Udaipur also known as the “City of Lakes” is the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. It was founded in 1558 by Maharana Udai Singh II of the Sisodia clan of Rajput, when he shifted his capital from the city of Chittorgarh to Udaipur after Chittorgarh was besieged by Akbar. It remained as the capital city till 1818 when it became a British princely state, and thereafter the Mewar province became a part of Rajasthan when India gained independence in 1947.
The city is located in the southernmost part of Rajasthan, near the Gujarat border. It is surrounded by Aravali Range, which separates it from Thar Desert. It is around 660 km from Delhi and approximately 800 km from Mumbai, placed almost in the middle of two major Indian metro cities. Besides, connectivity with Gujarat ports provide Udaipur a strategic geographical advantage. Udaipur is well connected with nearby cities and states by means of road, rail and air transportation facilities, including Maharana Pratap Airport. Common languages spoken include Hindi, English and Rajasthani (Mewari).
Dubbed “the most romantic spot on the continent of India” by British administrator James Tod, Udaipur is a tourist destination and is known for its history, culture, scenic locations and the Rajput-era palaces. It is popularly known as the “City of Lakes” because of its sophisticated lake system. It has seven lakes surrounding the city. Five of the major lakes, namely Fateh Sagar Lake, Lake Pichola, Swaroop Sagar Lake, Rangsagar and Doodh Talai Lake have been included under the restoration project of the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) of the Government of India. Besides lakes, Udaipur is also known for its historic forts and palaces, museums, galleries, natural locations and gardens, architectural temples, as well as traditional fairs, festivals and structure.
City Palace, Udaipur, 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 as he shifted his capital from the erstwhile Chittor to the new found city of Udaipur. 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 Palace (formerly known as Jag Niwas) is a former summer palace of the royal dynasty of Mewar, now turned into a hotel. The Lake Palace is located on the island of Jag Niwas in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India, and its natural foundation spans 4 acres (16,000 m2).
The Lake Palace was built between 1743 and 1746 under the direction of the Maharana Jagat Singh II (62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar) of Udaipur, Rajasthan as a summer palace. It was initially called Jagniwas or Jan Niwas after its founder.
The palace was constructed facing east, allowing its inhabitants to pray to Surya, the Hindu sun god, at the crack of dawn. The successive rulers used this palace as their summer resort, holding their regal durbars in its courtyards lined with columns, pillared terraces, fountains, and gardens.
The walls made of black and white marbles are adorned by semi-precious stones and ornamented niches. Gardens, fountains, pillared terraces and columns line its courtyards.
Lake Pichola is named after the village Picholi nearby, on its southern end. The lake was initially created in the 15th century by a local banjara tribal chieftain for carrying grain across the streams. During the reign of Maharana Udai Singh II, in 1560, the lake was substantially enlarged by constructing dams across two streams. At that time, the Maharana also built the Jag Mandir and the Lake Palace (Jag Niwas Hotel) on separate islands in the midst of the lake. Udaipur City with its City Palace City Palace and other monuments and temples were built on the periphery of the lake.
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 SisodiaRajputs of Mewar kingdom. The construction of the palace was started in 1551 by Maharana Amar Singh, continued by Maharana Karan Singh (1620–1628) and finally completed by Maharana Jagat Singh I (1628–1652). It is named as “Jagat Mandir” in honour of the last named Maharana Jagat Singh. The royal family used the palace as a summer resort and pleasure palace for holding parties. The palace served as a refuge to asylum seekers on two separate occasions.
The Vintage and Classic Car Museum, or Vintage & Classic Car Collection was unveiled to general public on 15 February 2000. It was inaugurated by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, founder of the National Motor Museum in England. The Vintage & Classic Car Collection is a car collection and a museum, showing all the vehicles belonging to the Maharanas of Mewar both past and present. The collection is housed in the original former Mewar State Motor Garage, which currently serves as this museum. Garden Hotel and Restaurant, a property of HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur, is also contained within the garage’s grounds. The semi-circular motor garage with its forecourt is housed within a greater courtyard. It also houses one of the original Shell petrol pump, which is still assumed to be in usable condition. Despite some vehicles being over seventy years old, each one is still kept in working condition.
Shri Amarchand Badwa, who was the Prime Minister of Mewar from 1751 to 1778, throughout the reigns of Maharanas Pratap Singh II, Raj Singh II, Ari Singh, and Hamir Singh respectively, built this haveli. Following the death of Amarchand, the edifice came under the domain of the Mewari Royal Family and Bagore-ki-Haveli was occupied by Nath Singh, a relative of the then maharana. In 1878, the natural father of Sajjan Singh, Maharaj Shakti Singh of Bagore extended the haveli and built the triple-arched gateway, and the property remained in the possession of Mewar State until 1947. After Independence, the Government of Rajasthan used the buildings for housing Government employees, but, as with other nationalised properties, where there was nobody with a vested interest in the standards of maintenance, damage and neglect went unchecked, and for almost forty years, the haveli’s condition deteriorated to a deplorable extent. The Government was eventually persuaded to relinquish their hold on the haveli and in 1986; it was handed over to the West Zone Cultural Centre.
