Overview
Udaipur Was Founded In 1559 By Maharana Udai Singh II As The Final Capital Of The Erstwhile Mewar Kingdom, Located To The Southwest Of Nagda, On The Banas River, The First Capital Of The Mewar Kingdom. Legend Has It That Maharana Udai Singh II Came Upon A Hermit While Hunting In The Foothills Of The Aravalli Range. The Hermit Blessed The King And Asked Him To Build A Palace On The Spot, Assuring Him It Would Be Well Protected. Udai Singh II Consequently Established A Residence On The Site. In 1568 The Mughal Emperor Akbar Captured The Fort Of Chittor, And Udai Singh Moved The Capital To The Site Of His Residence, Which Became The City Of Udaipur.
As The Mughal Empire Weakened, The Sisodia Ranas, And Later Maharanas (Also Called The Guhilots Or Suryavansh), Who Had Always Tried To Oppose Mughal Dominance, Reasserted Their Independence And Recaptured Most Of Mewar Except For Chittor. Udaipur Remained The Capital Of The State, Which Became A Princely State Of British India In 1818. Being A Mountainous Region And Unsuitable For Heavily Armoured Mughal Horses, Udaipur Remained Safe From Mughal Influence In Spite Of Much Pressure. The Rajvansh Of Udaipur Was One Of The Oldest Dynasty Of The World. Even The Nepal Kingdom And Jammu Kingdom Are Believed To Have Been Originated From Mewar.
The summers in Udaipur are hot and winters are cold but the temperature does not rise to extremes. The rainfall is less, around 61 cm annually. So the best season is to visit Udaipur is in between the months of October and March.
Sightseeing Places in Udaipur
Lake palace – Now a hotel but was originally called Jagniwas and served as a summer palace. Built between 1743 and 1746 on the island near Jagmandir in Lake Pichola, the palace, which faces east, is a wondrous sight to behold. The walls made of black and white marbles are adorned with semi-precious stones and ornamented niches. Gardens, fountains, pillared terraces, and columns line its courtyards.
City Palace(Udaipur) – The City Palace towers over Lake Pichola. The balconies, cupolas, and towers of the palace give a wonderful view of the lake and the surrounding city. This complex actually consists of four major and several minor palaces that collectively form the magnificent City Palace. The main part of the palace is now preserved as a museum displaying artifacts.
Jag Mandir – Jagmandir is a palace built on an island on the Lake Pichola. Also called the ‘Lake Garden Palace’, the construction for this began in 1620 and was completed around 1652. The royal family used the palace as its summer resort and for hosting parties. Interestingly, Prince Khurram – later Emperor Shah Jahan – was given shelter here when he rebelled against his father Emperor Jahangir. The Palace had such an impact on Emperor Shah Jahan that it went on to become the inspiration for one of the most magnificent Wonders of the World, The Taj Mahal.
