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:''This article is on Udaipur, Rajasthan. For other meanings see Udaipur (disambiguation).''
'Udaipur' (उदयपुर) is a city and a municipal council in Udaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar, and the administrative headquarters of Udaipur District.

Contents

Geography

Climate

History

Demographics

About the city

Transport

Commercial Factors

Interesting Monuments and Places

Wild Life Sanctuary

Malls and Other Projects

Hotels and Hospitality

Schools

Places nearby

Awards

Udaipur in literature and popular culture

References

External links

Geography

Udaipur is located at ^[1]. It has an average elevation of 598 metres (1961 feet). Located at the foothills of the Aravalli Range, Udaipur lies in southern Rajasthan near the Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh borders.

Climate

The climate of Udaipur is tropical with the mercury staying between a maximum of 42.3°C and a minimum of 28.8°C during summers. Winters are a little cold with the maximum temperature rising to 28.8°C and the minimum dipping to 2.5°C. The annual total rainfall received at Udaipur is 61 cm. Winters (September-March) are the best period for visiting Udaipur.

History

Udaipur was the capital of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, ruled by Ranawats of the Sisodia clan. Founder of Udaipur was - Rana Udai Singh. The ancient capital of Mewar was Chittor or Chittorgarh, located on the Banas River northeast of Udaipur. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot and it would be well protected. Udai Singh established a residence there. In 1568 the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Chittor, and Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence, which became the city of Udaipur. As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia ranas, and later maharanas, reasserted their independence and recaptured most part of Mewar except the fort of Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818. After India's Independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Udaipur acceded to the Government of India, and Mewar was integrated into India's Rajasthan state.
'Udaipur remained Untouched from Mughals'
Sisodias, offshoots of the Chauhanas who ruled the Mewar region, were against Mughal dominion and tried every trick possible to distance themselves from them. Udaipur remained untouched from Mughal religious and aesthetics influences and remained so till the coming of the Europeans. Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur was the only royalty who did not attend the Delhi Durbar for King George V in 1911. This fierce sense of independence earned them the highest gun salute in Rajasthan, 19 against the 17 each of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bundi, Bikaner, Kota and Karauli. Udaipur retained its romantic quality and Rosita Forbes, who passed this land of bravery during the decline of the British Raj, described it as "like no other place on earth."
'The Sisodia Dynasty'
The Sisodias claim their descent from Lord Rama, the hero of the famous Hindu epic Ramayana. It is also said that the group descended from the Sun God and is thus known as the Suryavanshi or Children of Sun. The prince of Mewar is treated as the legitimate heir to the throne of Rama. The earliest history of the clan calims that the group had probably descended from the Central Asian tribes who had moved from Kashmir to Gujarat in the 6th century. Vallabhi, their capital was invaded by raiders and the pregnant queen, Pushpavati, escaped their clutches because she was away on a pilgrimage. The queen gave birth to a baby boy, Guhil (cave born), in a cave in the mountains of Mallia and left him in the hands of Kamalavati, a Brahmin lady from Birnagar. The queen then committed sati (a widow’s self immolation on her husband’s funeral pyre).
