About Udaipur

Country: India | State: Rajasthan

Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 Days

Nearest City to Udaipur: Udaipur

Best Time to Visit Udaipur: October to March

Peak Season: December to January

At a distance of 249 km from Ahmedabad, 399 km from Jaipur, 656 km from Delhi, 642 km from Agra, and 772 km from Mumbai, Udaipur is a historical city and also the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is one of the top tourist places in Rajasthan and among the must include destinations in honeymoon tour packages.

The city has an abundance of natural beauty, mesmerizing temples, and breathtaking architecture which are the prime attractions of Udaipur tour packages. Udaipur is also referred to as the 'Venice of the East' and the 'City of Lakes'. Udaipur was the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar in Rajputana. Maharana Udai Singh of the Sisodia clan of Rajput founded the city in 1559 AD and shifted his capital from Chittorgarh to Udaipur. It remained as the capital city till 1818 AD when it became a British princely state, and thereafter the Mewar province became a part of Rajasthan when India gained independence in 1947. Udaipur is the birthplace of legendary King Maharana Pratap.

Located at the base of the Aravali mountain range, Udaipur is a very popular tourist destinations in India, and also one of the most sought-after cities for destination weddings. Udaipur attracts numerous visitors from all over the world due to its historic heritage and rich culture. The City Palace, Lake Palace, Bagore Ki Haveli, Pichola Lake, Fateh Sagar Lake, Lake Palace, Jag Mandir Palace, Jagdish Temple, Sajjan Garh, Saheliyon Ki Bari, and Eklingji Temple are some prominent places to visit in Udaipur. Kumbhalgarh Fort, Chittorgarh Fort, Nathdwara, Sas-Bahu Temple, Ahar, and Ranakpur are the nearest attractions.

Mewar festival and Gangaur festival are the popular festivals celebrated in Udaipur and have a unique charm. The festival of Gangaur is very significant for the women of Rajasthan. This festival is a visual feast with Rajasthani songs, dances, processions, devotional music, and firework displays. The Directorate of Tourism organizes a 10-day Craft Bazaar at Shilpgram in December.

Udaipur is well connected by road, rail, and air to major destinations in India. Maharana Pratap Airport or Dabok Airport is situated 28 km away from the main city. The airport is served by flights from Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur. Udaipur Railway Station is well connected by trains with Delhi, Kolkata, Jalpaiguri, Jaipur, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Chittorgarh, Indore, and Khajuraho. Udaipur City Bus Station is the main bus station which is about 1 km from Udaipur Railway Station; it has direct buses from Jaipur, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Agra, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Indore, and Bhopal.

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.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Good
STD Code: 0294
Languages Spoken: Mewari, Hindi, Gujarati and English
Major Festivals: Mewar festival and Gangaur festival
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Udaipur

By Air

Nearest Airport: Udaipur - Maharana Pratap Airport / Dabok Airport (28 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Udaipur City Railway Station (0 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Udaipur City Bus Station (1 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Udaipur

Heritage

#1 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 3 km from Udaipur City Railway Station, Udaipur City Palace is a beautiful royal palace complex situated on the banks of Lake Pichola in Udaipur city of Rajasthan. This majestic palace is the largest palace complex in India, and among the must include places in Udaipur packages.

The City Palace was built initially by Maharana Udai Singh in 1559 AD when he shifted his capital from the erstwhile Chittorgarh to the newly found city of Udaipur. The Palace was built over nearly 400 years, with contributions from several rulers of the Mewar dynasty.

Among the top Udaipur tourist places, the City Palace boasts of a wonderful blend of Medieval European and Indian architectural styles. Set at an average elevation of 598 m, the Palace has several towers, domes, and arches, which add to the flavor of the heritage site. Courtyards, pavilions, .....

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Backwaters

#2 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 2.5 km from Udaipur City Railway Station, Pichola Lake is an artificial fresh water lake situated in the heart of Udaipur city in Rajasthan. Surrounded by hills, gardens, temples and havelis, Lake Pichola is one of the most beautiful lakes in India and a popular tourist attraction in Udaipur.

