Udaipur: The Modern Heritage

Wandering Through Udaipur: A Day by the Lakes and Palaces

Udaipur, the historic city of lakes, ancient battles, and royal grandeur. If you’re a history buff or just mad about sunset views, Udaipur needs to jump straight to the top of your wander list!

Udaipur has been Mewar’s capital since 1568, since Akbar's Siege of Chittor. But for a good 25 years (1572-1597), Maharana Pratap did not think the city was safe due to its position and moved his capital to Kumbhalgarh (1572-1576) and finally to Chavand (1582-1611).

Where to Stay:

Stay near Lake Pichola, preferably near the Jag Mandir side. We picked Gangaur Palace Hotel, tucked right next to Gangaur Ghat. This ghat ramps up during March for the Gangaur Festival, so book ahead. There are many budget-friendly hotels near the clock tower.

Places You Have To See (and a Few You Can Skip)

Grab an auto for the day, and you’re good to go, for Udaipur’s main spots are all doable in a day and a half! Here's my totally unfiltered take:

City Palace and Museum: Start here! The complex is stunning, all thanks to multiple Maharajas adding their own flair over centuries. Don't miss the light and sound show at the end of the day.
Baghor ki Haveli: Walk in the footsteps of royalty and peek at recreated queen’s rooms. The cultural museum here is quirky and surprisingly photogenic. Cultural programmes like Ghoomer and puppet dance are also held here in the evenings.
Jag Mandir Temple: Among many local temples, this one’s the showstopper. It is one of the main temples in the old city.
Gulab Bagh: This used to be the royal private zoo. Modern garden with a zoo and kids’ park, but honestly? You can skip it unless you're with little ones.
Sahelion Ki Baari: Imagine queenly gardens with fountains and shady walkways, super pretty but lacks the majesty, so unless you go there before visiting forts, you will find it slightly meh.
Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace: Built in 1956, the palace is more about the panoramic sunset views. Not my top pick, but legit for photos. It is a great spot during the Monsoons. Your private car will not go up. Jeeps are appointed and hired with tickets from the counter.
Vintage Car Collection: Car buffs, you’ll geek out, though ₹400 per ticket (as of 2015) is pretty steep for the collection.
Pichola Lake: Boat rides are a must, just ₹150 from Lal Ghat (2015) gets you killer city and palace shots. Prefer to take the boat ride during sunsets.
Gangaur Ghat: Swing by in March for festival madness, or any time, really, to chill by the water. During the rest of the year, it's a very peaceful spot. I went during Choti Diwali and absolutely loved the display of handmade lamps and boats that people came to float in the lake.
Moti Magri: Epic location and top-notch Maharana Pratap museum (though most of it is a repeat from Haldighati). The view of the city is too good.
Fateh Prakash Lake: Manmade but beautiful, as is the rest of this water-loving city! You can spend a nice evening with snacks here.
Dudh Talai Lake & Ropeway: Hop on the ropeway for a dramatic city sweep (trust me, it’s Insta-worthy). The view, the white royal city in its glory.

Udaipur’s got seven lakes, though only four make the tourist circuit, so bring your walking shoes!

Local Traditions

History and tradition soak into every stone here, Chittorgarh (which you should totally day-trip to) even hosts an annual Jauhar Mela in Feb-March honouring the brave Viranganas of 1568’s Jauhar. The newly opened Maharana Pratap Tirth Kendra gives a glimpse of his life, but nothing better than actually visiting Chittor, Kumbhalgarh, Haldighati and Chawand for it.

A Note on Exploring

While Udaipur’s core is pocket-sized, adventures like Haldighati and Kumbhalgarh call for trips out from the city, so keep an extra day or two up your sleeve. For us, it was a five-day trip.

Coming Up…

Udaipur loaded our hearts and memory cards, but the religious hotspots around the city are up next, so stay tuned!

If you’re dreaming of the lakes, palaces, and festival lights, take this as your sign: Udaipur is every bit as magical as they say. Here are some photos I clicked.

