There are some places that draw to towards them, their aura will attract you with a magnetic force and you can't resist, even sitting in my home and writing about that place is instillng a strong desire to go back there and spend a day or two fascinated by its beauty and soaking myself in its heritage.
Udaipur as a place allured me to its irresistible charm that the three days spent there did not seem enough.
Pichola Lake
Our excursion of the city of lakes started with the most spectacular lake, the lake Pichola. An artificial fresh water lake created in the year 1362A.D, this lake is named after its nearby village of Pichola.
The lake Pichola and it's nearby lakes created for the purpose of building dam to provide for the water shortage of Udaipur and it's nearby areas of Mewar.
The two islands in the lake Jag Mandir and Jag Niwas have been developed with certain palaces to have a view of the lake.
The dusk is the perfect time to have a boat ride in the lake, when the setting Sun and later the shadows of the palaces on water sparkle giving it a dreamy appearance. Our boat ride on lake Pichola was a mesmerising and unforgettable experience.
We had a scrumptious dinner at Traditional Khana, a place for authentic Rajasthani cuisine. The unlimited thali will definitely satisfy your hunger but leave you craving for more of the Rajasthani delicacies.
Jagdish Temple
Our first stop for the next day was the most popular tourist destination of Udaipur, the City Palace but just before it we visited the revered Jagdish temple.
Situated in the heart of the city, this temple was built in 1651, and is an architectural marvel. We reached there at the time of the morning aarti and singing the aarti with the locals I too was filled with devotion for lord Vishnu and Krishna in the land of Meera Bai.
The City Palace
The city palace is a grand structural complex whose building was initiated by Maharana Udai Singh ll of the Sisodia rajput clan and was completed in a long span of 400 years by his successors.
The grandeur and spendidness of this palace is difficult to describe in words alone and can be felt in every nook and cranny of this humongous palace complex.
The marble work, the mirror work, the murals and the wall paintings, the silver work and the inlay work are a cogromeration of the Rajput, Mughal, Chinese and even British architecture.
We spent hours at the palace listening to stories of the Rajput bravery from our guide, halting and marveling at the jharokhas and the courtyards and taking pictures of its paintings, artifacts and rooms used by the erstwhile Maharajas and their queens.
Sahaliyon ki badi
Our next stop, the Sahaliyon ki badi is a green patch of garden near Fatah Sugar lake, built by Rana Sangram Singh for his queen and her maidens, from where it got it's name.
The fountains, kiosks, lotus pool and marble elephant shaped fountain are refreshing in the heat of the day .
The garden is well maintained with numerous places to relax in the shade of trees.
Fateh Sugar Lake
The speed boat ride on the Fateh sagar lake provided the thrill and do take time to visit the Aquarium on the extreme end of the lake which is the largest aquarium in India and first of its kind virtual aquarium of the country.
The camel ride along the lake admiring the scenic beauty of the Aravali hills was a worth while experience.
Cable Car
The cable car ride to Karni Mata temple is a newly added attraction of Udaipur, built in 2008 on the Macchla hill top.
After the ride you have to walk a short distance upto the temple. The view from top is breath taking of the Pichola lake and the nearby areas and we were lucky to witness the sunset from the height, where the setting sun's luminous curtain engulfed the sky in orange hue.
We enjoyed the view with some pakoras and a steaming hot cup of coffee while we waited for the cable car to ferry us down.
Our dinner at Darikhana right in the middle of the Pichola lake at the popular Jag Mandir palace was a perfect end to our superb day.
The view of the sparkling water of the Pichola lake in the moon light, along with the gourmet delicacies made it a memorable evening.
Classic and Vintage Car Museum
The next morning we found ourselves at the Classic collection of vintage car museum. Not frequented by the tourists due to its steep entry fee of 700Rs.
But, it's worth a visit if you are a afficinado of vintage cars . The models are Rolls Royce, Mercedez Benz and Convertible belonging to early 20th century are on display. A section is open for public where you can sit and get clicked in the vintage cars.
Maharana Pratap Museum
Visiting Mewar, the land of great Maharana Pratap you cannot miss the opportunity to know more about him.
Henceforth, we visited the Maharana Pratap museum, a place to know the history of brave rajputs of Rajputana. The paintings, the miniature models of Haldigathi and Chittor and a short film on Maharana Pratap was awe inspiring and filled me with patriotism.
The ground floor of the museum has a hall where Mummy brought from Egypt are kept on display.
Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal
Saw an engaging puppet in Bhartiya Lok kala mandal , a cultural institution to propagate folk art and craft.
Bagore ki Haveli
Our evening was well spent at Bagore ki Haveli where we were completely captivated by the entralling performances of the talented local artists.
The vibrant show of the rich tradition and culture of Mewar is a must visit in Udaipur.
Purchased beautiful laheriya chiffon sarees from Rangwala, juttis, lahenga and dupatta from Hathipole market and Bapu Bazaar.
Our three day stay in this splendid city didn't seem quite enough and we were tempted to extend our stay but we're tied to our itinerary.
I yearn to go back there and spend some more time soaking myself in the tradition and splendeur of the city.
Best time to visit
Summers are harsh and the best time to visit is from October to March.
How to reach
Air : Udaipur airport has regular flights to Jaipur, Delhi and Mumbai.
Rail : Udaipur is connected via rail to all the major cities in India.
Road : The 400km stretch between Jaipur and Udaipur can be travelled in 7hours in a leisurely pace with stop overs too.
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