Guhil grew up among the tribal Bhils and in 568 AD, when he was 11, became their chieftain. Guhil also founded a new clan known as the Gehlots, who derived their name from their founder. In the 7th century they moved north to the plains of Mewar and settled in the area around Nagda. Nagda is a small town around 25km from Udaipur and was named after Nagaditya, the fourth ruler of Mewar. The seventh ruler was accidentally killed by a Bhil in 734AD, and thus the three-year-old Kalbhoj became king, who later came to be known as Bappa Rawal (Bappa meaning father and Rawal a title of the Kshatriya caste).
Bappa grew up as a cowherd in the town of Kailashpuri (now Eklingji) but spent much of his time studying the Vedas in the hermitage of the sage Harita Rishi. He learned to respect Lord Eklingji, and later Harita Rishi gave him the title of the Diwan of Eklingji, one that has become a legacy for the succeeding maharanas. When he was 15 Bappa came to know that he was the nephew of the ruler of Chittor who had been ousted by the ruler of Malwa. He left Kailashpuri, went to the fortress city of Chittor and snatched his kingdom back from the prince of Malwa, Man Singh Mori. In the 9th century bad luck fell upon the Gehlots who were driven away by the Pratiharas who in turn made way for the Rashtrakutas and Paramaras (for more details on the latter three dynasties see History of Madhya Pradesh). Chittor remained the capital of the Sisodias till it was sacked by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar in 1568.
The Gehlots settled in Ahar, where they were known as Aharya. They maintained this title till they shifted to Sissoda. Sissoda arrived at its name when a prince of Chittor built the town right where he had killed a hare (Susso). Since then the clan has retained the title of Sisodia. However, another version says that the dynasty was so named from the word sisa or lead. It is said that a prince of the dynasty was accidentally made to eat beef. The Sisodias are staunch followers of the Hindu faith which holds the cow sacred. When the prince realised his folly he chose to atone for his blunder by swallowing molten lead.
'Sisodia Kings who ruled from Udaipur'
Rana Udai Singh II – reigned 1568-1572
Maharana Pratap Singh – reigned 1572-1597
Rana Amar Singh I – reigned 1597-1620
Rana Karan Singh – reigned 1620-28
Rana Jagat Singh I – reigned 1628-54
Rana Raj Singh I – reigned 1654- 1681
Maharana Jai Singh – reigned 1681-1700
Rana Amar Singh II – reigned 1700-16
Maharana Sangram Singh II – reigned 1716-34
Rana Jagat Singh II – reigned 1734-51
Rana Pratap Singh II – reigned 1752-55
Rana Raj Singh II – reigned 1755-62
Rana Ari Singh II – reigned 1762-72
Rana Hamir Singh II – reigned 1772-78
Rana Bhim Singh – reigned 1778-1828
Maharana Jawan Singh – reigned 1828-38
Maharana Swaroop Singh – reigned 1842-1861
Maharana Shambhu Singh – reigned 1861-74
Rana Sajjan Singh – reigned 1874-84
Maharana Fateh Singh – reigned 1884-1930
Maharana Bhopal Singh – reigned 1930-55
Maharana Bhagwat Singh – reigned 1955-84
Maharana Arvind Singh from 1984-