Gangaur Ghat

View from the Roof of the Hotel

Pichola Lake

Gangaur gate

Map of Udaipur

Lake Pichola

Bagaur Ki Haveli (Royal Guest House)

Gangaur lamps

Sunset at Pichola

Moti Magri

View of Fateh Sagar Lake from Moti Magri

Statue of Hakim Khan

Statue of Maharana Pratap, Moti Magri

Rana Punja Statue

Sahelion Ki Bari

Ropeway view of Udaipur City

Ropeway at Dudh Talai

City Palace entrance

Mewar's Royal Symbol: City Palace Museum

Udai Singh's Palace

Pratap Kaksh: Udai Singh Palace. He didn't stay here; its name comes from the Gallery name.

Original armour of Maharana Pratap

Original sword, shield and spear of Maharana Pratap. He used two swords, one in each hand.

Club arms and Statue of Maharana Pratap

Chetak's saddle and mouthpiece

Maharana Pratap's only existing stone inscription, mentioning him, is at a Laxmi Temple about 25 km from Udaipur.

Karan Singh Palace

Lakhu Kund

Karan Singh Palace

Corridor leading to the Amar Singh Palace from the Karan Singh Palace.

Karan Mahal Corridor

Seesh Mahal, Built by Jagat Singh in 1716. Guides may say that Maharana Pratap built this for Ajabde, but no, it's not

First Library of the Royals started with Veer Vinod's publication.

View from Karan Singh's Ranimahal

Maharana Raj Singh, who defeated Aurangzeb after his chief destroyed temples in Bijolia

Ivory Doors at City Palace

Kaach Mahal

The carpets and curtains here are made by Prisoners of the King.

Jagat Singh Palace

Weighing scale for Maharana's Charity

Mor Mahal

Utensils from Maharana Amar Singh's Kitchen

Maharana Amar Singh

Utensils at Amar Singh's Kitchen

Entrance to Amar Mahal

Amar Singh's Kitchen

Rani's Mandir at Amar Mahal

Maharana Pratap Singh

Palanquins of Princesses

Kunwarsa's attire

King's attire

Lehenga for queens

Queens Palanquin, used for weddings, also.

The theme wedding destination is Udaipur.

Laxmi Chowk.The old aangan where the palanquins of queens stopped.

Entrance to Rani Mahal of the New Palace

Silverware of Amar Singh's Pujas

These pillars come in 4 and are used in the Royal Mandaps for weddings of the Prince from the Greh Shanti puja till the Ganpati sthapna post marriage. These are built on every wedding separately and are religiously kept as memoirs till either the bride or groom dies.

This Chariot was gifted to King Arvind Singh Mewar (died 2024) by his father-in-law on his wedding.

The Ram Chariot is used for the procession on every Ram Navami by the Royals who are descendants of the Lord.

Wedding horses for princes are decorated like this.

The crown prince's golden Jhula was used as an age-old tradition in Mewar.

City Palace

Entrance to the Palace

Mewari Flags

Bangor ki Haveli

Puppets at the Haveli, each evening, there is a cultural show displaying folk dances and music.

Queen's Sword and shield

Queen's dressing room

Queen's Baithak

Queen's Bathroom

Queen's Luxury room

Queen's Baithak

Gangaur festivals

Idols of the traditional attire of royals

Queen's puja Ghar, which used to have Krishna Idols

Room of Rajmatas

Chests of Rajmata

The Haldi ceremony starts with a royal Mewari wedding where the bride's Haldi is taken to the groom a day after his tilak.

Baraat

Saas aarti involves toran todh and naak pakar ceremonies.

Saath Phere. The wedding takes place in front of the Bride's family, and the Groom's family does not witness the wedding.

The Kunwar Bhojan is a Mewari tradition where, on the morning of the Marriage, the Groom comes to the Bride's house with his younger brother for breakfast cooked by his mother-in-law. The bride catches a glimpse of the groom from the Jharokhas without letting him know.

The ring-finding ceremony takes place at the Bride's house post-wedding and before bidaai

Bidaai

Maharana Pratap attacking Man Singh, Haldighati scene.

The pass that leads to Udaipur is blocked by hills and lakes.

