A skyline of low Aravalli Hills and open spaces, a generous lake Pichola at its heart, fairy tale palaces strewn around the lake magically in it, and a historic citadel on its shore. Udaipur 'The City of Sunrise', is itself like a charming painting of the Mewar school. Udaipur has a real sense of space and peace, and the city is mercifully free of the kind of intense capitalist hucksterism that so marks the Indian street experience.
A tourist's itinerary in Udaipur inevitably revolves around the sites of the erstwhile rulers: the places they lived in, the lakes they built, the gardens they frequented and the cenotaphs built for them. All these places dutifully echo a history in which the Sisodia Rajput rulers of Mewar are famous for their virtues, victory and fierce independence.
However, the splendours of Udaipur's architectural heritage belong mainly to the peaceful periods when Mewar accepted at first the sovereignity of the Mughals and later that of the British. Udaipur has to be the most romantic place in India. Indeed, efforts are underway to officially declare Udaipur a heritage city, and it certainly merits the honour. Most of its treasures are within walking distance. Palaces, Havelis, temples and museums - and, always, the still, soothing lakes.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links