Demographics

As of 2001 India census^[2], Udaipur had a population of 550,000. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Udaipur has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 72%. In Udaipur, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

About the city

Udaipur is famous around the world as the 'City Of Lakes' or 'Venice of The East'. The Pichola Lake, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar in this city are considered some of the most beautiful lakes in the state. Fateh Sagar contains two small islands, one of which contains USO, or Udaipur solar observatory, and the other one has a beautiful garden called Nehru Garden.
Udaipur is well connected to the world through land, rail and air.
It is known for its Rajput-era palaces. Particularly famous is the Lake Palace, which entirely covers a small island in the Pichola Lake. Many of the palaces have been converted into luxury hotels. The City Palace, or the Palace of the then King of Mewar, is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the city.
Udaipur is also home to the Udaipur Solar Observatory, one of the six stations participating in the international Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) which is aimed at the determination of the physical properties of the solar interior.

Transport

Road: It falls on the Golden Quadrilateral, lying midway between Delhi and Mumbai on National Highway (NH) 8 and is around 650 kms from either metro. The roads in this part of the country are really nice, paved in the middle, and fit for self-driving. One can either drive from Jaipur (around 7 hours) or Ahmedabad (4-5 hours), or take a Rajasthan Tourism bus from India Gate in Delhi. Some of the important destinations are Agra 630 km, Ahmedabad 262 km, Jaipur 406 km, Jodhpur 275 km and Mount Abu 185 km.
Air: Dabok airport [1] is 24 kms from the city centre. Daily Indian Airlines flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Aurangabad,Mumbai & Delhi.
There are daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur (425 kms) from Jet Airways,Indian Airlines and kingfisher. The Airport is going through modernisation project and soon going to have a new terminal building with additional 4 stands.
Train: Train connectivity is established between Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad through trains run by Indian Railway. Recently Udaipur got connected with Delhi Kota and Mathura with superfast Mewar express on broadgauge line. In the month of August Udaipur is being connected with the Kolkatta, by the train "Ananya Express".
Local Transport : Unmetered taxis, auto rickshaws, tongas, city bus, regular city bus service is available for Udaipur City Main roads to dabok airport, badi Lake, Bedala.Udaipur City Bus/City Bus View

Commercial Factors

Udaipur is one of India's most celebrated tourist destinations with a peculiarity and culture of its own.
•1.2 million tourists a year
•Rs 1800 crore annual spend
•3 hours away from Ahmedabad
•Total district population of 2.5 million
•City population of 0.55 million
•One of the highest per capita car population in India
•Some of the world's most luxurious hotels like The Oberoi Udaivilas and The Lake Palace Hotel
•Commerce looking up and tourism growing at a rate of 22% annually

Interesting Monuments and Places

★ 'City Palace': Standing on the east bank of lake Pichola, is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559 A.D. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic views of "Jag Niwas" (the world wide famous Lake palace hotel), Jag Mandir on one side and on the other the city of Udaipur. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate - the Tripolia, built in 1725. The way now leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens - a harmonic profusion hard to describe. There is a Suraj Gokhda, where the maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in the times of trouble to the people to restore confidence. The Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), gets its name from the vivid mosaics in glass decorating its walls. The chini chitrashala is noteworthy while a series of wall paintings of Krishna are on display in Bhim Vilas. There are numerous other palaces such as Dilkhush mahal, Sheesh mahal, Moti mahal and Krishna vilas - in memory of a princess of striking beauty who poisoned herself to avert a bloody battle for her hand by rival princess. Now the palace contains many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils and attracts thousands of visitors every day.

★ 'Lake Palace' - Originally known as the Jag Niwas, took three years to build and was inaugurated in 1746. Nothing but marble is used in the composition of this palace. It is now a luxury hotel.

★ 'Jag Mandir' - Another island in the Lake Pichola, which is known for its beautiful garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father.

★ 'City Palace and Museum' - Pratap Museum, While entering the City palace the straight way go to the Government Pratap Museum housed with old sculptures and inscriptions. The antique paintings of Mewar, the turban of prince Khurram later on called Shah Jahan,who built world famous Taj Mahal has also been displayed here as a token of friendship of Maharana Khazan Singh. Next to Fateh Prakash Palace, houses beautiful glass and mirror works.

★ 'Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal' - An excellent museum of folk arts. Also hosts great puppet shows in its auditorium.

★ 'Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti Magri': Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak".

★ 'Sajjangarh Fort' - The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all the lakes. This palace had an ingenious way to collect rain water for consumption all year around.

★ 'Sukhadia Circle' - A landmark built on a traffic roundabout in Udaipur. It is a three tiered fountain that is lit at night and is a popular place for the locals in evenings.

★ 'Jagdish Temple' - a Temple situated in the middle of the city - a big tourist attraction,
The temple of Jagannath Rai, now called Jagdish-ji, is a major monument and should be seen carefully. Raised on a tall terrace and completed in 1651, it is a tribute alike to the tenacity of its builders and the resilence of the art tradition it represents. It attaches a double storeyed Mandapa (hall) to a double - storied, saandhara (that having a covered ambulatory) sanctum. The mandapa has another storey tucked within its pyramidal samavarna (bell - roof) while the hollow clustered spire over the sanctum contains two more, non - functional stories. Lanes taking off from many of the sheharpanah (city wall) converge on the Jagdish Temple and walking leisurely through them brings you face with the many layers of the cultural palimpsest that Udaipur is. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist in 1651 A.D. It is a good example of Indo - Aryan architecture.

