GENREAL INFORMATION

There is no place in India which appeals more to the imagination of poets and painters, travelers and writers than Udaipur, the lovely lake side capital of Mewar, by reason of its romance and beauty and its remarkable past bristling with episodes of heroism and splendour.

Udaipur, the enchanting City of Dawn, looms up like a vision in white. Surrounded by hills and mountains and set on the edge of three lakes which give on to a fertile plain, it is bewitching in all. Its details-narrow streets lined by vivid coloured stalls, gardens, temples and palaces-every feature, mirrored in the placid blue water of lake Pichola.

An interesting legend is related to the founding of the city. On one of his excursions, Maharana Udai Singh of Mewar met a hermit absorbed meditation on a hill overlooking lake Pichola. The ascetic gave his blessings and also advised the Maharana to build a stronghold on the very spot as it would be well protected. The place indeed combines many natural advantages-a fertile valley watered by a stream, a lake, an agreeable altitude and an ampitheatre of low mountains. The new city was planned on the bank of Pichola in 1550 AD.

Of the original eleven gates of Udaipur city, only five remain, the chief being Suraj Pol, Gate of the Sun, on the eastern side. The majestic City Palace, 30 metres high and several hundred metres long overlooks an immense esplanade edged by arcades.

Around Udaipur are vestiges of its chivalrous past-the sprawling Chittaurgarh and the massive kumbhalgarh; the temples of Eklinjii, Nathdwara and Ranakpur and finally there is Mount Abu, the only hill resort of Rajasthan, a cool, tranquil sanctuary.

WHAT TO SEE

CITY PALACE

Completely white and majestic, the city Palace stands on a hill surrounded by crenellated walls, its main entrance is through the triple arched gate, the Tripolia, built in 1725. There is Suraj Gokhada, the Balcony of the Sun, where the Suryavanshi Maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in time of trouble to the people to restore their confidence. The More Chowk or the Peacock Courtyard, gets its name from the vivid mosaics in glass which decorate its walls. The Chini Chittrashala is noteworthy for its blue and white ceramics.

JAGDISH TEMPLE

Built 1651 A.D. BY Maharana Jagat Singh I with imposing sculptured figures. It is the largest and most splendid temple in Udaipur.

BHARATIYA LOK KALA MUSEUM

This Indian folk arts museum displays a rich collection of folk dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks, dolls, folk musical instruments, folk deities and paintings.

SAHELIYON-KI-BARI

This garden of the maids of honour, brings to the fore the unique life-style of the royal ladies who once strolled in these gardens. This spectacular garden has numerous fountains in four pools embellished with delicately chiseled kiosks and elephants.

PRATAP MEMORIAL

Erected in the memory of Maharana Pratap at Moti Magari or Pearl Hillock overlooking Fateh Sagar Lake. A bronze statue of Maharana Pratap is placed on the top of this hill.

FATEH SAGAR

Built by Maharana Fateh Singh, this elegant lake is surround on three sides by hills and the Pratap Memorial on the north. One can have boat rides on the rippling waters and row across to Nehru Park-an Island Garden, on a serene afternoon.

PICHHOLA LAKE

The legendary lake the entranced Maharana Udai Singh. It is surrounded by hills, palaces, temples, bathing ghats and embankments.

Set splendidly in the lake are two inland palaces, Jag Mandir and Jag Niwas (Lake Palace).

AHAR

In the crumbling remains of ancient city-Ahar, stand the royal cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar, remarkable pieces of architecture.

A small government museum houses a rare collection of antiquities including eatther pots, iron objects etc. excavated here and various other art objects.

SAJJAN GARH

This Monsoon Palace dominates the sky line and is visible from most parts of the city. It affords a spectacular view of the city-its lakes, palaces and the surrounding countryside.

GULAB BAGH

Few gardens in India offer such a spectacular beauty as this rose garden laid out by Maharana Sajjan Singh. An elegant building, it houses a library with a rich collection of old hand written main scripts and books.

EXCURSIONS

EKLINGJI

22 kms Chiseled out of sandstone and marble, this temple of Eklingji was built in 734 A.D. A complete of 108 temples enclosed by high walls is devoted to the presiding deity of the Maharanas of Mewar. It has an ornate ‘mandap’ or pillared holl, under the canopy of a huger pyramidical roof.