Pichola Lake was built in 1362 AD by Pichhu Banjara, a gypsy Banjara tribesman who transported grain, during the reign of Maharana Lakha. Later, Maharana Udai Singh, impressed by the charm of this lake with the backdrop of green hills, founded the city of Udaipur on the banks of the lake and also enlarged the lake by constructing a stone masonry dam in the Badi Pol region.

Lake Pichola is one of the several contiguous lakes, developed over the last few centuries in and around Udaipur city. Named after nearby Picholi village, Pichola Lake is nearly 4 km long and 3 km wide. The lake has a surface area of about 696 hectares .....

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Heritage | Pilgrimage

#3 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 24 km from Udaipur, Eklingji Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated at Eklingji or Kailashpuri town in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. It is one of the most famous places of pilgrimage in Rajasthan, and among the top places to visit near Udaipur.

Eklingji Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the tutelary deity of the former Mewar rulers. Ek means 'one' while ling means 'lingum or the life giving phallic symbol of Lord Shiva'. The patron deity of the Mewar clan is considered the actual ruler of the region while the kings are merely the Dewan (or the Prime Minister) of this God of Mewar. Initially, the temple was built in 734 AD by Bappa Rawal, the founder of the Mewar dynasty. In the later years, it was repaired and modified by various Kings, to clean the remnants of obliteration made by the attacks of Mohammedans.

The temple complex is located .....

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Heritage

#4 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 2 km from City Palace and 3 km from City Railway Station, Bagore Ki Haveli is an old royal building situated in front of the Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat in Udaipur. This is one of the top places to visit in Udaipur.

Built by Amir Chand Badwa, the Chief Minister of Mewar Royal Court, it dates back to the 18th century. Maharana Shakti Singh of Bagore, who resided in the haveli, incorporated three storeys to the main structure, in 1878 AD. This ancient edifice has more than hundred rooms and displays delicate carvings and glass work. After being deserted for 50 years post-independence, the haveli was finally handed over to the West Zone Cultural Centre in 1986 for restoration. Today, the Haveli looks glorious and also houses a museum in its premises with paintings and costumes of the Royal Kings.

The interiors of the Haveli are embellished with intricate and fine mirror work. One can also see the private quarters of the royal ladies, their bath areas, dressing .....

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Heritage

#5 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 12 km from Udaipur City Railway Station and 10 km from City Palace, the Monsoon Palace, formerly known as the Sajjangarh Palace, is a hilltop royal palace overlooking the Fateh Sagar and Pichola Lakes in the city of Udaipur.

The Palace is named Sajjangarh after Maharana Sajjan Singh (1874-1884) of the Mewar Dynasty, who built it in 1884 AD. He was the 72nd ruler of the Mewar Dynasty. The Place reflects the rich cultural and history of Mewar Kingdom. It was built primarily to watch the monsoon clouds; hence, it is popularly known as Monsoon Palace.

The palace, built with white marble, is located on Bansdara peak of the Aravalli hill range at an altitude of 944 m (3100 feet). The intention of Maharana Sajjan Singh was to build a nine storey complex, basically as an astronomical center and to keep track of the movement of monsoon clouds in the area surrounding the palace, and also to provide employment to people. .....

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Heritage

#6 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 4 km from Udaipur City Railway Station, Lake Palace or Taj Lake Palace is a heritage hotel situated on Jag Niwas Island of Pichola Lake in Udaipur. Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur is the most romantic hotel in the world.

The Lake Palace was built between 1743 and 1746 AD as a pleasure palace by Maharana Jagat Singh II, the 62nd ruler of the Mewar dynasty. Sprawling over an area of 4 acres, the palace was constructed facing east, allowing its inhabitants to pray to Surya, the Hindu sun god, at the crack of dawn. In the later years, the Palace was used as the summer resort by the descendants of Jagat Singh.