From Fire Altars to Forgotten Gods: The Chaotic Evolution of Hinduism

The Indian Subcontinent is a diverse mix of cultures, religions and traditions that make up its value system. The moment we discuss the early Indian subcontinent and its religions, long before Buddhism or Jainism came into existence or the Abrahamic religions were introduced on the western coasts by travellers and traders, long before any invasion proved any sign of forced conversion, a layman’s idea of the Indian Subcontinent is that of a single unified culture. Historically speaking, that is far from the truth. The Indian Subcontinent, since the evidence of early civilisation has been found in its river banks, like that in Bhirrana or Mehrgarh, dating back to around 6000 BCE, has never had one unifying belief through its geographic boundaries. The terms Hindu, Hindustan and many others come originally from attributed to primary sources of the Ancient West Asian civilisation. But our history starts much earlier than that. And where there is society and civilisation, there is bound to ...

Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

Many of you have read my fan fiction as well as historical representations of the life and times of Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar. I provided small details of his life in many articles. But never have I ever made a separate historical post on him. It is very difficult to put together his life without the help of folklore because historical evidence is scarce. This one was requested, and hence here it goes. Needless to say, this one is very special. This is a blend of history and folklore. Leave your love. ❤️ Background and Birth: The year was 1540. Mewar was under a cloud of uncertainty. Banbir, their ruler for four years now, was a very incompetent ruler who always spent his time in luxury, drinking and dancing with girls. The crown prince Udai Singh was rumoured to have been killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals, along with Kunwar Udai Singh, attacked Chittorgarh, taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon t...

Rakhi Tales

A Rakhi to the Enemy: The year was 1535 CE. The Rajmata of Mewar, widow of Rana Sanga, was in a dilemma. On one hand was an attack from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat as a threat to her capital, Chittorgarh, and the throne of her beloved teenage son Vikramaditya. On the other hand, there was the son of her husband's archenemy, Humayun, who could be of some help. Rani Karnavati wrote a letter to Humayun, who was in the east at that time. Along with it, she sent a Rakhi, a thread of brotherhood, asking him, as a sister, for protection against the enemy. But the road was too long, and time was of the essence. Humayun arrived at Chittorgarh, in response to her letter, keeping his end of the bargain but a little late. Rani Karnavati had already performed the Jauhar. They never met. Humayun established Rana Vikramaditya on the throne of Mewar, as he had promised as a brother, and returned to his post. Two dynasties, political rivals and sworn enemies, from Sanga-Babur to Pratap-Akbar and even R...

The Warrior Prince

This is part of the "Uttara Series" You will find under the Mahabharata . The series is also available on Wattpad. The Prince was born in Dwarka. He grew up at his Uncle's place, learning the art of weapons from him. He proved a worthy heir to the warrior prince. Wherever he went, he was praised for his archery skills. People said he inherited it from his father, the son of Indra. He also learned to use the Mace and Sword. When he was fifteen, news arrived that his father's exile was over, and he had decided to marry his son to the princess of Matsya. His mother was pleased. The grand wedding followed the preparations for the battle. What excited him most was meeting his father, uncles, Rajmaata Panchali and his cousins for the first time. The young prince spent a few months in the Matsya capital of Viratnagar with his new bride. A few months later... at Kurukshetra... The Battlefield was getting ready. It was the Twelfth Night of the battle, waiting for the Thirteen...

Epic Love

Shiva - Sati/Parvati: The Destroyer of the Trinity, the supreme God of Gods, was a loner, vagabond, refusing to settle down and be tied down by earthly relationships. Enters Sati, the daughter of Prajapati Daksha of Kankhal. At such a young age, her love moves everyone except her father. The reluctant Shiva had to answer her calls, and for the first time, somebody wanted to marry him as a boon. What followed was wrath between Shiva and Daksha, a clash of egos that ended the soft maiden Sati's life. She chose death after overhearing her father insult her husband. Shiva's sorrow turned to the angry tandav that destroyed the world. He roamed around as a vagabond again, this time with a broken heart! A few years passed by in her memory as he roamed the land of Aryavarta, making a Linga at every Sati Peeth beside her. In that way, this time, he will always be there by her side to protect her. Enters Parvati, the daughter of Parvat Raj. She was believed to be Sati reborn by everyo...

