Udaipur, formerly the capital of the Mewar Kingdom, is a city in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded by Maharana Udai Singh II in 1559, it’s set around a series of artificial lakes and is known for its lavish royal residences. City Palace, overlooking Lake Pichola, is a monumental complex of 11 palaces, courtyards and gardens, famed for its intricate peacock mosaics. Here’s a list of the Best Places to Visit in Udaipur.
City Palace, Udaipur
City Palace, Udaipur is a palace complex situated in the city of Udaipur. It was built over a period of nearly 400 years, with contributions from several rulers of the Mewar dynasty. Its construction began in 1553, started by Maharana Udai Singh II of the Sisodia Rajput family. The palace is located on the east bank of Lake Pichola and has several palaces built within its complex. The City Palace in Udaipur was built in a flamboyant style and is considered the largest of its type in the state of Rajasthan. It was built atop a hill, in a fusion of the Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles, providing a panoramic view of the city and its surroundings. Overlooking Lake Pichola, several historic monuments like the Lake Palace, Jag Mandir, Jagdish Temple, Monsoon Palace, and Neemach Mata temple, are all in the vicinity of the palace complex. Nestled within the Aravali mountain range, these landmarks are associated in popular culture with the filming of the 1983 James Bond movie Octopussy.
Lake Pichola
Lake Pichola, is an artificial fresh water lake, created in the year 1362 AD, named after the nearby Picholi village. Two islands, Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir are located within Pichola Lake and have been developed with several palaces to provide views of the lake. There are four islands on the lake: Jag Niwas, where the Lake Palace is built. Jag Mandir, with the palace of the same name. Mohan Mandir, from where the king would watch the annual Gangaur festival celebration. Arsi Vilas, a small island which was an ammunition depot, but also a small palace. This one was built by one of the maharanas of Udaipur to enjoy the sunset on the lake. It is also a sanctuary catering to a variety of birds, including tufted ducks, coots, egrets, terns, cormorants, and kingfishers
Monsoon Palace
The Monsoon Palace, also known as the Sajjan Garh Palace, is a hilltop palatial residence in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake. It is named Sajjangarh after Maharana Sajjan Singh of the Mewar Dynasty, it was built in 1884. The palace offers a panoramic view of the city’s lakes, palaces, and surrounding countryside. It was built chiefly to watch the monsoon clouds; hence, appropriately, it is popularly known as Monsoon Palace. The palace provides a beautiful view of the sunset. High in the Aravalli Hills, just outside Udaipur, the Palace is illuminated in the evenings, giving a golden orange glow.
Also Read: Best Places to visit in Jaipur-The Pink City
Saheliyon-ki-Bari
Saheliyon-ki-Bari is a major garden and a popular tourist space in Udaipur. It lies in the northern part of the city and has fountains and kiosks, a lotus pool and marble elephants. It was built by Rana Sangram Singh. There is also a small museum here. The museum is nice and has a lot of information about Indian history.
Jagmandir (Lake Garden Palace)
Jag Mandir is a palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. It is also called the “Lake Garden Palace”. Its construction is credited to three Maharanas of the Sisodia Rajputs of Mewar kingdom. The construction of the palace was started in 1551 by Maharana Amar Singh, continued by Maharana Karan Singh and finally completed by Maharana Jagat Singh I. It is named as “Jagat Mandir” in honor of the last-named Maharana Jagat Singh. The royal family used the palace as a summer resort and pleasure palace for holding parties.
Lake Palace
The iconic Lake Palace will arrest you with its beauty and scenic location on the 4-km long, man-made Lake Pichola. The palace is now operated by the Taj Group and offers captivating views of the Aravalli Hills.
Bagore ki haveli Museum
Bagore Ki Haveli is situated near Pichola Lake. The 18th-century construction was built by Amir Chand Badwa, Chief Minister at the Royal Court of Mewar. The Haveli became the residence of Maharana Shakti Singh of Bagore in the year 1878 and hence the name Bagore Ki Haveli. This was converted into a museum retaining the royal touch to the building. The museum presents the culture of Mewar. The antique collections include the stuff used by Rajputs such as jewelry boxes, hand fans, copper vessels and so on. The massive building has over 100 rooms and looks splendid with its unique style of architecture. When you are there, make sure you present yourself for the shows conducted here in the evenings.
Fateh Sagar Lake
Fateh Sagar Lake is situated in the city of Udaipur. It is an artificial lake named after Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur and Mewar, constructed north-west of Udaipur, to the north of Lake Pichola in the 1680s. It is one of the four lakes of the Udaipur city. Within the confines of the Fatah Sagar Lake, there are three small islands; the largest of these is the Nehru Park, which is a popular tourist attraction, the second island houses a public park with an impressive water-jet fountain, and the third island is the address for the Udaipur Solar Observatory. The Nehru Park is accessible by inboard motor boats. The blue waters of the lake and the backdrop of the green mountains have given the soubriquet of ‘the second Kashmir’ to Udaipur.
Vintage and Classic Car Museum
Vintage and Classic Car Museum is a car museum in Udaipur in Rajasthan state in India, having some of the rarest classic and vintage car collection. This museum is owned by Arvind Singh Mewar.
Shilpgram, Udaipur
Shilpgram is a rural arts and crafts complex, situated 3 km west of the city of Udaipur, India. The center is spread over an undulating terrain of about 70 acres of land, surrounded by the Aravali mountains. Shilpgram is an ethnographic museum that depicts the lifestyles of the folk and tribal people of the region. With an objective of increasing awareness and knowledge about the rural arts and crafts, the Shilpgram provides an opportunity for rural and urban artists to come together and interact through the process of camps and workshops.
