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Udaipur is situated on
the banks of the lovely Lake Pichola and the lake of Fatehsagar,
in Southern Rajasthan, the Eden like Udaipur, cocooned by the
Aravalli Hills, is a dotted with numerous beautiful palaces,
domes, shrines among other top tourist attractions. Udaipur is
situated around the shimmering clear blue water lakes, which
whisper the mood of a bygone era.
The city was founded in
1567 AD by Maharana Udai Singh on the advice of a sage. Udaipur
was last of the numerous Mewar capitals. It was in Udaipur that
legendary Maharana Pratap was born. He was obsessed with
Chittaur and the past glories of the Sisodia clan possessed his
mind. Maharana Pratap left Udaipur to win back Chittaur from the
Mughals. But he failed in his attempts and Udaipur remained the
capital of Mewar till India got her independence.The memory of
the failure of noble Pratap gives Udaipur its pervading mood of
nostalgic wistfulness.
The city acquires its scenic beauty from the Aravallis. Three
lakes- Pichola, Fateh Sagar and Udai Sagar make it an oasis in
the desert.
Udaipur is known as the ' City of Lakes'. The two most scenic
and famous lakes of the city are Lake Pichola and Lake Fateh
Sagar.
T he
Lake Palace : One of the most romantic cities in Rajasthan,
Udaipur is also known as the city of lakes. The marble palaces,
beautifully laid out gardens and the lakes make Udaipur seem
almost like a mirage in the desert.
The founder of Udaipur, Maharana Udai Singh, was overcome by the
misfortunes that his old capital of Chittaurgarh had to face due
to repeated attacks by the Mughal armies. On the advice of a
holy man, Udai Singh shifted his capital to the banks of Lake
Pichola- the city was named Udaipur after him.
This marble palace that seems to be floating on the Lake Pichola
is undoubtedly the main attraction of Udaipur. Now a luxury
hotel, this palace can be accessed by boat from the city palace
which overlooks it.
Other attractions in Udaipur include Krishna Vilas, Lake Fateh
Sagar,Sajjan Niwas and Gulab Bagh, Machchalaya Magra, Doodh
Talai, Jag Mandir, and the Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum.
The City Palace
 Overlooking
the lake Pichola is the City Palace, a marvel of marble and
granite. The largest palace in Rajasthan, its exquisite
worksmanship makes it a must on every visitor's itinerary. The
three mahals - Baari, Dilkush and Moti, the Suraj Gokhada of the
Sun Balcony, the Mor Chowk Known for its beautiful peacock
Mosaics ; the shrine of Dhuni Mata and the Museum of Rana Pratap
are the highlights of this complex.
Jagdeesh Temple
Close to the City Palace is the Jagdish Temple which houses some
imposing sculpted figures and heavily ornamented interiors. At a
short distance is the Sahelion-ki-Bari or the Garden of Maidens
which has four pools and delicately carved kiosks and elephants
in marble. Built in the early 18th century, this is now a
popular tourist spot.
AHAR
Archaeological ruins that date back to 4000 B.C. are found here.
A museum stands next to the excavation site. Also of interest
are the beautiful cenotaphs of kings near the Gangabhairu tank
Sahelion-Ki-Bari
On the shores of Fateh
Sagar Lake was built a garden for the 48 young girls waiting to
be sent to the royal house as part of dowry. This garden is laid
with extensive lawns, fountains and shady walking lanes. There
are four pools with dainty kiosks and fountains with elephant
trunks for spouts. These gardens appear discrete and impeccable
in taste.
Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal: This is a museum of folk arts, which
has rich collection of folk dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks,
dolls, folk musical instruments and paintings. World famous
puppeteers put shows here, on request in advance.
 Jaisamand
lake : 48 kms from the city, this artificial lake was built
in 17th century by Maharana Jai Singh. The marble 'Chhatris'
along the embankment add grace to this second largest lake in
Asia. On either sides of the lake were built the palaces for the
favourite queens of the King. People of the Bhil tribe still
inhabit the islands in Jaisamand lake.
Pratap Memorial: Erected atop Modi Magri is this equestrian
bronze statue of the valiant hero, Maharana Pratap. Sajjan Garh,
Gulab Bagh, Dudh Talai Park, the Sunset point are also the
places to be seen.
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