Udaipur Tourism Guide

Area : 37 sq km
Population : 307,000 (approx.)
Language : Hindi, English, Mewari
Religion : Hindu, Muslim
Best Time To Visit Udaipur / Best Season / peak season : September - March

Travel to Udaipur, the abode that imbibes incredible legacies of the bygone era. Tour Udaipur and explore the various contours of the landscapes. Saheliyon ki Bari, Maharana Pratap Memorial, Shilpgram or the Crafts Bazaar, City palace, Lake Palace, Jagdish Temple, Gulab Niwas Gardens, Jag Mahal Palace, Sajjangarh, Eklingji Temple, Government Museum, Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake and the Jaisamand Lake are few of the tourists attractions of Udaipur. The best time to visit Udaipur is during September-March.

Udaipur- dream destination in the desert, whose sagas of great valour and stories of high romance add colour and character to a history as proud and unrelenting as it is long. The kingdom of Mewar was ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for over 1200 years from Chittorgarh before Maharana Udai Singh II founded Udaipur in 1568 following the final sacking of their hill fortress. In sharp contrast to its spartan and martial persona are lakes, hills, temples, gardens and fairy-tale palaces that make Udaipur the most romantic and enchanting place in Rajasthan. Apart from Udaipur's own splendours, there are several other places to visit in its vicinity – Jaisamand Lake, the fort of Kumbhalgarh and the temples at Ranakpur, Eklingji, Nagda, Kankroli and Nathdwara.

Sightseeing places of Udaipur

- Jagadidh Temple
Built in1651 A.D. by Maharana Jagat Singh, this Indo - Aryan temple is the largest and the most beautiful temple of Udaipur with noteworthy sculpted images. Alligators, Elephants, horsemen and celestial musicians are seen on the exterior. It is a gigantic construction and is just like a Hindu iconography school. Temples of Eklingji and Nathdwara are known as the most sacred pilgrims in Mewar.

- Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum
The crystal gallery located in the Fateh Prakash palace (part of the city palace), was opened to the public in 1994.Overlooking the Durbar hall, the crystal gallery ahs large collection of more than 600 rare objects from all around the world. Lok Kala Mandal is museum of folk art, which displays the collection of traditional dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks dolls, musical instruments and paintings. There is a section on tribal art. Udaipur's traditional puppets are world famous and still entertain the masses. The museum at Ahar has a varied collection of findings from the excavations at the mound of Dhulkot which is believed to be a 4,000 year old township.

- Gardens and Parks
There are two parks in the greenery of the Aravali, M. L. Verma and the Moti Magri parks. Both of them are popular for their sun-set views. Nehru island park is an island in the lake Fateh Sagar. Gulab bagh is a spectacular rose garden laid out by Maharana Sajjan Singh. The garden library houses ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. There is also a small well maintained zoo in the garden. Saheliyon ki bari was constructed mainly for the maids and female companions of the princesses of the palace. This garden has many fountains in its four pools, chiseled kiosks and marble elephants.

Lakes
Aptly called the city of lakes, Udaipur is adorned by five beautiful lakes, namely, Fateh Sagar, Lake Pichhola, Udai Sagar, Swaroop Sagar and Badi lake, right in the heart of the city along with numerous others like the Jaisamand, Asia's largest artificial lake, the Rajasmand and the Bagdada lake. Fateh Sagar is a beautiful lake and has hills on its three sides and Pratap memorial built by Maharana Fateh Singh in the fourth side. An island garden in this lake is accessible by boat ride.

The Pichhola lake is a picturesque lake which entranced Maharaja Udai Singh. He also enlarged it later. The lake is surrounded by hills, palaces, temples and bathing ghats. Two island palaces, the Jag mandir and the Jag Niwas (the famous lake palace) are of breathtaking magnificence.

Climate
Udaipur does not have the same harsh weather as in other parts of Rajasthan, partly because of its sheltered position in the Aravalli Hills and partly because it is a direct beneficiary of the monsoons that bring plenty of rainfall (61cm) to the region. Summer and winters remain moderate with little of the sharp variations common to seasonal temperatures in Rajasthan. Summer temperatures rise to a moderate (for Rajasthan) 38°/39° C and a minimum of 28° C. Winter temperatures remain at a pleasant 28.3°C with lows of 11.6° C during the coldest spell.

Reaching Udaipur

- Air
Dabok Airport is the nearest airport 21km. from Udaipur. It is well connected with domestic flights to all the major cities of India. Delhi, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Aurangabad and Mumbai.
- Rail
Udaipur has good railway links connecting all the major cities in Rajasthan. Trains from Mumbai via Ahmedabad, Delhi Chittorgarh alsso connects Udaipur. Royal luxurious train the Palace on Wheel also covers this place.
- Road
Deluxe and semi deluxe buses are operated by Rajasthan Roadways from Jaipur, Delhi, Ahmedabad to Udaipur. The highways are very well constructed and it takes around 8-9 hr. from Jaipur. Taxis can also be hired from Jaipur and Ahmedabad. The important distances from Udaipur are: Ahmedabad- 262 km, Delhi is- 670 km from Udaipur, Mumbai- 739km, Ahmedabad- 262 km, Jaipur- 407 km