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.

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 ...

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...

Bijolia: Her Home

Journey to Bijolia: Lost Kingdoms and Timeless Temples of Mewar Bijoliya translates to a stop between two cities. Nestled in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, Bijolia sits 55km from Bundi and 105km from Chittorgarh on the well-travelled Bundi-Chittorgarh road. Once part of Mewar, this seemingly sleepy town guards a rich and layered past: it was ruled from the 11th to the 13th century by the Punwars (or Parmar Rajputs) before falling under the Chauhan dynasty, who shifted the region’s capital to Bhilwara and constructed the imposing fort there. After a brief Chauhan rule, Bijolia was reclaimed by Rana Kumbha and became an integral part of the Mewar kingdom, with the Parmars serving as local Raos, representatives and stewards of the royal house. Despite its history and the famed Bijolia inscriptions (a treasure for historians), Bijolia has never found a seat on Rajasthan’s primary tourist circuit, especially if you’re venturing out by public transport or private car. While a handful of...

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...

Mewar: Parting Words

The journey through Mesmerising Mewar ended the night I boarded my train from Udaipur, my heart weighed down by the memories I was leaving behind. As the city lights shimmered in the darkness, I found myself turning back at every chance, reluctant to bid farewell to Mewar, a place that felt less like a travel destination and more like a forgotten home. Sometimes I wonder if my love for the place comes from another life. My parents certainly think so. With the city’s silhouette fading behind me, it felt only right to share my last thoughts: the flavours of the cities, the hills of Aravallis, the moments that made those 15 days feel like a dream, a dream I had dreamt a long time ago, to see his world, through his eyes. His home. I’ll be forever grateful for. The Food: Soul of Mewar Udaipur is a feast in every sense! I dove headfirst into plates brimming with local aloo sabzi, peas cooked with a gentle sweetness, and the signature Rajasthani Churma that seemed to melt away any tra...

Chawand: The Maharana's Capital

The road from Udaipur quickly fades into quiet countryside as you head toward Jaisamand Lake and Chavand, a journey that few package tours offer, but one that is forever imprinted on my memory. Just shy of an hour and 59km from the city bustle, you reach Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake), the “Ocean of Victory,” sprawling as Asia’s once-largest man-made lake . Built in 1685 by Maharana Jai Singh, who followed his father’s legendary tradition of dam-building, this vast sheet of water shimmers in the sunlight. I watched local ferries pass, and marble stairs dip into blue shallows, imagining bygone queens slipping into cooling water beneath the massive embankment. Even today, friendly boatmen linger, eager to usher you onto the lake for a breezy ride. They tell you stories of how once a Maharana roamed these dense forests in search of freedom. Do pause here and soak in the peaceful air before venturing further southwest, toward the forgotten echoes of Mewar’s pride. The drive to Chavand, ...

Nawab E Bengal

Background: Nawab Alivardi Khan was ruling Bengal at the peak of Nawabi rule, expanding his strong empire. He had successfully suppressed the Marathas and had given a strong message to the British East India Company’s rising influence at Calcutta. Highly aware of the British Colonial policies across the globe, Nawab Alivardi Khan was strict with his policies and stronghold over Murshidabad, the then capital of Bengal (including present-day Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, and Bangladesh). He had two daughters and no sons. Amina Begum was the elder one, followed by Ghaseti Begum. Amina had three sons with her husband and courtier, Ahmed Khan. The second son, Mirza Mohammad, fondly called Siraj-Ud-Daulah (light of the country)by his grandfather, was born in 1733C.E. He was his grandfather’s favourite because he was born while he won over the Marathas. Alivardi Khan never let the “fortune child” of the family out of his sight. Siraj grew up accompanying...

The Hidden One

In the grand fort of Daulatabad, a princess was born in 1638 to Emperor Aurangzeb and his cherished consort, Dilras Banu Begum. She was christened Zeb Un Nisa, her very name meaning “ornament of womankind.” The youngest of her sisters, Zeb Un Nisa, grew up surrounded by the opulence of the Mughal harem at the Red Fort, under the spiritual guidance of her Sufi uncle Dara Shikoh and her wise aunt Jahanara Begum. From her earliest days, she was captivated by poetry, spending hours immersed in literature, her mind dancing among the verses of Persian and Urdu poets. As she blossomed into adulthood, Zeb Un Nisa cultivated her own literary voice and gathered the greatest poets of the Mughal Empire in her private council. Adopting the pen name Makhfi, the Concealed One, she wove magic with her words, always returning to one intoxicating theme: Love. Her father, Emperor Aurangzeb, was the most powerful man in India, unyielding in his faith and rule, yet also deeply affectionate towards his d...

A Veranda Vendetta

“Outrage in Calcutta; Terrorist Raid, British Officer Murdered” Read the headlines of The Times on Tuesday, 9 th of December, 1930 . 1930: A significant year 1930 was a very significant year in the history of India’s Freedom Struggle against the British Raj. The Indian National Congress went ahead to declare the 26 th of January as India’s Independence Day, celebrating it nationwide; the Civil Disobedience Movement was officially started by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, and Subhas Chandra Bose was arrested for participating in the same. On 18 th April, Surya Sen, better known as MasterDa, had done the unthinkable, raiding the British Armoury with his students and fellow teachers at Chittagong. He was still on the loose, yet to be found. In this year of growing protests against the colonisers, an incident emerged that shook the British at their old capital. The Bengal Volunteers Corps was a group of volunteers organised in the 1928 Calcutta session of ...

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. "...

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