gra_places.jpg (4995 bytes)

UDAIPUR 

udaipur.jpg (12463 bytes)In Udaipur the visitor finds his dream of India come true, for the city combines real beauty with picturesque associations of a great and glorious pat. It stands in a valley, amid green hills on the banks of wide, steel-blue Lake Pichola. On little islands in the lake, from the water’s edge, rise marble palaces of pure white that glisten like fairy castles. Crowning the ridge, in which the city clusters, along the shores of the lake is the palace of the Maharana. Within the palace is all the magnificience of the East - peacocks in mosaic on the walls, floors inlaid with tiles of rare beauty, and roof gardens affording thrilling views of the panorama below. Sightseeing of Udaipur includes visits of Sahelion Ki Bari, drive around Fateh Sagar Lake, City Palace, Jagdish Temple and Gulab Niwas Garden.

BOAT RIDE ON LAKE PICHOLA : Visit the Jag Niwas Palace by motor launch. The palace, built of granite and marble, covres four acres and is built almost in the middle of the lake. Visit the Borra Mahal, Khas Mahal and the Courts, Gardens and Fountains. Also visit Jag Mandir Palace.

EXLINGJI : About 23 kms. from Udaipur, and linked by a motor road that runs through splendid scenery and a mountain pass is Eklingji, a magnificient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

NAGDA : Very close to Eklingji is Nanda, named after its founder Nagaditya and is one of the most ancient places in Mewar. There are Hindu and Jain Temples, notable among which is the Sas-Bahu Temple dedicated to Vishnu.

RANAKPUR : 160 kms from Udaipur, in a quiet isolated glen, is a remarkable complex of Jain Temples of Ranakpur (1440 A.D.). Built during the regin of the liberal and gifted monarch Rana Khumba, these temples, though belonging to a late period (15th Century), when the peak of the claasical age was already past, are a unique example of Jain ecclesiastical architecture. The entire enclosure is encircled by a wall. One temple consists of 29 halls and 426 pillars full of sculptural decoration. No two pillars are alike here.

JAISAMAND : 57, kms. southeast of Udaipur is Jaisamand, one of the largest artificial sheets of water in the world and built by Maharana Jai Singh. The lake area is full of wildlife and is rich in deer, wild boar and panther. A watch tower on the top of a hillock is excellent for watching wildlife.

RAJASAMAND : On the way of Kumbalgarh, stop at Kankroli to visit the magnificient dam built by Rana Sanga in 1660. This is Rajasamand - the royal lake. A high massive masonry dam stretches all along the bank of the lake. The terrace is paved with marble. There are ornamental toranas or arches and chhatris are interspersed all along the embankment.

raj11.JPG (19473 bytes)CHITTORGARH (CHITTOR) : There is no place in Rajasthan with a history more romantic than that of Chittorgarh, the centre of Rajput resistance against Moghul rule. It was here that Sisodia Rajput warriors, on many occasions, gave their lives,prefering death to dishonour and surrender. The city was sacked at least three times before it was finally abandoned and the capital moved to Udaipur. The Chittor Fort reposes on a rocky hill, which rises steeply from the town. Behind every stone is some tale of heroism or romance. Among the ruins is the seven storey high Kirti Stambha (Tower of Fame), an egant 12th century Jain monument covered with sculptures from the base to the top, the ancient temple of Nilkant Madhev the Suraj Pal (Sun Gate.) Nearby, is the palace of Rana Bhim Singh and his spouse Padmini, famed for her beauty. The glory of Chittorgarh is the Tower of Victory - Jaya Stambha erected by Rana Khumbha to commemorate his victory over Mohammed Khilji of Malwa in 1440. Its nine stories are covered with sculptures of Hindu divinities.


back.JPG (4515 bytes)