The Thirteenth Night

This is part of the "Uttara Series" You will find under the Mahabharata. The series is also available on Wattpad. The night of the Bhadra Amavasya saw a funeral pyre in the Pandavas' camp. Wails of the ladies filled the air as the young brave heart was turning into ashes. The ashes lit up a celebration in the Kauravas' camp. Duryodhan, Dushyasan, Shakuni, and Jayadrata all succeeded in their mission. Breaking the Pandavas' backbone, killing their favourite son. Karna joined in the celebrations reluctantly; he had released the boy from the pain. The face kept coming back to him. After all, he was his nephew. He shut his eyes in pain. The air tonight seemed cursed. The pyre burning made the teenage widow run towards it. She had no hope of living without him. Life was already tough; each day, he went to war with a smile on his face. She had already lost her brother. Now she had none to return home to her. "Stop!" His mother pleaded between the wails. "...

The Buddhist Empress of India

Many historians believe that although Devi was the first wife of Asoka, his Buddhist queen, Asandhimitra, was not the same person. However, some also theorise based on Buddhist and Jain stories that they were in fact the same person, and the reason for that is that they don't seem to appear in the timeline together. Devi disappears when Asandhimitra arrives at the scene rather abruptly to do her charitable work. Hence, I personally believe they were one and the same. This story, however, is a retelling of folklore and not history. Please do not consider this piece of fiction as history. The whole village of Vidisha Nagari was buzzing with activity. Every home was being cleaned, and cooking preparations were underway. The youngest prince of Magadha was coming to a halt at their village on his way to Ujjain. Great unrest was reported at Ujjain, and the youngest prince, as the general of this region, was being sent by the emperor to solve the issue. The villagers were scared as the wh...

Etched In Stone

This historical short story is a fictitious account of Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor and his first wife Devi, who finds no place in Magadhan History. There is another fiction about her in the blog as well. This story stemmed from a merge of two ideas, one was to mention the cave inscription found in Saru Maru that mentions Asoka spending some days there with his lover (presumed to be Devi), the other idea of how if words did not immortalise a lot of battles and achievements, the names of many great men would be lost in time. The prince stood on the edge of the cliff, looking at the horizon. Dawn arrived as the birds started leaving their nests, wings fluttering, eager to discover the world. He looked up at them, the thought of once again going back to exploring the length and breadth of his state making him feel a little restless as he eyed his healing wounds. He was left to die; his enemies wished so. Yet by some miracle of fate, as if his purposes were yet to be fulfilled, here he was ...

Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538 - 1597)

I am back with another History post, this time it is on the wives and sons of Rana Udai Singh II of Mewar, his son and heir Maharana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh. This is a continuation of the Sisodia Family History I posted some time back. The information has been taken from Annals of Mewar by James Todd, Maharana Pratap by B.N. Rana, and Maharana Pratap by Rima Hooja. Udai Singh II was the son of Ranisa Karnawati and Rana Sangram Singh. He was born on 4th August 1 522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1 572 at Gogunda . He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 2 5 wives, apart from the many insignificant queens in his Rani Mahal. Here is a list of his main queens and their sons. Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara of Jalore was his chief queen and consort. Her son is Maharana Pratap. He was married to her before he went to war with Banbir, as her father, Akshayraj Rao, was a friend and ally of his father, Rana Sanga. Saj...

The Garuda Cannon of Krishna Chandra

Maharaja Krishna Chandra was an influential king in Nadia, Bengal, who formed his capital at Krishnanagar. During the preparation of the Battle of Plassey that sealed the deal for British Colonisation in Bengal in 1757, Krishna Chandra was under the Mughals of Delhi, who did not support Bengal Subah Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah in his attack against the British in Calcutta. As a result, he too was vocal against Siraj and supported the British. Siraj ordered for him to be imprisoned for not paying his due taxes to the Nawab, and he found freedom only after Robert Clive and Mir Jafar ousted Siraj by betraying him. Once Krishna Chandra was back in his state, the Mughal emperor, who was now reduced to a puppet of the British, by suggestion of Robert Clive, gifted the king a token of appreciation for his support, a cannon, which the Raja named the Garuda Cannon. What was so special about the cannon? This is the only cannon found in any museum with an inscription in Bengali scripture. Most cannons ...

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