Udaipur, White Marble Marvel of Rajasthan

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Rajasthan woman gazing at Lake Pichola Photo - Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India

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The historic capital of the former Rajput kingdom of Mewar, Udaipur sits on shimmering Lake Pichola and is considered to be India’s most romantic city. Many bathing and washing ghats (steps) line the shore, which can be approached by boat from the City Palace. It is here in the old city where one finds the city’s most awe-inspiring landmarks, including City Palace and out in the lake itself, the famed Lake Palace.Udaipur is known for its mild climate and beauty, tucked as it is between lakes Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar and Swaroop and the looming Aravali Hills. If you’re fortunate enough to be here in winter—-India’s wedding season—-you may come on a colorfully dressed bride and groo...Read More

The historic capital of the former Rajput kingdom of Mewar, Udaipur sits on shimmering Lake Pichola and is considered to be India’s most romantic city. Many bathing and washing ghats (steps) line the shore, which can be approached by boat from the City Palace. It is here in the old city where one finds the city’s most awe-inspiring landmarks, including City Palace and out in the lake itself, the famed Lake Palace.

Udaipur is known for its mild climate and beauty, tucked as it is between lakes Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar and Swaroop and the looming Aravali Hills. If you’re fortunate enough to be here in winter—-India’s wedding season—-you may come on a colorfully dressed bride and groom parading shyly through this ethereal city, along with highly enthused wedding parties. The combination of a colorfully dressed wedding couple and Udaipur's natural beauty is truly something to behold.

For centuries, the rulers of Udaipur resisted all foreign invaders, including the Mughals who controlled much of the rest of Rajasthan at various times. Today it is remains a highly Hindu city. Here the maharajah—-the 76th ruler of one of the world's oldest surviving dynasties—-is still treated like a reigning king, by his devoted and loyal subjects. On Monday evenings, he often joins his subjects to pay his respects to Shiva at a nearby temple in Eklingji.

Though Lake Pichola is unquestionably the city’s chief draw, it is sometimes dry, including a couple of years in the past decade. If that’s the situation (the lake was full when we were there this past February), most visitors would still enjoy wandering through its maze-like lanes or taking in some other sites in the Old City. This might include the Hindu Jagdish Temple, which is covered with sandstone carvings of alligators, elephants, horsemen, and heavenly musicians or the 18th century Sahelion-ki-Bari (Garden of Maidens), featuring four pools and delicately carved kiosks and elephants in marble.

Whatever you end up doing here in Udaipur, you will almost certainly long remember your stay in the relaxing “City of Sunrise.”

Quick Tips:

Be sure to take a boat ride on Lake Pichola. Views of the famed Lake Palace are absolutely magical from the water. Both group and individual boat rides are available from docks on the banks of the lake, close to City Palace.

Best Way To Get Around:

Along with a driver, your hotel can hire a driver for you, which is a necessity for anyone not accustomed to driving in India. There are plenty of autorickshaws available though we only took one once in India and didn't finid it to be particularly comfortable. The city is also walkable, at least to some degree. Read Less

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Devi Garh

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Hotel | "Devi Garh Fort Hotel: Rose Petals, Marble, and More"

Contemporary interpretation of Hindu god Ganesh Photo - Udaipur, India

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Staring down from the cliffs of the Aravali Hills on Udaipur, Devi Garh is a former Rajput fort that has been transformed into an extraordinary luxury hotel. Today, it features high level service and 39 suites decorated in a cutting-edge, contemporary design. Devi Garh’s accomodations (it has no "rooms" per se) range from garden suites opening onto a courtyard next to the pool, up to the Presidential Suite, a humongous 1,200 feet square and equipped with its own pool and personal butler.Undoubtedly, all guests go away with remarkable memories of this extraordinary place. The deepest impression Devi Garh left on me was the greeting we received on entering the hotel for the first time. As...Read More

Staring down from the cliffs of the Aravali Hills on Udaipur, Devi Garh is a former Rajput fort that has been transformed into an extraordinary luxury hotel. Today, it features high level service and 39 suites decorated in a cutting-edge, contemporary design. Devi Garh’s accomodations (it has no "rooms" per se) range from garden suites opening onto a courtyard next to the pool, up to the Presidential Suite, a humongous 1,200 feet square and equipped with its own pool and personal butler.

Undoubtedly, all guests go away with remarkable memories of this extraordinary place. The deepest impression Devi Garh left on me was the greeting we received on entering the hotel for the first time. As we passed under a high stone arch, real rose petals were showered on us from above, just like the ladies of the zenana did when the maharajah returned victorious from battle !

