Udaipur

Introduction: With an area of of 17,279 sq km and population of over 2 million, the district of Udaipur is located in the southern part of the state at 23'46⁰ to 25'5⁰  North Latitude and  73'9⁰ to 74'35⁰  East Longitude. The district is bordered by the districts of Rajsamand and Pali in the north, Dungarpur in the south, in east by Bhilwara and Chittorgarh districts and the District of Sirohi of Rajasthan and District Sabarkantha of state Gujarat in the west.

 History: Founded by Maharaja Udai Singh, the history of Udaipur speaks the glory of braveness of the Udaipur rulers, who gave up their lives in wars but never put their heads down in front of Mughal rulers.

Udaipur was founded by Maharaja Udai Singh when his fort located in the area of Chittorgarh  was seized by the Mughal empire Akbar. The Mughal army at regular intervals attacked on the rajput rulers. During 1567 the capital of Mewar, Chittor was captured by Mughal army for third time under the regime of Akbar. Rana Udai Singh escaped and started living in the hills of Aravalli range of mountains. Here once a he met a holy saint who blessed the Maharana and asked to lay foundation of his palace at the same place as it was suitable for the foundation of fort. In 1559 following the advice of that saint Maharana Udai Singh founded the city of Udaipur.

The history of Udaipur has its roots rooted back to 2000 B.C. The rulers of Udaipur are believed to the successors of Sisodia clan of Rajputs, who are considered to be the descendants of Lord Ram of Ramayan. They originated from the borders of Kashmir and moved south in the second century B.C. and established various cities on the coasts of Gujarat one of which is Vallabhi.

The historical records reveals that in sixth century the city of Vallabhi was attacked by the strange enemies. During that time the queen of Vallabhi was going on pilgrimage to pay prayers for her unborn child. While she was passing through the hills of aravalli she heard the news about Vallabhi ruins and death of her husband. Thus, to protect herself from the further attacks she took refuge in the caves and there gave birth to a son to whom she named Guhil or ‘cave born’. After that keeping trust on her maiden servant she  handed over Guhil to her and herself conducted a funeral pyre and got dead with her husband.

On the other side Guhil started growing up with the people of tribal community  and got familiar with the hills. There he strengthened his power and moved towards north towards Mewar and changed their name to Sisodia after they captured the village coming in their way. In this way the later rulers who were the descendants of Guhil were known as Ranas, Rawals and Maharana of Mewar.

By the time when India became an Independent nation, the region of Mewar had given the rulers for 75 generations to the Rajput dynasty of Rajasthan.

Facts and Figures

Tourist Destinations: The major tourist destination of the Udaipur district are mentioned bellows:

City Palace: A magnificent piece of architecture constructed on the banks of Pichola lake is the city palace of Udaipur. The palace has beautifully designed courtyards, pavilions, terraces, corridors, rooms and hanging gardens. The entrance gate also known as ‘Tripolia’ is a triple arched gate constructed by marble. It is said that the Maharja’s of the state were weighed below the gate and an equivalent amount of gold of their weight was distributed to the poors.

Jagdish Temple: Constructed by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651 A.D. this  temple is an illustration of Indo-Aryan architect. It is one of the famous and most beautiful temple of Udaipur.

 Saheliyon-ki-Bari : Constructed in the Honour of maids of the royal ladies the garden is also called as “Garden of Maids”. Here the ladies of the royal family use to come alone for relaxation and get closer to the nature. The garden has many fountains and attractive pools.

Pratap Memorial: This monument  of bronze metal is dedicated to the brave hero of Udaipur, Mahrana Pratap riding his pet horse Chetak.

Fateh Sagar: Constructed by Maharaja Fateh Singh. The major attraction of this lake is a boat shaped cafe situated at  Nehru garden which is located as an island in the center of lake. Reaching by boat adds an additional excitement to the tourist enjoying the pleasure of boat riding. The lake is surrounded by the hills from three sides and Maharana Pratap memorial to its north side.

Pichhola Lake: A beautiful lake constructed by the founder Mahraja, Maharaja Udai Singh is surrounded by hills, palaces, temples and bathing banks. The major attraction of this lake are Jag Mandir and Nag Niwas .

Ahar: It is recognized as an ancient capital of Sisodia clans of Rajputs who were also the earlier ruler of the state. Ahar is mainly famous for the cenotaphs or the chattri’s of the earlier rulers of Mewars. The major attraction is the collection of antique piece of various things including pitchers, iron materials and other ancient items.

Shilpgram: Often known as village of craftsman depicts the varieties of crafts, art and culture prevailing in the different states of India. In other words it is small India having the blend of tradition of each state. Shilpgram has 26 huts located in the area of 70 acres surrounded by the aravalli mountains.

Gulabh Bagh: An eye catching rose Garden founded  by Maharana Sajjan Singh. The garden has a  library having the unique collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books.

Places near Udaipur:

Eklingji: Dedicated to Lord Shiva who was the family deity of Mewar rulers this temple was built in 748 A.D.

Nagda: Famous as Sas-Bahu temple, the history of temple goes back to 6th century A.D. The temple is known for its architecture and carving.

Haldighati: Almost 40 kms away from Udaipur, this place is evidence of the famous war of Haldighati between Mughal emperor Akbar and rajput ruler Maharana Pratap in 1576. The most emotional place to visit here is the cenotaph “Chattri” of Mahrana’s horse Chetak who gave his life to prevent the life of his master.

Nathdawara: The famous temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna or Shrinathji fascinates people as an important devotional place. The most important time to visit the place is during Diwali, Holi and Janmashtami.

The fort of Kumbhalgarh: It is one of the renowned fort of Rajasthan, located at the top of Aravalli. Constructed by Maharana Kumbha in 15th century the area of fort is expanded in the area of 12 kms. The major attraction of the fort is Badal Mahal or Cloud Palace. The fort is closed to Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary which has large number of wild animals.

 Jaisamand Lake: The lake of Jaisamand is an artificial lake constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh in 17th century is the second largest lake in Asia. The beautiful marble cenotaphs are the major attraction of the lake. The palaces of the queens are constructed on  both the sides of the lake where they used to spend their summers.

Connectivity: Udaipur has well developed transport facility by every means of transport.

Airways: Dabok airport also called as Maharana Pratap Airport is located 24 kms away from the city. Indian Airlines daily operated flights from Udaipur to Jodhpur, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi. Besides, this there are private flights by Jet Airways to Mumbai, Jaipur, and Jodhpur. The government is planning to develop it as an International Airport.

Roadways:  The district is well connected by roadways. Infact , it serves as the mid point to travelers traveling from Delhi to Mumbai on national highway.

Railways: The district is well connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Ahemdabad through railways. Mewar Express connects the district with a triangle of Kota, Mathura and Delhi. Where as Ananaya Express connected the city by Kolkatta. Daily Intercity Express operates twice a day connecting Udaipur to Indore and Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh.

For more information about Udaipur, please explore here

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