Udaipur - Unparalleled,Unified and Unlimited

Udaipur, a place, which is popular for its Rajput-period castles and grand areas, a place which is on the can rundown of such a large number of voyagers, a place where many arrangement their fantasy goal weddings, a place that conveys a wide history and culture with it and is known by the names the City of Lakes, Venice of the East, and the Kashmir of Rajasthan.

UDAIPUR: Unparalleled, Unified & Unlimited

Udaipur, also known as the "City of Lakes" is a small city. It was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II of the Sisodia clan of Rajput, when he shifted his capital from the city of Chittorgarh to Udaipur after Chittorgarh was besieged by Akbar.

Udaipur is famous for its lakes, palaces, forts, temples, gardens, and romantic backdrops. It was the setting of many movies, including the 13th James Bond film, Octopussy.

The palaces reflect the architectural grandeur prevailed during the period of Rajputs and the scenic landscape is descriptive of how nature could be generous where it chooses to be. Here are top 5 places to visit in Udaipur, which you just cannot miss.

1. The City Palace

Udaipur City Palace is one of the architectural marvels of Rajasthan, located peacefully on the banks of Lake Pichola. This majestic City Palace is the most-visited tourist attraction of Udaipur and often distinguished as the largest palace complex in Rajasthan. Initially, Maharana Udai Singh built this superb wonder, but the present form of the Palace is the result of subsequent additions by his successors.

Location:	On the banks of Lake Pichola
Built by:	Started by Maharana Udai Singh, completed by his successors
Built in:	Started in 1559 - till 18th century
Highlights:	Largest palace complex in Rajasthan
How to reach:	One can easily reach Udaipur City Palace either by taking local buses, tongas, auto-rickshaws and taxis from the city

2. Monsoon Palace (Sajjan Garh)

This 19th century Sajjan Garh palace on a hilltop has seen better days. Still, if you dig sunset views over cityscapes, plan a trip. It is arguably the best place to view a sunset in Udaipur.

Best Time to Visit. Udaipur, being located in a tropical desert, is excruciatingly hot in summer, and rains in the monsoon hamper tourism, so the ideal time to visit would be in winter, from November to February each year.

3. Lake Pichola

Another man made wonder in the city dominated by nature, Lake Pichola was created in 1362 AD. Rana Udai Singh II extended the lake in 16th century. The picturesque lake is surrounded by huge hills, magnificent palaces, temples and bathing ghats.

The islands in Lake Pichola offer various tourist attractions and hence by cruising in Lake Pichola, you are sure to have a whale of a time. Sunset views are stunning.

Boat cruise offers lovely views of the town, particularly in the evenings as you watch the sun go down on your eyes, you will find the city lit up.

The palaces look stunning with the lights on and it is a great view from the lake.

Things to do at Pichola Lake

• Boat riding during sunset.


• Visit the attractions like Lake Palace and Lake Garden Palace.


• Stroll along the pathways surrounding the lake.

4. Lake Palace

The symbol of Udaipur tourism and a famous wedding destination, Lake Palace or Jag Niwas is an architectural marvel.

The palace is situated on the island of Jag Niwas in Lake Pichola and was built in the year 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II.

It was later converted into a luxury hotel in 1960s and now is a part of Taj luxury resorts. This stunning location has also been featured in many Hollywood and Bollywood movies

Things to Do near Lake Palace:

• Boat Ride in Lake Pichola.


• A tour of this historic heritage site.


• Visit the nearby Jagdish temple nearby.


• Enjoy the sunset at the nearby Lake Fatehsagar


• Have a luxurious meal in the many restaurants.

5. Lake Garden Palace

Jagmandir or Lake Garden Palace is said to have filled in as a motivation for the Taj Mahal when Shah Jahan took shelter here in his more youthful days. This royal residence has a long history and is viewed as one of the images of companionship between the Mughals and Rajputs. A progression of great structures give this royal residence a majestic vibe and would charm any guest.

Things to do at Lake Garden Palace:

• Visit the flower garden.


• Savour Rajasthani cuisine at the Darikhana restaurant.


• Visit the museum in the complex.


• Visit the nearby City Palace.


• Boat Ride in Lake Pichola.

Get Around:

While most of the city can be covered on foot and the narrow alleyways in the old city make any other form of transportation a hassle, a taxi or autorickshaw/tuk-tuk is necessary to reach the Monsoon Palace or the wilderness park.

A tuk-tuk will usually cost around ₹50, and should never cost more than ₹100 within the city. If you have a SIM card, Uber or Ola is the way to go. Uber is consistently cheaper than a tuk-tuk and will almost always be a much more pleasant ride

If you're planning for a trip to Udaipur, check out these Itineraries which will suit you perfectly

• Here

• Here

• Here

Kumbhalgarh Fort - Stand Tall Fort of Rajasthan

KUMBHALGARH or KUMBHAL FORT

Kumbhalgarh fort is a Mewar strong fort on the westerly region of Aravalli Hills, in the Rajsamand area close Udaipur of Rajasthan state in western India. It is a World Heritage Site incorporated into Hill Forts of Rajasthan. Worked over the span of the fifteenth century by Rana Kumbha, Kumbhalgarh is likewise the origination of Maharana Pratap, the considerable ruler and warrior of Mewar. Involved until the late nineteenth century, the fortification is presently open to people in general and is astoundingly lit for a couple of minutes each night. Kumbhalgarh is arranged 82 km northwest of Udaipur by street. It is the most vital stronghold in Mewar after Chittorgarh.