NAGDA

23 kms. Dating back to the 6^th century A.D. this ancient site in Mewar, is famous for the Sas-Bahu temples (9^th-10^th century) resplendent in their intricate carvings. Also worth visiting are the splendid Jain temples of Adbudji.

HALDIGHATI

40 km. This place is of great historic interest. The memorable battle between Maharana Pratap and Mughal Emperor Akbar was fought here in 1576 AD. There is a Chhatri dedicated to the faithful horse of Maharana Pratap-Chetak.

NATHADWARA

48 kms built in the early 18^th century, this is the most celebrated of the Vaishnava shrine of Shri Nathji or Lord Krishna. Thousands of pilgrims from all parts of India visit this shrine everyday, and the member exceeds a lakh during Diwali, Holi and Janmashtami. Foreign visitors are not permitted inside and no photography of this monument is allowed.

KANKROLI

65 kms Dedicated to Lord Krishna it is an important Vaishava temple and ranks very high among the temples of the Vallabhacharya sect. It is popularly known as Dwarkadhish and resembles the famous Nathdwara Shrine.

KUMBHALGARH FORT

84 kms. This is the second most important fort in Rajasthan after Chittaurgarh. Perched atop the Aravalis, it was built by Maharana Kumbha in the 15^th century. It is accessible only by jeep from kelwara through the seven great gates.

‘Badal Mahal’ or the Cloud Palace at the top offers a scenic view of the surrounding country-side. Renovated in the late 19^th century, a few temples here are of great beauty and interest. The kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary nearby is worth a visit.

JAGAT

58 kms. The 10^th century Ambika Mata Temple is well preserved in all its splendour. It is popularly referred to as the ‘khajuraho of Rajasthan’, for intricate erotic carvings on its outer walls.

JAISMAND LAKE

48 kms built by Maharana Jai Singh in the 17^th century, this is the second largest artificial lake in Asia Graceful marble chhatris festoon the embankment and summer palaces for the king’s favourite queens are built on either side.

A trip to Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary makes an exciting visit. The animals in their natural habitat can be observed at close range. Wildlife ere includes panther, wild boar, deer, four-horned antelope, mongoose and various species of migratory birds.

RANAKPUR

98 kms, known for its superbly carved Jain temples. The main ‘Chaumukha’ Temple is dedicated to the tirthankara Rishabji. There are 1,444 intricately carved pillars, no two being alike.

SHOPPING

Udaipur is an ideal place for bargain hunters. A items, including folk toys, shimmering tie-and-dye sarees and garments, turbans, hand painted textiles, silver jewellery, wall hangings and wall paintings are strongly recommenced. The terracotta images of various gods and goddesses made in Mollela village near Nathadwara are also available in Udaipur.

MAJOR FESTIVALS

The Mewar Festival, celebrated during March-April is dedicated to goddess Parvati and welcomes spring with song, dance and fireworks. There are prayers, rituals and processions, Gangaur, also held in March-April is a festival in which women pray to Goddess Parvati. Lord Shiva’s image is brought with caparisoned horses and elephants when he escorts the Goddess back with him. Tej, in July-August is a festival of rejoicing on the advent of monsoon.

HOW TO GET THERE

AIR

Dabok Airport is 24 km from the city centre. Daily India Airlines flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur. Jaipur, Bombay and Delhi.

RAIL

Udaipur is directly linked by rail with Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer Chittaurgarh, and Ahmedabad.

ROAD

Udaipur is well connected from Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mount Abu and Ahmedabad.

KUMBHALGARH

GENERAL INFORMATION

 64 km north-west of Udaipur is the second most important citadel of Mewar after Chittaurgarh. Range upon range of the Aravallis protect this impregnable fortress. Thirteen mountain peaks surround it, it is built on the topmost ridge, 914 metres above sea level. Seven great gates stand sentinel at the approaches and seven ramparts, one within the other with crenellated walls strengthened by rounded bastions and immense watch towers make this an impregnable mountain fortress. It was built by Rana Kumbha (1419-63). There are 8 gates and all have their own importance. On the newest side of last gate which is known as Nimboo Pol are the chambers where the infant Udai Singh was smuggled and hidden by his faithful maid Panna Dal thus saving him from the murderous wrath of his uncles, who wanted to usurp the throne. Udai Singh later came to the throne of Mewar, lived at kumbhalgarh and built the city of Udaipur. The topmost palace in the fort is called Badal Mahal or Palace of the Cloud and offers to superb view of the surrounding countryside.