Approaching the hotel from Udaipur (about 30 minutes by car), you will notice many marble quarries lining the narrow mountain road. This local product was heavily incorporated into the hotel’s restoration and redesign ... red, black, green and white marble covers the hotel’s floors, walls, and even the headboards of very comfortable platform beds. Semi-precious stones, such as lapis and carnelian, which Rajput princes used for hundreds of years in their palaces and jewelery, also accent the hotel’s interior.

Unlike most hotels, no two suites in Devi Garh are exactly alike. Our room was a Palace Suite and opened on one side to what they call the Kamal Court, a black marble water maze inspired by the traditional lotus motif. On the other side, bay windows overlooked a view of the Aravali Hills and green fields. Inside the suite was a roomy living area with built-in settee, double closets, a small table and chairs where one could take drinks, a huge white stone bathtub and separate shower, and double sinks. I don’t think we ever heard a sound from other guests while we here (those marble walls probably help) though our visit occurred during the height of the season.

Each of Devi Garh’s suites faces one of five traditional Indian courtyards. To move around the hotel, you must be comfortable with climbing stairs as check-in, the suites, the bar, the restaurant, and the pool are all on different levels. Be sure not to miss the vividly colored, original 18th century Mewar murals found on two interior walls.

We particularly enjoyed eating dinner each night on a terrace with a 360 degree view of the surrounding hills. Devi Garh’s restaurant offers both Indian and continental dishes and if desired, meals can be served in your room. (Its breakfast buffet is superb.) The hotel also has a spa with high quality massages, facials, and similar services (extra fee). Internet access is available in a small library adjacent to the front desk.

If you don’t already have a guide and a driver, the staff at Devi Garh can certainly arrange both for you. (Unless you have a death wish, don’t even think of trying to drive yourself on these narrow, mountain roads.) Most visitors here would almost certainly be interested the local town of Delwara, where one can see dignified, hardworking Rajput people living much as they have for centuries and a lovely neighborhood Hindu temple.

Rates for Devi Garh suites begin at around $500 and go up in the stratosphere for the jawdropping Presidential Suite. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on July 6, 2008

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Lake Pichola

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Attraction | "Lovely Lake Pichola--See It by Boat"

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No trip to Udaipur would be complete without a boat trip around silvery Lake Pichola. Besides the legendary Lake Palace, which floats in its center, the view of the palaces and shoreline from the lake at sunset is one of the most memorable images of Rajput splendour. To make the most of them by boat, sit on the side facing the palace (they usually run anticlockwise around the lake, so check when you get on).Half-hour boat around the lake depart from the jetty behind the City Palace (Bansi Ghat) hourly from April-Sept (8-11 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.) and Oct-March (10 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m.) and costs 75 rupees, while an hour's trip (2-6 p.m. daily) costs 150 rupees includes a stop at the island...Read More

No trip to Udaipur would be complete without a boat trip around silvery Lake Pichola. Besides the legendary Lake Palace, which floats in its center, the view of the palaces and shoreline from the lake at sunset is one of the most memorable images of Rajput splendour. To make the most of them by boat, sit on the side facing the palace (they usually run anticlockwise around the lake, so check when you get on).

Half-hour boat around the lake depart from the jetty behind the City Palace (Bansi Ghat) hourly from April-Sept (8-11 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.) and Oct-March (10 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m.) and costs 75 rupees, while an hour's trip (2-6 p.m. daily) costs 150 rupees includes a stop at the island Jag Mandir.

Your boat can also take you by Jag Niwas island, which is entirely covered by the exquisite Lake Palace, built by the Maharana in 1740 as a summer idyll and today perhaps the most romantic—certainly the most photographed—hotel in India. A vast, white-marble fantasy, the palace has been featured in many Indian and foreign films, including the James Bond film, "Octopussy", and the 1980s PBS TV series, "Jewel in the Crown". Unfortunately, the palace's apartments, courts, fountains, and gardens are off-limits unless you're a guest at the Lake Palace or have reservations at the restaurant. (We didn’t stop here so can’t say whether its high prices for a meal are worth it.)

What you will see if the lake has gone dry, which happens periodically, is a magnificent palace that should be floating on water but instead sits on a vast, dry lake bed.