In 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Kumbhalgarh Fort, alongside five different fortresses of Rajasthan, was announced an UNESCO World Heritage Site under the gathering Hill Forts of Rajasthan.

With a divider more than 80 km long, the fortification is among the biggest divider complex on the planet, and the second biggest fortress in Rajasthan after Chittor Fort.

HISTORY

The early history of the stronghold couldn't be learned by virtue of absence of proof. The most punctual name of the post is accepted to be Machhindrapur, while Sahib Haqim, a student of history, named it Mahore. The first fortification is accepted to have been worked by King Samprati of the Maura Age by virtue of the key significance amid the sixth century. The consequent history till 1303 AD till the intrusion of Alauddin Khilji is dark.

Kumbhalgarh in its present frame was assembled and led by Rana Kumbha and his line who were Hindu Sisodia rajputs descendents. Kumbhalgarh in its present shape was created by, and accepted to have been planned by an acclaimed engineer of the period Madan. Rana Kumbha's kingdom of Mewar extended from Ranthambore to Gwalior and included vast tracts of past Madhya Pradesh and additionally Rajasthan. Out of the 84 fortresses in his territory, Rana Kumbha is said to have composed 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the biggest and generally detailed.

LIGHT AND SOUND SHOW

The best time to visit Fort is around 4 PM, so that one can finish touring the Fort till dusk. The real action starts at 6:45 PM and for the next 45 minutes, the Light and Sound show will have you spellbound. Entry ticket for the show is Rs. 100 per person

Note: The Show is only in Hindi

Chittor Fort - Gigantic Grandeur of India

It's for a reason that Rajasthan is a standout amongst the most visited states in India. Various "Haveli's" posts and royal residences mirror the legacy of the Rajput rulers who controlled over the region and offer guests a look into the past. Strongholds, which were manufactured essentially to shield the domain, are the most lofty structures, encasing inside their dividers living and regulatory units, including lovely castles that put in plain view the riches and lavish way of life of the lords. The best strongholds in Rajasthan feature a cut of antiquated life, as well as have legends of war, valor, sentiment, forfeit and excellence that are as dazzling as their overwhelming design.

The Chittor Fort or Chittorgarh is one of the biggest strongholds in India. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fortress was the capital of Mewar and is situated in the present-day town of Chittorgarh. It sprawls over a slope 180 m (590.6 ft) in stature spread over a territory of 691.9 acres (280 ha) over the fields of the valley depleted by the Berach River. The stronghold area has a few authentic royal residences, doors, sanctuaries and two noticeable memorial towers.

Starting in the seventh century, the stronghold was controlled by the Mewar Kingdom. From the ninth to thirteenth hundreds of years, the fortress was controlled by Paramara administration. In 1303, the Turkic leader of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji crushed Rana Ratan Singh's powers at the fortress. In 1535 Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, vanquished Bikramjeet Singh and took the post. In 1567 Akbar crushed Maharana Udai Singh II's troops. The fortification safeguards sallied forward to charge the assaulting foe yet were not ready to succeed. Following these annihilations, the ladies are said to have submitted jauhar or mass self-immolation. The rulers, warriors, aristocrats and average people considered demise desirable over the mass assault and looting that was thought to happen following to surrender to the Sultanate forces.

Location :

Chittorgarh is situated in the southern piece of the province of Rajasthan, 233 km (144.8 mi) from Ajmer, halfway among Delhi and Mumbai on the National Highway 8 (India) in the street system of Golden Quadrilateral. Chittorgarh is arranged where National Highways No. 76 and 79 meet.

ATTACK BY THE KHILJI'S :

In 1303 Allauddin khilji, Sultan of Delhi, intrigued by tales of the matchless beauty of Padmini, Rani of Chittor, of her wit and charm, decided to verify this himself. His armies surrounded Chittor. There was consternation in Chittor until Padmini devised a plan. A messenger informed the sultan that the rani would come to him. Dozens of curtained palanquins set off down the hill, each carried by six humble bearers.

Alauddin caught Chittor following an eight-month long attack. As indicated by his squire Amir Khusrow, he requested a slaughter of 30,000 nearby Hindus after this triumph. Some later legends express that Alauddin attacked Chittor to catch Ratna Simha's delightful ruler Padmini, yet most present day history specialists have rejected the validness of these legends. The legends likewise express that Padmini and other 1600 women committed suicide by jauhar (mass self-immolation). Student of history Kishori Saran Lal trusts that a jauhar happened at Chittor following Alauddin's triumph, despite the fact that he expels the legend of Padmini as unhistorical.

Rani Padmavati Palace :

Rani Padmavati Palace

If you are planning to visit Chittor Fort and Rajasthan, you might find these itineraries helpful - click here, here and here