★ 'Fateh Sagar Lake'- Lovers Paradise : Fateh Sager Lake is one of the most romantic vicinity for young lovers, it is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It is the most peaceful and relaxing place to spend leisures for much of the travellers and Udaipur localities . This beautiful Fateh Sager Lake bestow with infinite beauty of the Aravali hills at the backdrop of serene lake body. It was originally build by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh, As lot of destruction was caused, due to the heavy rains. Whereas, today Fateh Sager Lake is the most preferable site for endless wanderers, the mornings and evenings are very much refreshing around the lake, and in the middle of lake, you can see a grand Nehru park, which is a popular garden island, showcase an image of boat shaped cafe. The lake is one of the major attractions of Udaipur, these are some real moments that you will going to witness, once please your eyes with the precious sapphire of Udaipur.

★ 'Lake Pichola' - The Sapphire Udaipur : Lake Pichola is one of the most fascinating lakes, which has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This beautiful shimmering lake is 4km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II after he discovered the jewel of Rajasthan “Udaipur”. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace of Udaipur (Bansi Ghat). In the heart of lake, most delicate world marvel is built the Lake Palace which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel. This captivating palace hotel is considered to be 3 decades old in the history of Udaipur. The Lake remains fairly shallow, at the time of heavy rains, and gets dry easily at the time of severe drought. Once the island dries, it makes the best time to take the leisure walk inside the most remote parts of Lake Pichola, where one can sight row of crocodiles, which is none other a thrilling experience for most of the enthusiastic travellers.
Factroid - "Do you know, Udaipur is a blessed soil of hermit, who advised Maharana to establish his kingdom over Lake Pichola, after the fall of Chittaurgarh by Mughal emperor Akbar."''

★ 'Udaipur Solar Observatory'- Asia's only one solar observatory, The Udaipur Solar Observatory is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatehsagar (Location: 240 35.1' : 730 42.8' ) and the main office building is located at its NW-shore near Bari Road - Rani Road Junction. The site is run under PRL (Physical Reaserch Lab) in Ahemdabad. The sky conditions at Udaipur are quite favourable for solar observations. The large water body surrounding the telescopes decreases the amount of heating of the surface layers. This decreases the turbulence in the air mass and thereby improves the image quality and seeing. The main objective of obtaining the high spatial and temporal resolution observations of solar photospheric and chromospheric activity is to understand the various dynamic phenomena occurring on the surface of the Sun.USO(UDAIPUR SOLAR OBSERVATORY) is one of The six sites comprising the Global Oscillations Network Group Network in World.

★ The Big Bear Solar Observatory in California, USA.

★ The High Altitude Observatory at Mauna Loa in Hawaii, USA.

★ The Learmonth Solar Observatory in Western Australia.

★ The Udaipur Solar Observatory in India.

★ The Observatorio del Teide in the Canary Islands.

★ The Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory in Chile.

★ 'Gulab Bagh & Zoo' - A spectacular rose Garden laid out by Maharana Sajjan Singh, is situated near the palace on east side of LakeGulab Bagh & Zoo Pichhola. A library in the garden has a rare collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Within the garden, there is a zoo with tigers, leopards, chinkara and many wild animals and birds are being kept.

★ 'Dudh Talai' : A beautiful laid out "Rock Garden" from where one can enjoy sunset view in Lake Pichhola and panoramic view of old city.Musical Fountain is an another attraction for the visitors.

★ 'Nehru Garden' - Its a beautiful park, situated in the middle of Fateh Sager Lake. This attractive park is blessed with great fauna of beauty, hence covers the huge area of about 41 acres with its flower gardens and a lily pond. As the name suggest, it was inaugurated on the birth anniversary of First Prime Minster of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The garden overlooks the ancient Moti Mahal of MahaRana Pratap and gives a delightful view of Aravalli hills surrounded from the three sides. You can also access here by an enjoyable boat ride.