A little farther south is the slightly larger Jag Mandir, upon which domed Gul Mahal stands. Udaipuris believe that Gul Mahal is what inspired Shah Jahan to build the Taj Mahal. It later became a place of refuge for European women and children, whom Maharana Swaroop Singh protected during the 1857 Mutiny. It’s a lovely place but once you have jumped off your boat, there's not much to do but purchase an overpriced refreshment.

The lake is named after Pichola village, which was submerged when Maharana Udai Singh enlarged the lake after he founded the city. Later rulers added dams and canals to prevent flooding during the monsoon. Four km long and three wide, this picturesque lake encloses the Jag Niwas Island and the Jag Mandir. And, the City Palace extends along its eastern banks.

Although its name means ‘the backyard’, Lake Pichola is the center of life in Udaipur. The town grew up on its and now lives on its banks. Palaces and hills hug its edges. Havelis and houses and hotels are sustained by its waters. When the lake is full, people bathe in it, swim and take boat rides, or simply gaze at it. The lake’s waters are reflected in the life of Udaipur. When Pichola is dry, camels and buffaloes graze on its surface, and every heart sinks. Happily, the lake was full during our visit to lovely Udaipur. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on July 6, 2008

Lake Pichola

Udaipur, India

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Udaipur City Palace

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Attraction | "Udaipur's City Palace, Luxe to the Max"

Maharajah bedroom circa 1940-City Palace, Udaipur Photo - Udaipur City Palace, Udaipur, India

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Towering over Udaipur's Lake Pichola, the City Palace features ornate pavilions, fountains, gardens, and halls, its architecture a totally unique blend of medieval European and Chinese. Its over 11 palaces or mahals make the palace the largest in Rajasthan. The City Palace includes the Pratap Museum, which features several outstanding public collections of artifacts, such as ancient arms, including a nasty two-pronged sword. The best way to see this sprawling palace is to either follow the useful guidebook you can buy at the entrance or hire a guide to help you find your way through here. Much of the complex is connected by a maze of confusing, claustrophobic tunnel-like stairways, whi...Read More

Towering over Udaipur's Lake Pichola, the City Palace features ornate pavilions, fountains, gardens, and halls, its architecture a totally unique blend of medieval European and Chinese. Its over 11 palaces or mahals make the palace the largest in Rajasthan. The City Palace includes the Pratap Museum, which features several outstanding public collections of artifacts, such as ancient arms, including a nasty two-pronged sword.

The best way to see this sprawling palace is to either follow the useful guidebook you can buy at the entrance or hire a guide to help you find your way through here. Much of the complex is connected by a maze of confusing, claustrophobic tunnel-like stairways, which were designed to slow down potential invaders but also tend to confuse contemporary visitors.

Built in the 1600s from snowy granite and marble mined nearby by Rajput Maharajah Udai Singh, the palace is even more impressive inside than out. Visitors customarily enter through the Hati Pol (Elephant Gate). Two successive gates soon follow, including the Tripolia Gate where the Udaipur mahajajahs once had themselves weighed in gold and silver that was then given to the people.

The other side of the Tripolia Gate, one enters a roomy courtyard where we we found ourselves fascinated by the marks on the pavement and iron rings, which show where elephants once fought each other to amuse the maharajah and his court. Nearby is also Moti Mahal, an exquisite palace featuring luminous mirror work.

The Pratap Museum encompasses both the Mardana Mahal, a palace where the royal princes once lived, and Zenana Mahal, former home of the royal women. Once inside Mardana Mahal, visitors should make sure not to miss the vividly colorful peacock mosaics set in the walls of Mor Chowk. The mosaics' theme is the three seasons of the year in India, winter, summer, and monsoon (no real spring here).

Anyone liking miniatures should be sure to visit Krishna Vilas, which is dedicated to a 16-year old royal princess who committed suicide here, and features a collection of miniatures embellished with a series of scenes from the Hindu Krishna legends. Bhim Vilas also is decorated with stories of Krishna and the gold Radha, which are painted on the walls. A glass mosaic gallery is another reason to visit this building but probably the best one is the fact that one can get a panoramic view of Udaipur from here.

