Udaipur is known as the lake city and it was the former capital of Mewar dynasty. The city is around 403km away from Jaipur and around 260km away from Ahmedabad. The city is known by its lakeside palaces. It is a small city. In 1559 Maharana Udai Singh of Sisodia dynasty made Udaipur as his capital. The independent, free minded rulers of Mewar have shown courage against the British during the colonial era. During the accession of princely states after independence, even Udaipur merged into the Government of India and became a part of Rajasthan. Today, the descendants of the royal family own the Lake Palace of Udaipur and the Jagmandir island.
What to see: Udaipur has a picturesque landscape. To have a romantic evening at the lakeside would be a dream come true. There are five important lakes in Udaipur. Among them Pichola lake and Fateh Sagar lake are the must see ones. These are not natural lakes, have been built by the royal family. It is also known by its Rajputh style palaces. The city palace, Lakeside Palace, Jag Mandir and Monsoon Palace are the prominent ones. Most of them have been converted into luxury hotels. The city Palace is on the eastern side of Pichola Lake. The Lake palace (or Jag Niwas) is built in the middle of the Pichola Lake occupying most of the lake. Jagmandir island is also in the Pichola Lake. Mughal prince Shah Jahan had taken shelter in this palace (Jag Mandir) much before his enthronement.
The City Place: The palace is a large complex consisting of a beautiful garden, a palace passing through that garden, a durbar hall, a palace turned luxury hotel, peacock hall, a temple and few more lavishing palaces. Beautiful mirror carved walls, paintings, exquisite balconies and windows are worth seeing. Udaipur is known as the Venice of India. People who want to spend their holidays at leisure with comforts and luxury can choose Udaipur as their destination. Hire a Taxi cab and move around the Lake City, visit local temples, and gardens at your convenience, or can choose to remain indoors in any lakeside hotels enjoying a spa. What to do in Udaipur Udaipur offers Horse riding and camel back riding for those who are interested. There are private agencies that arrange for horses and also provide camp staying (Swiss tents are available) opportunities, at the outskirts. On a camel\\\'s back you can ride through the desert of Rajasthan that takes a complete day. You can watch puppet shows or can take a ride on the rope way.
Shopping: Go for pottery items, wall hangings, paintings from Mughal and Rajasthani royalty, stitched puppets, and artifacts in Udaipur. If you have time visit the local market, you can bargain there. However you can buy from the Government emporiums too.
Eat: Udaipur serves the best of Rajasthani cuisine, like the daal bhati, and kachori. If you visit the city during the Mewar festival and the Shilpagram festival you would get a glimpse of the vibrant Rajasthan in colors and textures. Udaipur can be approached by air/road or rail. If you are travelling by air then know one thing that the airport in Udaipur has no ATMs.
