Rajasthan-Udaipur

Saheliyon ki Bari

About

 Udaipur is a mesmerising city located in the desert state of Rajasthan, famously known as 'Venice of the East'. The City of Lakes needs no introduction for its royal heritage. Sahelion ki Bari, a famous landmark in the city, known for its awe-inspiring beauty and surreal charm, takes you back to the royal era, where kings were extremely particular about their queen's comfort and did all that they could. The garden was built by Maharana Sangram Singh for his princess' maidens who came as dowry in her marriage. The king wanted a separate area for them, where they could spend their time leisurely.

Sahelion ki Bari is situated on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. The garden is surrounded by lush green trees, magnificent lotus pools and elephant shaped fountains. Interestingly, the source of the water from the fountains is the Fateh Sagar Lake. It is said that each water channel has a different sound which gives a soothing effect and creates a peaceful aura all around the garden. The center of the garden has a white marble 'chattri' fountain with corners adorned with black marble. The marble pavilion surrounding the garden further offers a royal charm in sync with the charming central fountain.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: False
• Honeymoon: True
• SeeBeach: False

Other

Best time to visit

Udaipur, a city of beautiful lakes and palaces, lying on the border of the desert-area, enjoys a tropical climate. The summer season starts from March and stretches till the end of June. The maximum temperature can rise up to 40 degrees, making it impossible to take a tour of the city.

One cannot enjoy the picturesque beauty of this magnificent place in the hot summer months as it becomes unbearable to step out. The summer season should be avoided if you want to enjoy every bit of the place. Monsoons do bring a little relief with the cooling showers, but the city does not receive much rain even during the rainy season, making the weather humid and sticky.

The best time to visit Udaipur is during the months from September to March. The weather is very pleasant and you can enjoy every bit of your stay during this period. A number of festivals and celebrations take place during this time, the most significant being Shilpgram Crafts Mela, which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.

Lake Pichola

About

 Lake Pichola, situated in Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, is an artificial fresh water lake, created in the year 1362 AD, named after the nearby Picholi village. It is one of the several contiguous lakes, and developed over the last few centuries in and around the famous Udaipur city. The lakes around Udaipur were primarily created by building dams to meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of the city and its neighborhood. 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.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: False
• Honeymoon: True
• SeeBeach: False

Other

Pichola Lake is enveloped by lofty Palaces, temples, bathing ghats and elevated hills on all its sides. In the southern part of this lake, there is a hill that is known as Machhala Magra and one can see glimpse of Eklinggarh Fort from here. The City Palace of Udaipur broadens along the eastern banks of this lake. Built by Jagat Singh, Mohan Mandir is situated in the north-east corner of Lake Pichola.

Fateh Sagar Lake

About

 Fateh Sagar Lake
This delightful lake, bordered by hills and woodland was constructed by Maharana jai Singh to the north of Lake Pichola. It is an artificial lake dug up in 1678, reconstructed by Maharana Fateh Singh A canal links the two, via Swaroop Sagar and Rang Sagar Lakes. The beautiful Nehru Island as well as an islet bearing a solar observatory rises from the lake. 

Lake Fateh Sagar is a medium-sized perennial storage reservoir constructed in the year 1678 A. D. by the rulers of former Mewar State. Although primarily constructed for irrigational purpose, this water body has lately formed a second major source of drinking water for the city of Udaipur. The main feeder canal of the lake comes from Madar tank situated at a higher altitude about 15 km from Udaipur City. Lake Fateh Sagar is also connected to the adjoining Lake Pichhola through a canal having gates. This (former) lake has somewhat pear-like shape and is surrounded by hills except on its eastern side where a straight masonry dam of about 800 m length is located. The lake lies on the northwest of main Udaipur city. 

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: False
• Honeymoon: True
• SeeBeach: True

Other

 Leaching of nutrients from the catchment area and agricultural activities in the marginal areas of the lake has influenced the nutrient level of this water body. Similarly, incoming silt has also reduced the water holding capacity of this lake.

Lakes are focal point for social and economic activities of Udaipur people. Every year thousands of tourists from India and abroad come to this 'City of Lakes'. Yet this water body is facing acute shortage of water sometimes due to scanty rains. For checking loss of water through evaporation, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) has been using cetyl alcohol (hexadecanol) during drought period. In the year 1972 the lake exhibited heavy bloom of blue green algae Microcystis. In 1978, local citizen groups and environmental conservation organizations undertook desilting operation through human labour wherein about 10 thousand truck loads of silt were removed from the shallow basin of this lake 

Monsoon Palace

About

 The Monsoon Palace, formerly known as the Sajjan Garh Palace, is a hilltop palatial residence in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan in India, overlooking the lake Pichola.