★ 'Bagore-ki-Haveli'- This is a very congenial old building built right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat. Amir Chand Badwa, the Prime Minister of Mewar built it in the eighteenth century. The palace has over hundred rooms and some very interesting display of costumes and modern art. The glass and mirror in the interiors of the Haveli delicate work and well preserved too. It also preserves a fine example of Mewar Painting on the walls of Queen's Chamber. The two peacocks made from small pieces of colored glasses are fine examples of glasswork. After the death Badwa the building became the property of Mewar State. It came to be occupied by Maharana Shakti Singh of Bagore who built the palace of the three arches also in 1878 and it acquired its name of Bagore-ki-haveli, the house of Bagore. After independence the structure lay in neglect until 1986 when it housed the West Zone Cultural centre.
The haveli now stages delightful evening's entertainment; the pleasurable performance of Rajasthani traditional dance and music in the moody surroundings of the haveli. It is an ideal place for an evening entertainment while enjoying the view of Lake Pichola.

★ 'Saheliyon-ki-Bari'- Maharana Sangram singh builds this in the mid 18th century.The 'garden of the maidens' brings to mind the lifestyle of the ladies of the court.The delightful gardens appear discreet and in impeccable taste. There are four pools with dainty kiosks,and all around are flowerbeds,lawns, pools and fountains protected by a series of walls and shady trees. The Foundation of the Sahelion ki bari functions solely by water pressure and no pumps are used.The garden has a lotus pool, a sitting room decorated with paintings and glass mosaics. The whole ambiences is flavored by the nostalgia of those beautiful bells enjoying themselves in a lavish aura.

★ 'Ahar Museum'- Located about 2 kms east of Udaipur is an impressive cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphs of Maharanas cremated there. The most striking cenotaph is that Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is also Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery. Some sculptures and other archaeological finds. Some pieces date back to 1700 BC and a tenth century metal figure of Buddha is a special attraction.

★ 'Shilpgram' - The crafts village, located north west of Udaipur, is a must see place
for those who want to see the cultural heritage of India, its handicrafts etc. Shilpgram hosts crafts fair every year which is one of the biggest in India, people from different states in
the country hold their stalls showcasing their art and crafts work. More information can be
found at http://www.shilpgram.org

★ 'Neemach Mata Temple' - Located on a beautiful green hill in Dewali(Pronounced Dey-vaa-lee) area of Udaipur, this temple is beautifully made and a great experience to visit. It has both stairs and uphill slope way to climb, which is around 800 Meters of walk. The experience you get when you are at the top of hill is unmatched, and the whole Panorama of Udaipur is visible clearly from there. A must visit place.

★ 'Ambika Mata Temple'

Wild Life Sanctuary

Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary is located in the most rugged of the Aravali in Pali, Rajsamand and Udaipur districts of Rajasthan. It takes name after the impressive historic fort of Kumbhalgarh, which come into view over the Park. It is 578 sq Kms in area and at an altitude of 500 to 1,300m. It is home to a very large variety of wild life, some of which are highly endangered species. The wild life includes wolf, leopards, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, smabhar, nilgai, chaisingh (the four horned antelope), chinkara and hare.The bird life at Kumbhalgarh is also gratifying. The normally shy and untrusted grey jungle fowl can be spotted here. Peacocks and Doves can be sighted regularly feeding on grains scattered by the jungle guards. Bird like the red spur owls, Parakeets, golden Oriole, grey Pigeons, Bulbul, Dove and white breasted kingfisher can also be seen near the water holes.Kumbhalgarh’s natural beauty is attracting many tourists and especially for its accessibility from Udaipur, which is 100 Kms from here. Foot tracking and horse safari organised by local tour operators are proving to be very popular. A typical safari route enters the sanctuary from the Kumbhalgarh Fort and cutting across the sanctuary it reaches Ghanerao, and then borders an old abandoned road. On this road, one can sight Chinkaras, Neelgais, four horned Antelope and many birds.