For below one can see a valley full of ruined temples. These date back to ancient times when it is said a grandson of the Mauryan Emperor Asoka ruled here. He was a Jain and there are remains of Jain temples of various periods.

Eastwards from the Jain temples is a Kali Temple and the Mamadevi kund with two royal chhatris.

Beyond is the Nilkanth Mahadev temple dedicated to Shiva. A fine black marble lingam is enshrined here. The pillars of the mandap or hall are finely fluted in an unusual feature being their tapering shape.

On the way to kumbhalgarh is the battlefield of Haldighati (1576) where Rana Pratap, the heroic son of Udai Singh, put up a gallant stand against the forces of the Emperor Akbar.

KANKROLI-RAJSAMAND

On the way to Kumbhalagarh stop at kankroli to visit a magnificent dam built by Rana Rai Singh in 1660, this is Rajsamand, the royal lake. There are ornamental toranas or arches and chhatris interspersed all along the edges of the embankment. A Rest House of the irrigation Department has been built on the embankment below in which a beautiful formal garden has been laid out, ornamented with sculptures excavated from nearby ruins. The town of Kankroli, a temple and a hilltop palace across the lake make a beautiful picture, Watching sunset over Rajsamand is on unforgettable experience.

HOW TO GET THERE

AIR

Udaipur 84 km is the convenient airport.

RAIL

Udaipur is the nearest railhead to Kumbhalgarh.

ROAD

Kumbhalgarh Fort is approachable by a good road.

CHITTAURGARH

GENERAL INFORMATION

The most romantic name in Rajasthan is Chittaur. Chittaur is more than a ruined citadel; it is a symbol. It stands for al that was brace, true and noble in the Rajput tradition. Chittaur was sacked three times, and on each occasion the rite of Jauhar was performed. The first was in 1303 when Allauddin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi coveted the famous Rajput beauty Rani Padmini whose face he had seen reflecting on a mirror. Padmini led the Jauhar rather than submit to dishonous. The second was in 1533 when the Sultan of Gujarat attacked Bikramjeet of Chittaur. Rani Karnavati, Bundi Princess, lot the jauhar in which many women and children perished. Her own infant son, Udai Singh, was smuggled out of bundi to preserve the line Udai Singh returned as a child to Chittaur but his was an adventurous childhood. Udai Singh lived to inherit the throne of Chittaur. But his traumatic childhood had taught him that direction was certainly to be preferred to valour. So when in 1567, Mughal Emperor Akbar besieged Chittaur, Udai Singh escaped leaving its defence to two sixteen-year old heroes, Jaimal of Bednore and Patta of Kelwa. They died in true Rajput tradition after the jauhar had been proclaimed and Akbar, taking no chances, razed the Fort to rubble.                

Chittaur was never inhabited again. But it remained the dream-or rather the Holy Grail-of the Rajputs. Udai Singh built his new capital in Udaipur-a beautiful lake city, which still flourishes. But his son Rana Pratap could not forget that it was Udai who had lost Chittaur.

WHAT TO SEE

THE FORT

Believed to have been constructed by later Maurya rulers in 7^th century A.D. this fort is located on a 180 metre high hill, covering 700 acres. Tablets and Chattries bearing testimony to the acts of sacrifice and gallantry lie between several monumental gates. The main gates are Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol and Ram Pol. With a distinct Rajput character, the fort has many architectural attractions.

VIJAY STAMBH (VICTORY TOWER)

Built by Maharana Kumbha in commemoration of victory over the Muslim rulers of Malwa and Gujarat in 1440 A.D., this 37 metre high tower is a structure of nine storeys. Its exterior is decorated with sculptures and it has withstood the vagaries of nature through the centuries.

KIRTI STAMBH (TOWER OF FAME)

This 22 metre high, Tower of Fame, was built by a wealthy Jain merchant in the 12^th century A.D. and is dedicated to Adinathji, the first of the Jain tirthankaras. The tower is decorated with figures from the Jain pantheon.