It is named as Sajjangarh after Maharana Sajjan Singh (1874-1884) of the Mewar Dynasty, who built it in 1884. It offers a panoramic view of the city's lakes, palaces and surrounding countryside. It was built basically 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 of 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 been opened to the public recently. The palace provides a beautiful view of the sunset.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: False
• Honeymoon: False
• SeeBeach: False

 

NEHRU GARDEN

About

 It was named after India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Nehru Garden in Udaipur is a beautiful garden, constructed on an island in the heart of Fateh Sagar Lake. This mesmerizing park can be reached by a pleasant boating from one side of the Fateh Sagar Lake. The park, established in a lawn of about 4.5 acres in spread, encloses many distinct water fountains ressembling those in Brindavan Gardens of Mysore. The fountains are of channel type and pyramid shaped. A floating restaurant, in a boat shape is an added attraction here, located in the north-west of the garden. The site is very peaceful and free of irritants.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: True
• Honeymoon: True
• SeeBeach: True

Other

 

GULAB BAGH

About

 Sajjan Niwas Garden is the largest garden of Rajasthan, sprawled over 100 acres of land. During 1850's, Maharana Sajjan Singh took the initiative to built this beautiful garden. Sajjan Niwas Bagh is well known for its numerous varieties of roses. Due to abundance of rose flowers, this garden is also known as Gulab Bagh or Rose Garden. Situated right beneath the banks of Pichola Lake on Lake Palace Road, Gulab Bagh is an interesting park in the southeast of City Palace complex.

The soothing vistas with unusual rose beds, robust trees, orchids and spacious lawns leave any visitor in a delusion. There is a toy train in the premises of the garden that would be cherished by children. The garden also comprises a small zoo that has number of animals like chinkara, leopards, tigers and birds.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: False
• Honeymoon: True
• SeeBeach: False

Other

 

Haldighati

About

 Haldighati is a mountain pass in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan in western India. It connects Rajsamand and Pali districts, 40 kilometres from Udaipur. The name is believed to have come from the turmeric-coloured yellow soil (Turmeric is haldi in Hindi).

The mountain pass is historically significant as the location of the historic Battle of Haldighati, which took place in 1576 between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Raja Man Singh of Amber, general of the Mughal emperor Akbar.

The Government of India commissioned the construction of Maharana Pratap National Memorial in the year 1997, and in June 2009 the monument was finally dedicated.The memorial features a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse, “Chetak”.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: False
• Honeymoon: False
• SeeBeach: False

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 Haldighati is also world famous for its charity rose product and the mud art of Molela, and the Department of Tourism is promoting a private cottage industry by adding this information to Government publications.

The battle between Rana Pratap and Akbar’s army under the leadership of Man Singh has been immortalized by a great classic poem by Shyam Narayan Pandey.

Muchhal Mahavir Temple

About

 Muchhal Mahavir temple is a Jain temple dedicated to Lord Mahavir, at Ghanerao, in Pali district in Rajasthan state in India. The place is on the route from Falna to Kumbhalgarh. The fair is held here every year on the thirteenth day of the month of Chaitra.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: True
• Honeymoon: False
• SeeBeach: False

Other

 The story goes that once, when the Rana of Mewar was on a hunt, he came to the temple where he was offered refreshment by the priest. The priest offered him the Prasad of the Lord, and the Rana was amused to find a strand of white hair in the Prasad, which must have fallen from the priest’s head. As a joke, the Rana asked the priest “what! Does your Lord have a moustache?” the scared priest, without realizing what he was saying, replied in the affirmative. Carrying the joke further, the Rana refused to pay his respects to the Lord that day, and told the priest that he would return after three days, and wanted to see the moustache of the lord. The priest didn’t know what to do and spent the next two days in prayer. When he did not see any results, he decided to commit suicide rather than be killed by the king. When he picked up the dagger of Bhairon at the temple to kill himself, the Lord appeared before him and advised him to cover the face of the idol with a piece of cloth and ask the king to remove the cloth himself after offering prayers. When the king arrived the next day, the priest welcomed him warmly and asked the king to have a bath and offer prayers to the Lord himself. Seeing the cloth covering the face of the idol, the king became angry and demanded an explanation. The priest repeated to the king what he had been ordered to do by the Lord. The king agreed and offered his prayers to the Lord, and when he opened the cloth, Lo and Behold! The idol of Mahavir not only had moustaches, but also a beard. The king repented for having made such a joke and asked forgiveness from the priest. He was forgiven, and the beard and moustache disappeared, but the name has stuck. The Lord has, since then, been called ‘Mucchal Mahavir’, or the Mahavir who had a moustache.