Malls and Other Projects

★ RKay Mall 2007 - Udaipur's first shopping mall, built at the heart of the city, adjacent to Sukhadia Circle is city's new 21th century landmark.

★ Celebration Mall 2009 - For the first time in India, AIPL is introducing the concept of Maharaja Lounge in a 4-screen PVR gold class multiplex. It will offer a unique experience with ultra fine screens, latest projection systems and world-class Dolby Digital Surround System along with an Ala-carte dinner menu and a choice of gourmet coffees and meals on offering.

★ Treasure Island Mall 2009

★ Treasure City, Residential Township - 2010

★ Fun Republic 2010

Hotels and Hospitality

★ Taj Lake Palace

★ Hotel Oberoi Udaivilas

★ Shiv Niwas Palace

★ Hotel Fateh Prakash Palace

★ Trident Hilton

★ The Grand Laxmi Vilas Palace

★ Hotel Sikarbadi

★ Devigarh Palace

★ Heritage Resort

★ Hotel Days India International

★ Hotel Garden

★ Hotel Lake Pichola

★ Hotel Sarovar
'Upcoming Hotels'

★ The Leela Palace Kempinski Hotels - 2008

★ Radisson Hotel Udaipur - 2009

★ The InterContinental - 2009-2010

★ Marriott - 2009-2010

★ Accor Hotels - 2010

Schools

★ Maharana Mewar Public School

★ Delhi Public School

★ St Pauls

★ St Marys

★ St Gregorius

★ St Anthonys

★ St Teresas

★ The Study

★ Central Academy

★ Central Public School

★ Vidya Bhawan

Places nearby

★ Nathdwara - Shri Nathdwara (a pathway to Lord Shri Krishna) lies 48 kms from Udaipur and literally means the gateway to the Lord. This great Vaishnavite shrine was built in the 17th century on spot exactly defined by the Lord himself. The legends have it that the image of the Lord Krishna was being transferred to safer place from Vrindaban to protect it from the destructive wrath of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The image when it reached the spot it vehicle the bullock carts wheel sank axel deep in mud and refused to move further. The accompanying priest realised that this was lord's chose spot and the image did not want to travel any further. Accordingly a Temple was built here. This is revered temple and place of pilgrim amongst believers. Devotees throng the shrine in large number during occasions of "Janamashtmi" the day of Lord's birth and other festivals like Holi. The priests treat if like a living deity and tend to the lord with daily normal function like bathing- dressing meals called "prasad" and the resting times in regular intervals. The main attractions are the Arties and the Shringar. The formal prayer offered with diya, insentsticks, flowers, fruit and other offerings with local instruments and devotional songs of the Lord according to the demand of the time and occasion. The fine intricately woven shaneels & silk cloth with real original zari and shredded work done upon them along with tones of real jewellers, which are of antique value, looks dazzling. The view of the idol after the pardha (curtain) is removed is a spectacular sight that is simply mesmerizing leading to a melee (gully) of visitors, crowding divine lord. The mystic, spirited aura of India comes alive. Nathdwara has a small but throbbing township around the temple. It's shopping in the bye lanes is a great revelation. It's famous for its 'pichwani' paintings, which Shri Krishna in the centre and is recognized for profuse use of gold colour.

★ Ranakpur - A village that is home to one of the most important Jain temples. 1400+ marble pillars support the temple. These marble pillars are carved in exquisite detail. Opposite the Jain temple is the much older Sun Temple. Located in Rajsamand District, 110 km north of Udaipur.

★ Haldighati - A mountain pass in Rajsamand District that hosted the battle between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and the Mughal emperor Akbar. Now a memorial site.

