About Udaipur.

Udaipur is known as the Venice of the east. It is also called the city of lakes. The Lake Palace on Jag Niwas Island in the middle of Pichola Lakes is the finest example of its architectural and cultural explosion. The grand City Palace on the banks of the lake compliments the palace along with the Monsoon Palace (Sajjan Garh) on the hill above. Udaipur is also the centre for performing arts, craft and its famed miniature paintings. The Shilp Gram festival is a center of attraction during the season.

City Palace

Standing on the bank of lake Pichola, are massive series of palaces built at different time commencing from 1559 A.D. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic view of "Jag Niwas" (Now world wide famous Lake palace hotel), Jag Mandir on one side and on the other the city of Udaipur. It's main entrance is through the triple-arched gate-The tripolia, built in 1725. The way now leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens - a harmonic profusion hard to describe.There is a Suraj Gokhda, where the maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in the times of trouble to the people to restore confidence. The Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), get its name from the vivid mosaics in glass decorate its walls. The chini chitrashala is noteworthy while a series of wall paintings of Krishna are on display in Bhim Vilas.

Jagdish Temple

The temple of Jagannath Rai, now called Jagdishji, is a major monument and should be seen carefully. Raised on a tall terrace and completed in 1651, it is a tribute alike to the tenacity of its builders and the resilence of the art - tradition it represents. It attaches a double storeyed Mandapa (hall) to a double - storied, saandhara (that having a covered ambulatory) sanctum.

Pratap Smarak (Memorial)

A top the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak"

Sahelion - ki - Bari
(Garden of the maids of honour)

Udaipur is a city of lakes and gardens, big and small. The Sahelion - ki - Bari is a fine specimen. On the eve of his departure from Mewar, Col.Tod had shifted to it so as to have some needed solitude. Much later, a thoughtful had located a library in it !

This small ornamental garden was a popular relaxing spot where royal ladies came for a stroll and hence the name. The garden has many fountains in its four delightful pools, chiselled kiosks and marble elephants.

Gulab Bagh & Zoo

A spectacular rose Garden laid out by Maharana Sajjan Singh, is situated near the palace on east side of Lake Pichhola. A library in the garden has a rare collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books.
Within the garden, there is a zoo with tigers, leopards, chinkara and many wild animals and birds are being kept.

Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace)

A former Monsoon Palace 1100 ft. high above the surrounding and 3100 ft. from sea level was built by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1884. The palace looks its best during the rainy season. It offers a panoramic overview of the city's lakes, palaces and surrounding country side.
The hillside is thickly wooded and the former rulers maintained this as a royal shooting preserve.

Fateh Sagar & Nehru Park

A beautiful lake, overlooked by a number of hills on the three sides and the Pratap Memorial on the north was built by Maharana Fateh Singh. In the middle of the lake is Nehru Park - a lovely garden island with a boat shaped cafe accessible by an enjoyable boat ride.

Shilpgram

West Zone Cultural Centre in Udaipur, Rajasthan has set up an artisan's village called - Shilpgram, 3 Kms west of Udaipur. It is a living ethnographic museum depecting life style, traditions, customs and folk arts of the rural and tribal people of the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujrat, Goa, Daman, etc. There are several huts constructed in the traditional architectural style using mud and local building material to reflect the geographical and ethnic diversity of the different states of west zone of India.