Saheliyon Ki Bari was laid for a group of forty-eight maidens. This garden is located on the banks of the Fateh Sagar Lake, presenting a green retreat in the dry lands of Rajasthan. It was built from 1710 to 1734 by Maharana Sangram Singh for the royal ladies.
As per legend, the garden was designed by the king himself and he presented this garden to his queen. The queen was accompanied by 48 maids in her marriage. To offer all of them pleasurable moments away from the political intrigues of the court, this garden was made. This patterned garden used to be the popular relaxing spot of the royal ladies. The queen with her maids and female companions used to come here for a stroll and spend their time in leisure.
The Jagdish Temple is raised on a tall terrace and was completed in 1651. It attaches a double-storey Mandapa (hall) to a double-storey saandhara (with a covered ambulatory) sanctum. The mandapa has another storey tucked within its pyramidal samavarna (bellroof) while the hollow clustered spire over the sanctum contains two more, nonfunctional stories. To reach the main shrine, one must climb 32 marble steps, intercepted by a Brass image of Garuda in the end, being the mount (vahana) of God Vishnu. Shri Jagdish Temple is the most beautiful example of Hindu Iconography, consisting of three stories of hand carved stone, with a steeple nearly 79 feet high and is the largest temple of Udaipur.
Lanes taking off from many of the sheharpanah (city wall) converge on the Jagdish Temple. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651. Jagdish Temple is a splendid example of either Māha Māru or Māru-Gurjara architecture, decorated by beautiful and ornate carvings. A short walk from the city palace will bring you to this temple. The temple sanctum has an idol of the deity Lord Jagannath, in local parlance of God Vishnu or God Krishna, carved out of a single black stone, resplendent with four arms, flowers and finery. Four smaller shrines, dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Surya, Goddess Shakti and Lord Shiva form a circle around the main shrine, housing the idol of Lord Vishnu. It is said that an estimated RS 1.5 million (or 1,500,000) ($22023. 21) was spent to construct the building in 1651.
Shilpgram is a rural arts and crafts complex, situated 3 km (1.9 mi) 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 opportunity to rural and urban artists to come together and interact through the process of camps and workshops.
The Complex has an open air Amphitheatre with a seating capacity of approximately 8000, used for the major theatre festivals held here, and the traditional folk performing arts. Each member state of the West Zone has traditional huts built within the Shilpgram, derivative of certain basic occupations fundamental to the way of life of the people of the area and also central to the culture of the country. In these traditional huts, household articles of everyday use, like terracotta, textile, wooden and metal items, decorative objects and implements are featured with appropriate signage and explanatory details with the objective to give a realistic glimpse of the people and their belongings.
The huts are constructed around an interlocking occupational theme. In this integrated pattern are five huts from Rajasthan, representing the weavers’ community from Marwar, pottery from the hilly areas of Mewar and the tribal farmer communities of the Bhil and the Sehariyas .Apart from the state’s own representation, there are seven representative huts from the state of Gujrat, five from the state of Maharashtra and five featuring the arts and crafts of Goa.
Moti Magri (“Pearl hill”) is a hill in India. It overlooks the Fateh Sagar Lake in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan.
Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap, which has a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse “Chetak“.
It is located near the Fateh Sagar Lake on a small hillock.
Maharana Pratap Memorial was initiated in the twentieth century by Pratap sabha Maharana Bhupal singh of Mewar, which was carried over and completed with the help of a public trust.
The Monsoon Palace, also known as the Sajjan Garh Palace, is a hilltop palatial residence in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan in India, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake. It is named Sajjangarh after Maharana Sajjan Singh (1874–1884) of the Mewar Dynasty, who it was built for 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. It is said that the Maharana built it at the top of the hill to get a view of his ancestral home, Chittaurgarh. Previously owned by the Mewar royal family, it is now under the control of the Forest Department of the Government of Rajasthan and has recently been opened to the public. The palace provides a beautiful view of the sunset.
Its builder, Maharana Sajjan Singh, originally planned to make it a five-storey astronomical centre. The plan was cancelled with Maharana Sajjan Singh’s premature death. It was then turned into a monsoon palace and hunting lodge.
High in the Aravalli Hills, just outside Udaipur, the Palace is illuminated in the evenings, giving a golden orange glow. The palace was used in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy as the residence of Kamal Khan, an exiled Afghan prince.