) built and extended by various maharanas, though it still manages to retain a surprising uniformity of design. We entered the complex at the Badi Pol at the top of City Palace Road at the palace’s north end. We hired a guide to take us through a tour of the massive structure. The museum includes the Bari Mahal, which has a lovely central garden. The Mor Chowk with it's beautiful mosaics of peacocks; the Manak Mahal with it's collection of glass and porcelain figures and the Krishna Vilas with it's fine collection of miniatures are a treat not to be missed. The Zenana Mahal (The women's private living quarters in a palace) also has a collection of paintings. If one wants to see examples of beautiful mirror-work then a visit to the Moti Mahal is a must. The Chini Mahal is covered in beautiful oriental tiles. The exquisite work of City Palace cannot be bounded in words, so one must visit this palace to capture the real picture of it. We enjoyed every moment of the tour while our guide continued to explain to us the history behind each of the places we visited.

Exquisite glass mirror work at Manak Mahal

Mor Chawk

 The gorgeous view of the city and the palace garden from the top leaves you spellbound. 

Our next stop was Fateprakash Palace (now run as a luxury hotel) which has a crystal gallery. Before entering the gallery, we passed the massive Durbar Hall. The Durbar Hall at the Fateh Prakash Palace is one of the most lavish Durbar Hall in India and one of the grandest chambers in Udaipur. It is decorated with paintings of Maharanas and various weapons adorn the walls. The hall has an exquisite ceiling and is surrounded by viewing galleries from where the ladies of the palace could view the proceedings while remaining veiled. As soon as you enter Durbar Hall, it's impossible for your attention not to be captured by the seven crystal chandeliers suspended from its ceiling. The centerpiece is a mammoth chandelier weighing one tonne. Its brilliance dominates the whole room. Two slightly smaller chandeliers, weighing 800 kilograms each, flank its sides. There are another four smaller chandeliers, weighing 200 kilograms each, in the corners of the hall.

Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel

Durbar Hall

Center Chandelier weighing 1 tonne

Through the Durbar Hall we entered the Crystal Gallery armed with an audio guide. The Gallery consists of crystal chairs, dressing tables, sofas, tables, chairs and beds, crockery and table fountains. There is also a unique jewel studded carpet here. Maharaja Sajjan Singh had ordered these rare items in 1877 from F&C Osler & Co of London but he died before they arrived here. It is said that the packages containing these crystals remained unopened for 110 years. Photography is not permitted at this gallery and hence there is nothing I can show. But the gigantic crystal bed and all other artifacts displayed there lingered in my memory for a very long time.

The palace guards offered us coffee and cold drinks post the tour and we rested for sometime before heading towards the next point -The Vintage & Classic Car Collection that is a landmark in the city of Udaipur ever since it was inaugurated in February 2000. The grand limousines and cars showcased in the Collection belong to the House of Mewar and are still in perfect running condition. They have a  magnificent collection of Rolls-Royce, 1939 Cadillac open convertibles, rare Mercedes models, 1936 Vauxhall and 1937 Opel models. The collection is housed in the original Palace Garage. The semi-circular garage with its forecourt is housed within a greater courtyard, creating a pleasant hideaway from the bustle of the streets. One of the original Burmah Shell petrol pumps is not only still standing, but also in a usable condition. The garage itself was built at a time when the only cars in town belonged to the Royal Family and the present-day surroundings make this garage as wonderfully stylish as it must always have been.

Pebble Beach Winner

Original Burmah Shell Petrol Pump still in working condition

Tired after the whole day's trip, but enthralled by the beauty of this beautiful city, we returned to our hotel. The day ended with dinner at the rooftop restaurant (Upre 1559) offering a splendid of the city palace at night.

For anyone who loves travelling, Udaipur is a must in the list of "Top 10 places to visit in India". The ethereal beauty of the city combined with its history is something that needs to be experienced and cannot be read.