Zenana Mahal, where the queen and her ladies once lived, has frescoes, wall paintings, and an art gallery stuffed with Mewar paintings. One of the most important schools of Indian miniature painting of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Mewar style was developed in Rajasthan and is characterized by simple, bright colors and an emotional appeal

You can visit the palace every day from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., with the Gallery being open from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.and 3-8 p.m. The entrance fee to the City Palace is 50 Rs. If you’re toting a camera, it will cost you an extra 200 Rs. On their own, the Jagdish Temple is an extra 75 Rs while the Crystal Gallery is an extra 300 Rs (no photos allowed here).
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 15, 2008

Udaipur City Palace

Udaipur, India

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Rajput Pride and Glory, Yesterday and Today

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Mural over the entrance to the Amber Fort's zenana Photo - Jaipur, India

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When most modern westerners think of Rajasthan, images of strong Rajput men in tie-dyed turbans or women discreetly covering their faces with the edge of their vividly colored saris or kancli-kurti (traditional costume featuring long, full skirt) may come to mind. However, this land is more than such superficial though exotic impressions of its proud people, much less its rich history and culture.When we first met our guide Dilip in Udaipur, it didn't take long for him to tell us that he was Rajput. Over the next few days, Dilip related stories of how the older women in his family still pull their dupattas around their faces when encountering strange men and how his parents used astrolog...Read More

When most modern westerners think of Rajasthan, images of strong Rajput men in tie-dyed turbans or women discreetly covering their faces with the edge of their vividly colored saris or kancli-kurti (traditional costume featuring long, full skirt) may come to mind. However, this land is more than such superficial though exotic impressions of its proud people, much less its rich history and culture.

When we first met our guide Dilip in Udaipur, it didn't take long for him to tell us that he was Rajput. Over the next few days, Dilip related stories of how the older women in his family still pull their dupattas around their faces when encountering strange men and how his parents used astrology to find the right wife for him ... another Rajput of course. Even the way this highly educated, polished man held himself spoke of dignity, honor, and pride in being from the Rajput caste.

Dominated by the parched Thar Desert, India’s state of Rajasthan is a land of sand and rocks, hardscrabble farms and dusty grazing areas. Here on wide plains broken only by abrupt, rugged hills, the fierce, proud Rajput people have lived for millennia. Its hills recall this land's fierce history for crowning their crests are crumbling battlements and forts where wars were won and lost over centuries of conflict.

Up until 1947 when India won its independence from Great Britain, what is now Rajasthan (formerly Rajputana) was a diverse collection of kingdoms or "princely states." While the Rajput maharajahs had to knuckle under the Brits' when it came to politics, in economic and social matters their word was law. Most of Rajasthan's royalty have historically belonged to the Rajput caste, whose traditional duties are fighting and ruling. Rajputs believe that although not all its caste members have been princes, all have descended from kings and so have royal blood.

Historically, the Rajput creed is martial in spirit, fiercely proud, loyal and independent, emphasizing lineage and tradition. Rajput bravery in battle is legendary; death is always chosen over dishonor. Warriors were often known to fight until the last man.

Only Rajputs engaged in the legendary jauhar and saka. The mass suicide on burning pyres of queens and royal women, jauhar was practiced by defeated Rajput castes during medieval times. Most famously, Rani Padmini and hundreds of her women committed jauhar in 1304 at Chittorgarh rather than be taken by the Mughal sultan of Delhi and dishonored. This horrific act (at least in western terms) followed Padmini’s husband Rana Singh and his men riding out of the fort and fighting the sultan’s forces to the death, a Rajput practice called saka.

Sharing a long border with Pakistan, Rajasthan might be expected to have a large Muslim population. In reality, relatively few Muslims live here today, which reflects the long and fierce struggle of the Hindu Rajput warrior clans against Muslim conquerors, and of the tolerant Moghul ruler, Akbar. Two thousand years ago, Rajput warriors came to the Indian subcontinent from Scythia, became Hindu, and in never-ending contention, carved out their home in the land that is now India's largest state, Rajasthan. Their fratricidal battles, heroic ballads, and skills as horsemen stamped the land, so that today even the poorest Rajasthan farmer or herdsmen takes pride in his people’s past.

Former nobles (thakurs) and princes (maharajas) continue to command respect here, and the culture remains conservative. With a monsoon climate that varies from semi-arid in the east to the arid Thar Desert in the west, and a landscape that is broken diagonally northeast to southwest by the ancient Aravelli range, Rajasthan is a land of farming, grazing, and stone-quarrying. Fine marble in shades of red, green, and snow white and stone are its chief export.

Rajasthan’s merchant class became wealthy from Bay of Bengal trade that passed through the region en route to the Ganges Valley or northward across the Himalayas to the Silk Route. The merchants built opulent havelis (private homes) and these mansions along with the castles built by the Rajput princes, the distinctive Rajput dress, and unparalleled desert and mountain scenery combine to attract visitors from throughout the world to Rajasthan. Today, tourism is its leading source of income.
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