RANA KUMBHA’S PALACE

Although in ruins, this palace is of great historical and architectural interest. It is believed that in one of the underground cellars, Rani Padmini and other women committed jauhar. this palace is the biggest monument in the Fort of Chittaur.

PADMINI’S PALACE

Rani Padmini was a celebrated beauty and according to a legend, it was here that Rana Ratan Singh showed a glimpse of her to Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi. It overlooks a pool in which the ‘Zanana Mahal’ is situated, where Padmini stood when her reflection was shown to Allauddin Khilji in a mirror placed in the main hall.

MEERA & KUMBHA SHYAM TEMPLE

This temple is associated with mystic poetess and a great devotee of Lord Krishna, Meerabai. She was the wife of Rana Bhojraj and is set to have consumed poison sent by the Rana but survived because of Lord Krishna’s blessings.

KALIKA MATA TEMPLE

A temple of Mother goddess kali, is the symbol of power and valour. Originally it was built as a Sun Temple in the 8^th century and was converted into kalika mata. Temple in the 14^th century A.D.

GOVERNMENT MUSEUM

The magnificent Fateh Prakash Mahal has been converted into a museum now. It has a rich collection of sculptures from temples and buildings in the Fort.

JAIMAL AND PATTA PALACES

The ruins of the palaces of Rathore Jaimal and Sisodia Patta remain symbols of the exemplary gallantry of these great warriors.

GARDENS & PARKS IN THE TOWN

Pratap, Meera and Nehru Parks, set amidst beautiful surroundings are tastefully developed.

MEERABAI’S TEMPLE

Built in the northern Indian style on a raised plinth, it has a conical roof and an inner sanctum. An open colonnade around the sanctum has four small pavilions in each corner. Meerabai used to worship Lord Krishna here.

EXCURSIONS

NAGARI

20 km. Situated on the banks of the river Bairach, it was one of the important towns of Rajasthan in the Mauryan empire, known as Madhyamika, Excavations have revealed remains of structures with a strong Hindu as well as Buddhist influence.

BASSI VILLAGE

25 km. A village enroute Bundi, having many places of tourist interest such as the historical fort, temples, kund. Sculpture and woodcraft of Bassi are very famous.

BASSI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

This sanctuary near Bassi covers 50 sq. km. of area. The prime attraction here are various animals like panthers. Wild boars, antelopes, mongoose and migratory birds, for entry, prior permission has to be obtained from the District Forest Officer, Chittaurgarh.

SANWARIYAJI TEMPLE: (40 KMS.)

40 km. situated on Chittaur-Udaipur road, it is a modern temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and is an important pilgrim spot.

MATRIYA KUNDIYA TEMPLE

50 km. This religious place known as the Haridwar of Mewar’s dedicated to Lord Krishna and is an important pilgrim spot.

BIJAIPUR

60 km. A castle said to have been built by Rao Shakti Singh, the youngest brother of Maharana Pratap, stands in this village. Now it has been converted into a hotel.

SITA MATA SANCTUARY, DHARIYAVAD

The jungle of Sita Mata is spread over the Aravalli ranges and the malwa plateau. Three rivers flow through the forest. According to a popular belief. Lord Rama exiled his wife Sita in this jungle. She spent her time in Rishi Valmiki’s Ashram situated here. Leopard, hyena, jackal, fox, porcupine, sambar, wild boar, four-horned antelope, nilgai and flying squirrel are among the animals seen here.

DEOGARH

125 km. A 16^th century fort situated near Pratapgarh, it is famous for its palaces, decorated with murals and Jain temples.

MENAL

90 kms situated on Chittaur-Bundi road, it is one of the most beautiful natural spot famous for its old temples. Water falls and dense forests.

SHOPPING

Wooden toys made in Bassi village near Chittaurgarh are very popular.

HOW TO GET THERE

AIR

Udaipur 112 km is the nearest airport.

RAIL

By train, Chittaurgarh is connected to Ajmer, Jaipur, Alwar, Delhi, Bundi, Kota, Udaipur and Ahmedabad.

ROAD

Chittaurgarh is well connected by road from Kota, Ajmer, Jaipur and Udaipur.