Kumbalgarh Fort

About

 Kumbhalgarh Fort is a Mewar fortress in the Rajsamand District of Rajasthan state in western India. It is an World Heritage Site included in Hill Forts of Rajasthan. Built during the course of the 15th century by Rana Kumbha and enlarged through the 19th century, Kumbhalgarh is also the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the great king and warrior of Mewar. Occupied until the late 19th century, the fort is now open to the public and is spectacularly lit for a few minutes each evening. Kumbalgarh is situated 82 km northwest of Udaipur by road. It is the most important fort in Mewar after Chittaurgarh.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: False
• Honeymoon: False
• SeeBeach: False

Other

 The Kumbhalgarh was built and ruled by Kumbha and his dynasty who were Sisodia rajputs descendents.

Kumbhalgarh in its present form was developed by, and said to be personally designed by, Rana Kumbha. Rana Kumbha's kingdom of Mewar stretched from Ranthambore to Gwalior and included large tracts of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh as well as Rajasthan. Out of the 84 forts in his dominion, Rana Kumbha is said to have designed 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate.

Kumbhalgarh also separated Mewar and Marwar from each other and was used as a place of refuge for the rulers of Mewar at times of danger. A notable instance was in the case of Prince Udai, the infant king of Mewar who was smuggled here in 1535, when Chittaur was under siege. Prince Udai who later succeeded to the throne was also the founder of the Udaipur City. The fort remained impregnable to direct assault, and fell only once, due to a shortage of drinking water, to the combined forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Raja Man Singh of Amber, Raja Udai Singh of Marwar, and the Sultan of Gujarat.

Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

About

Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is in the Rajsamand District of Rajasthan state in western India and surrounds the Kumbhalgarh fortress and covers an area of 578 km2 (223 sq mi). The sanctuary extends across the Aravalli Range, covering parts of Rajsamand, Udaipur, and Pali districts, ranging from 500 to 1,300 metres (1,600 to 4,300 ft) elevation.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: False
• Honeymoon: False
• SeeBeach: False

Other

 It takes name after the impressive historic fort of Kumbhalgarh, which come into view over the Park. It is 578 km2 (223 sq mi) in area and at an altitude of 500 to 1,300 metres (1,600 to 4,300 ft). It is home to a very large variety of wild life, some of which are highly endangered species. The wild life includes wolf, leopards, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, sambhar, nilgai, chausingha (the four horned antelope), chinkara and hare. The bird life at Kumbhalgarh is also gratifying. The normally shy and untrusting grey jungle fowl can be spotted here. Peacocks and Doves can be sighted regularly feeding on grains scattered by the jungle guards. Bird like the red spur owls, Parakeets, golden Oriole, grey Pigeons, Bulbul, Dove and white breasted kingfisher can also be seen near the water holes. Kumbhalgarh’s natural beauty is attracting many tourists and especially for its accessibility from Udaipur, which is 100 km from here. Foot tracking and horse safari organised by local tour operators are proving to be very popular. A typical safari route enters the sanctuary from the Kumbhalgarh Fort and cutting across the sanctuary it reaches Ghanerao, and then borders an old abandoned road. On this road, one can sight Chinkaras, Neelgais, four horned Antelope and many birds.

jag mandir

About

Jag Mandir is a palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. It is also called the "Lake Garden Palace". The palace is located in Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. 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 (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.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: True
• Honeymoon: False
• SeeBeach: False

Other

Jag Mandir's history begins with the Maharana Karan Singh's benevolence shown to Emperor Shahjahan (1605–1627). Shahjahan, before he was crowned as Mughal Emperor, was known during his young days as Prince Khurram. As Khurram, he rebelled against his father Emperor Jahangir in 1623, because he wanted to be the heir to the Mughal throne. Faced with danger of getting thwarted in his campaign, he sought refuge in Mewar Kingdom at Udaipur where he was given safe haven by the then Maharana Karan Singh (it is said that this courtesy was extended because Khurram's mother was a Rajput Hindu lady). He was initially kept in the City Palace along with his wife Mumtaz Mahal and his two sons, Prince Dara and Prince Aurangzeb. Later they were shifted to the Gul Mahal, as a safe refuge, in the midst of the lake (this place since then has also been called Khurram's Palace). Gul Mahal is a domed pavilion that was specially built for Khurram by Maharana Karan Singh. It was later enlarged by his son Jagat Singh into a huge palace and named as the Jag Mandir palace. Khurram remained under Mewar's protection during 1623–1624.

city palace museum

About

City Palace, Udaipur, is a palace complex in Udaipur, in the Indian state Rajasthan. It was built over a period of nearly 400 years being contributed by several kings of the dynasty, starting by the Maharana Udai Singh as the capital of the Sisodia Rajput clan in 1559, after he moved from Chittor. It is located on the east bank of the Lake Pichola and has several palaces built within its complex. Udaipur was the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar in the Rajputana Agency and its last capital.