Lake Palace has a series of courtyards that are aligned with numerous columns, terraces, beautiful fountains and well laid gardens. The walls made of black and white marbles are adorned by semi-precious stones and ornamented niches. Lake Palace also comprises several rooms by the name of Bada Mahal, Khush Mahal, .....

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Heritage

#7 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 3.5 km from Udaipur City Railway Station, Jag Mandir Palace is a beautiful palace located on the southern island of Lake Pichola in Udaipur. This is among the popular tourist places in Udaipur and also one of the famous wedding places in Udaipur.

Also known as Lake Garden Palace, the palace construction is credited to three Maharanas of the Sisodia Rajputs of Mewar kingdom. The construction of the palace was started in 1551 AD by Maharana Amar Singh, continued by Maharana Karan Singh (1620-1628) and finally completed by Maharana Jagat Singh I (1628-1652). It is named as Jagat Mandir in honour of Maharana Jagat Singh. The royal family used the palace as a summer resort and pleasure palace for holding parties.

The history of Jag Mandir Palace goes to the days of Emperor Shah Jahan and Maharana Karan Singh. Shah Jahan was given refuge by the Maharana Karan Singh in the City Palace Udaipur. .....

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Heritage | Pilgrimage

#8 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 3 km from Udaipur City Railway Station, Jagdish Temple is a Hindu temple located in the City Palace complex of Udaipur. This is one of the famous temples of Udaipur and among the top Udaipur attractions.

Sri Jagdish Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Laxmi Narayan), the preserver of the Universe. The temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh with an estimated cost of 1.5 million rupees in 1651 AD. It is celebrated for being the largest temple in the city of Udaipur. The gateway of this temple can be sited at a distance of 150 meters from the Bara Pol of the City Palace. The temple was originally called the temple of Jagannath Rai but is now called Jagdish Temple.

This temple is built in the Indo-Aryan style of architecture. This three-storied temple is a wonder of architecture that comprises beautifully carved pillars, decorated ceilings, painted walls and lush halls. The first and the second storey of the .....

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Heritage

#9 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 3 km from Udaipur City Railway Station, Fateh Prakash Palace is a heritage building situated inside City Palace complex on the banks of Lake Pichola in Udaipur. It is one of the popular places of Udaipur sightseeing and also one of the most famous wedding destinations in Udaipur.

The Fateh Prakash Palace was constructed on the orders of Maharana Fateh Singh. He is counted among the finest rulers of Mewar and he reigned from 1885 to 1935. The palace was originally built for conducting royal functions and has been accurately preserved. The palace maintains its historical value with several halls and beautiful corridors that add to the charm of the palace.

The Durbar Hall in the palace holds a lot of historical significance and is one of the main features of the palace. The foundation of this hall was laid by the Viceroy of India in 1909, Lord Minto. The hall was originally named after the viceroy as the Minto Hall. The portraits of the former rulers of Udaipur .....

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Backwaters

#10 of 23 Places to Visit in Udaipur

At a distance of 6 km from Udaipur City Railway Station and 5 km from Udaipur City Palace, Fateh Sagar Lake is an artificial lake situated besides the entrance to Moti Magri Hill and to the north of Lake Pichola in Udaipur city of Rajasthan.

Named after Maharana Fateh Singh, Fateh Sagar Lake was initially constructed by Maharana Jai Singh in 1678 AD. However, after a span of 200 years, the earthen bund, which formed the lake, was washed away during floods. Thereafter, Maharana Fateh Singh built the Connaught Dam on the Lake to mark the visit of Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria in 1888 AD. The dam enlarged the lake and was later renamed as Fateh Sagar Lake.

It is one of the four beautiful lakes in the city, the other three being the Lake Pichola, Udai Sagar Lake, and Dhebar Lake or Jaisamand Lake. Fateh Sagar is 2.4 km length, 1.6 km width and 11.5 meter in depth. During the monsoons, the lake covers the total area of .....

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