Happy weekend guys! I wonder if you enjoyed last blog post about Rajasthan? Incase, if you missed it. Do check out it here. Now, it’s time to move on into our next stunning city which is ‘Udaipur’. A year ago when I visited Udaipur, I was hypnotized by this beautiful city. This city is full of historical places and natural beauty. Here, you will get tired of seeing end number of natural lakes. Hence, called the ‘City of lakes’. Experience the royal fashion to luxurious forts, that’s Udaipur.

STAY and TRAVELLING

Udaipur is the most desirable destination for tourist all around the world. And why wouldn’t it be? The city is full of lively arts scene, authentic cultural shows, colourful bazaars and a more relaxed vibe. And because of the same reason, one problem that most of the traveller faces on their visit to the city is that what all places should be and can be covered on a given number of days. And so, our itenary was for 2 days which covered a lot of beautiful places in the city.

I know everybody is stuck on their busy schedules, please take out few minutes to read a blog and also let me know your views in the comment section below.

About the City of Lakes.

So, the first place is

CITY PALACE

The renowned City Palace is one of the best places to visit in Udaipur and sits beautifully on the banks of Lake Pichola. It is one of the most royal setups in the entire Rajasthan. This magnificent beauty was crafted back in the year 1559 and served as the power seat for the Maharanas where they use to live and administer the kingdom from. It was built by Maharana Uday Singh. Later on, his successors made the palace much more splendid by adding more beautiful structures to it.

Presently, the City Palace features courtyards, corridors, huge rooms, mahals, pavilions, terraces, and hanging gardens. There is also a renowned museum in the palace that features the finest Rajput elements of art and culture including brilliant sculptures and colourful paintings.

LAKE PICHOLA

Lake Pichola is one of the largest and the oldest lakes that Udaipur features. When visiting the City Palace, you can cover the large and shallow Lake Pichola which is known as one of the biggest lakes of India. It is beautifully surrounded by ancient temples, elevated hilly regions, lofty palaces, and bathing Ghats on all the surrounding locations. You would surely not want to miss this location. You can plan the sunset by this lake. There is a sunset cruise available too. Explore the different means and make the most of it.
On a hot, energy sapping day, we spent over two hours walking the palace grounds and nearby lakes learning from our local guide (we totally recommend you get a guide for your visit – it’s priceless!) You’ll definitely like to do the same. It’s one of the best views of Udaipur we enjoyed.

Next up is, 

Vintage Car Museum

If you have a deep love for automobiles and vintage cars then this is one of the ideal Udaipur places to visit and admire the cars that it showcases. Owned by Arvind Singh Mewar, the museum features a 1924 Rolls Royce, and a Shell petrol pump in working condition. Not a car enthusiast though, but I loved this place.

Lake Fateh Sagar

Situated in the north of Lake Pichola right across the Moti Magri Hill, Lake Fatehsagar is the second largest artificial lake. Surrounded by the high Aravalli hills on three sides and Pratap Memorial on the north side, the lake is considered as the pride of Udaipur. The lake is home to three tiny islands offering many exciting activities. The lake has a rich variety of flora and fauna.

Saheliyon Ki Bari

Saheliyon Ki Bari is another mesmerizing tourist garden to explore while in the beautiful city of Udaipur. It is also known by the name Courtyard of Maidens or the Garden of Maidens. As the name itself suggests, this place was developed for the maidens who came along with the Princess post her marriage to the Maharana of those times. This ancient structure is located on the banks of the Lake Fateh Sagar. It features magnificent water fountains, beautifully canopied lanes to walk, and lush greenery all around. According to most of the travellers, this outstanding place is ideal for relaxing with near and dear ones or even alone. The ancient architecture, the associated history as well as the regal vibe of the place has been attracting tourists from all over the world each year.

Guide explaining the reason behind the construction of garden.

GanGaur Ghat

Gangaur ghat has different moods to it. If you visit this early morning , you will catch people doing the daily rituals, temples around resonating with chants , evenings adorned with twinkling of lights whereas in day it can become really chaotic and super busy. We visited the ghat late in the evening and was happy to chose that because there was not much traffic and I was able to walk to the ghat. This place was a calm.

Bagore-Ki-Haveli

Set within a small enclosed courtyard under a beautiful tree in Bagore-Ki-Haveli., an old private palace, the show is a mix of traditional Rajasthani music, dance, puppetry, colourful costumes, mixed with just a little humour. Commencing just after sunset, the show starts slowly as local musicians captivate the crowds before an explosion of colour and dancing brings the show to life. Puppetry, will have you laughing before the enthralling finale brings the show to a close.
We’re generally not keen on cultural dance shows as they tend to feel a little too much boring as it goes for long hours. However, we were actually pretty happy we visited the Dharohar folk dance -in this palace. It was the best performance of its kind we’ve seen anywhere in the world, and really gave us a strong understanding of the importance of dance, costumes, puppetry and colour to Rajasthani culture. Here is a glimpse of folk dance!

Tired nuh? wrapping up in brief, I promise XD

Sajjangarh Palace

Sajjangarh Palace is a serene place and on the height from where you can view Udaipur and all the lakes. It is named Sajjangarh after Maharana Sajjan Singh of the Mewar Dynasty, who it was built for in 1884. 

View from sajjangarh palace.

To next we have,

TAJ LAKE PALACE

Now a hotel but was originally called Jagniwas and served as a summer palace. Built between 1743 and 1746 on the island near Jagmandir, the palace, which faces east, is a wondrous sight to behold. The walls made of black and white marbles are adorned with semi-precious stones and ornamented niches.

 Jagdish Temple

The Jagdish Temple is dedicated to the Hindu God, Lord Vishnu. It is a grand temple and one of the most majestic structures that is situated in the centre of the city of Udaipur. The gate of the grand Jagdish Temple is visible from the City Palace’s Bara Pol. For all the seekers of peace, faith, and solace, this place is an ideal spot of worship. It also boasts of several appealing structures like elephants flanking the entrance staircase, a serene atmosphere and intricate carvings in white marble. The architecture of the temple is that of the renowned and ancient Indo-Aryan style.

Heading to the last destination of Second day.

NATHDWARA (48 km from the lake city of Udaipur)

And among all the wonders, one temple that stands out is the Shrinathji Temple of Nathdwara. 

The Nathdwara Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to one of the avatars of Lord Krishna, Shrinathji. Nestled on the banks of river Baman, The structure of this temple is simple, but the aesthetic appeal of this temple is neverending.

A symbol of Rajasthan’s holy and spiritual zeal, it is an important pilgrimage point of Rajasthan.

In this temple, the priests dress up the deity in a new dress every day. Devotees from all over the world come here to witness the different forms of idol. The story of this beautiful and majestic temple dates back to the time of Meera Bai. The story behind the origin of the Shrinathji temple is quite interesting and is deep-rooted in both history and mythology. 

Furthermore, the temple is also known for its excellent feast that feeds hundreds of devotees each year. Words can’t describe my happiness while we were distributing the food baskets to needy ones. This can’t reduce poverty but, that expression of a smile bought smile in our face too and ofc, the blessing. <3 (sense of relief)  So, do donate some food whenever you visit there!

Done for the day!

Comment your suggestions about the blog. If you’re looking for next destination, you can go with Jaipur or you can head to Pushkar (view my blog here) which is only 3 hours by car.