• Hill Station: True
• Religus: True
• Honeymoon: True
• SeeBeach: True

Other

The City Palace in Udaipur was built in a flamboyant style and is considered the largest of its type in Rajasthan, a fusion of the Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles, and was built on a hill top that gives a panoramic view of the city and its surrounding, including several historic monuments such as the Lake Palace in Lake Pichola, the Jag Mandir on another island in the lake, the Jagdish Temple close to the palace, the Monsoon Palace on top of an overlooking hillock nearby and the Neemach Mata temple. These structures are linked to the filming of the James Bond movie Octopussy, which features the Lake Palace and the Monsoon Palace. The subsequent publicity has resulted in the epithet of Udaipur as "Venice of the East".[4] In 2009, Udaipur was rated the top city in the World's Best Awards by Travel + Leisure.

Nathdwara udaipur

About

Nathdwara is a town in Rajasthan state of western India. It is located in the Aravalli hills,on the banks of the Banas River in Rajsamand District, 48 kilometres north-east of Udaipur. This town is famous for its temple of Krishna which houses the idol of Shrinathji, a 14th-century, 7-year-old "infant" incarnation of Krishna. The idol was originally worshipped at JATIPURAMathura and was shifted in the 1672 from Govardhan hill, near Mathura along holy river Yamuna after being retained at Agra for almost six months, in order to protect it from anti-Hindu fanatic iconoclastic Islamic policies of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb’s. Literally, Nathdwara means ‘Gateway to Shrinathji’.Nathdwara is a significant Vaishnavite shrine pertaining to the Pushti Marg or the Vallabh Sampradaya or the Shuddha Advaita founded by Vallabha Acharya, revered mainly by people of Gujarat and Rajasthan, among others. Vitthal Nathji, son of Vallabhacharya institutionalised the worship of Shrinathji at Nathdwara.Nathdwara town itself is popularly referred to as ‘Shrinathji’, after the presiding deity.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: True
• Honeymoon: False
• SeeBeach: False

Other

As per the religious myths, the shrine at Nathdwara was built in the 17th century at the spot as exactly ordained by Shrinathji himself. The idol of the Lord Krishna was being transferred to a safer place from Vrindaban to protect it from the anti-Hindu, iconoclastic and barbarian destruction of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. When the idol reached the spot at village Sihad or Sinhad, the wheels of bullock cart in which the idol was being transported sank axle-deep in mud and could not be moved any farther. The accompanying priests realised that the particular place was the Lord's chosen spot and accordingly, a temple was built there under the rule and protection of the then Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar. Shrinathji Temple is also known as 'Haveli of Shrinathji’ (mansion).

 

Nathdwara udaipur

About

Nathdwara is a town in Rajasthan state of western India. It is located in the Aravalli hills,on the banks of the Banas River in Rajsamand District, 48 kilometres north-east of Udaipur. This town is famous for its temple of Krishna which houses the idol of Shrinathji, a 14th-century, 7-year-old "infant" incarnation of Krishna. The idol was originally worshipped at JATIPURAMathura and was shifted in the 1672 from Govardhan hill, near Mathura along holy river Yamuna after being retained at Agra for almost six months, in order to protect it from anti-Hindu fanatic iconoclastic Islamic policies of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb’s. Literally, Nathdwara means ‘Gateway to Shrinathji’.Nathdwara is a significant Vaishnavite shrine pertaining to the Pushti Marg or the Vallabh Sampradaya or the Shuddha Advaita founded by Vallabha Acharya, revered mainly by people of Gujarat and Rajasthan, among others. Vitthal Nathji, son of Vallabhacharya institutionalised the worship of Shrinathji at Nathdwara.Nathdwara town itself is popularly referred to as ‘Shrinathji’, after the presiding deity.

• Hill Station: False
• Religus: True
• Honeymoon: False
• SeeBeach: False

Other

As per the religious myths, the shrine at Nathdwara was built in the 17th century at the spot as exactly ordained by Shrinathji himself. The idol of the Lord Krishna was being transferred to a safer place from Vrindaban to protect it from the anti-Hindu, iconoclastic and barbarian destruction of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. When the idol reached the spot at village Sihad or Sinhad, the wheels of bullock cart in which the idol was being transported sank axle-deep in mud and could not be moved any farther. The accompanying priests realised that the particular place was the Lord's chosen spot and accordingly, a temple was built there under the rule and protection of the then Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar. Shrinathji Temple is also known as 'Haveli of Shrinathji’ (mansion).