★ Kumbhalgarh - A 15th century fortress, built by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, with 36 kilometres of walls. Over 360 temples are within the fort. It also has a wildlife sanctuary. Located in Rajsamand District, 64 km from Udaipur. The vista from the top of the palace typically extends tens of kilometers into the Aravalli hills.

★ Mount Abu - A popular tourist hill station.

★ Eklingji - Eklingji is one of the biggest temple complexes situated nearly 22 km in the north of Udaipur. It is convenient to reach the temple location by bus and car. The Eklingji temple is escorted by the long walls of hard rock. This fascinating temple was built in 734 A.D, which consist of 108 temples chiseled out of sandstone and marbles. The temple complex is devoted to the royal family of Mewar. Beside this there are many ancient temples like Shiva Temple, this temple was build in the time of Maharana Raimal between 1473 and 1509.The walled complex of Eklingji has an elaborately pillared hall under a large pyramidal roof and depicts the four-faced Shiva image of black marble. Most of the faithful pilgrims visit temple on Monday to seek the special blessings of god. Whereas other days of the week the temple is relatively crowd free. The Maharana of Udaipur pays a private visit to the temple on Monday evening. Nearly 1 km before Eklingji, the Nagda town is located. This place is famous for its Sas-bahu and Adbudji temple. The Sas-Bahu Temple is widely known for its exquisite carvings on the stones. The temple carvings are related to the incidents of great Indian epic Ramayana. Eklingji is a great devotional place for Hindu tourist in India. The tourist can access to this place from RSTC buses that runs from Udaipur to Eklingji and other major destinations of Rajasthan, that hardly takes an hour (60 Minutes) to reach Eklingji from Udaipur.

★ Kankroli and Rajsamand Lake

★ Rishabhdeo: Famous Jain pilgrimage center sacred to Jains and local tribals.

★ Jagat

★ Bambora

★ Jaisamand Lake

★ Udaisagar Lake

★ Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary

★ Baneshwar

★ Galiakot (Mazar-e-Seyadi Fakhruddun Shaheed)

★ Dungarpur

★ Banswara

★ Chawand -The Third Capital of Mewar and also the place where Great Maharana Pratap spent his
last years.

Awards

★ Udaipur has been named 'Asia's 2nd Best City of 2007'

★ Ranked '7th among Best cities in the World', year 2007

★ Most Luxurious Hotel the Oberoi Udaivillas was named the 'World's best hotel' by Travel & Leisure magazine for 2007.
[2]
[3],

Udaipur in literature and popular culture

★ Udaipur is mentioned under the spelling ''Oodeypore'' in Rudyard Kipling's ''The Jungle Book'' as the birthplace of Bagheera the fictional panther in the king's Menagerie.

★ Indian sections of the James Bond film ''Octopussy'' were filmed in the city and the Lake Palace.

★ Some scenes from the British television series ''The Jewel in the Crown'' were filmed in Udaipur.

★ Many hindi movies like ''Guide'', ''Mera Saya'', ''Phool Bane Angaray'', ''Kachche Dhagey'', ''Mera Gaon Mera Desh'', ''Jalmahal'' ,''Yaadein'',''Return of the thief of the bagdad'',''Eklavya'', ''Dhamaal'',..,, etc. were filmed in Udaipur.

★ Actress Raveena Tandon got married at Jagmandir of HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur in 2004.

★ Jag Mandir of Udaipur was the inspiration behind Shahjahan's creation of the Taj Mahal.

References

1. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Udaipur
2.


★ References: info also available at http://www.geologydata.info

External links

★ Udaipur District web site

★ Travel and Leisure

★ Udaipur

★ Hotels In Udaipur

★ Udaipur's Weather Information

★ Udaipur City Map (Maps of India)

★ Detailed information on travel to Udaipur

★ Udaipur photo gallery by Andy Carvin

★ Photographic Gallery of Udaipur

★

★ Udaipur Yellow Pages

★ Yellow Pages udaipur

★ Udaipur Education

★ Udaipur on earthTV