Courtesy: Vindhya Chandrasekharan
My grandmother used to talk to me about the Mewar Rajput Kings' monuments,
palaces, and lakes. Even I had a constant desire in going there. So, this time I moved on to Udaipur. Last year, it was regarded as the fifth-best city in Asia and the tenth-best city overall. Perhaps for this reason, it has become a favourite filming site! I arrived early in the day. Similar to what Grandma said! Unique in terms of aesthetics and design. I stayed at the Oberoi Udaivilas, which Travel & Leisure magazine named the top 25 hotel brands the world (2022).
The level of excitement was sky high. I asked a hotel travel agent to accompany me to the city's main attractions after I finished my meal. I was initially taken to the City Palace by him. The palace is close to Lake Pichola and is about 450 years old. Through the Tripolia gate, which has three arches, we entered the palace. Beautiful terraces, hallways, and gardens... just as in dance scenes, action scenes, etc. I was envious of Bhim Vilas' exquisite display of Krishna wall paintings. Dilkhush Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Moti Mahal, and Krishna Vilas all had extraordinary designs, constructions, and nakkashis. It was more like to a museum with its collection of old objects, artwork, furniture, and kitchenware.
Courtesy:Руслан Кальницкий (pexels.com)
My tour guide directed me to the Lake Palace, which is located on an island just to the right of the City Palace. The marble Lake Palace, also known as Jag Niwas, was built in 1746. The Taj Group of Hotels now owns it and has transformed it into a premium hotel. There is another island called Jag Mandir to the left of the City Palace. People claim that during his rebellion against his father, emperor Shah Johan sought sanctuary here. We purchased some light food from the stores next to the road as we left. The tour guide then drove me to Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal, where we watched puppet shows and performances of folk art. We entered our motel after a long yet delightful day. The restaurant provided me delicious Indian and Chinese cuisine.
The very next day, the guide took me to a short visit of Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti Margi Hill (famous for bronze statue of Maharana riding his favourite horse "Chetak”), Sajjangarh Fort (summer resort of Maharajahs), Sukhadia Circle (40 year old recreational centre; famous for gardens, fountain, pond, music etc), Jagdish Temple (a perfect example of Indo-Aryan architecture), Fateh Sagar Lake and Udaipur Solar Observatory (Asia's only solar observatory).
Our lunch was eaten in Gulab Bagh (rose garden). Small eateries there offer good, spicily prepared fast cuisine. The tour guide suggested that I visit the zoo, Dudh Talai, Nehru Garden, Bagore-Ki-Haveli, Ahar Museum, Shilpgram, and Neemach Mata Temple when I was strolling along Lake Gulab Bagh, but I decided to save those stops for my subsequent trip. There was again another experience awaiting me. There are yet more worlds to be revealed.
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