Udaipur

Udaipur is a beautiful city that is situated in the Rajasthan state of India. This city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. This city is known for its lakes and palaces. Many Hollywood and Bollywood movies have been shot at this beautiful place. The famous James Bond flick, Octopussy was shot in the backdrop of Udaipur.

Many people refer Udaipur as 'Venice of East' and is called as most romantic city of India. Tourists come here from all over the world to enjoy the hotel stay on the lakes and to enjoy the serene and quiet atmosphere of the Aravallis. This city is served three lakes namely Fateh Sagar Lake, Lake Pichhola and Swaroop Sagar Lake that are interconnected to each other.

Untouched by the modern times, the people of Udaipur are warm and friendly. The culture of Udaipur is still held intact by the inhabitants. Many people will wear the traditional bright coloured clothes. There are a number of colourful festivals that are organized to showcase the past heritage and culture of Udaipur.

History of Udaipur

The history of Udaipur can be dated back to the rule of Rajputs when the Udaipur was the capital of state of Mewar. The founder of Udaipur was Rana Udai Singh who was the father of Maharana Pratap. This place was discovered by Udai Singh when he came here while hunting in the foothills of Aravallis.

In 16th century during the reign of Mughals, Rajput states entered into marriage alliances with Mughals and it was finally made as a princely state by the Britishers in 19th century.

Reaching Udaipur

Udaipur is well connected by rail and land links. There are limited air services due to remote location of this city. The city's domestic terminal, Maharana Pratap Airport handles a limited number of flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata and Bangalore. There are a number of regular trains from major cities of the country to Udaipur as it brings a large number of tourists to this part of the country. The buses and road travel is considered as the best means of transport in Rajasthan. There are regular buses to Ahmedabad, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Mount Abu and other places.

Attractions in Udaipur

There are a number of tourist attractions in Udaipur. There are a number of large palaces that showcases the lavish and larger than lifestyle of the kings and rulers that ruled in this part of the country.

Udaipur City Palace is a splendid palace that is situated over Lake Pichola. This palace was built by maharaja Uday Singh II about 30 meters above the lake. The city palace has a number of small and big palaces, museums and gardens that can fascinate you and keep you interested all along the trip. There are a number of famous palaces in the City Palace complex that are known for their fusion of architectural designs. Some of the popular palaces of City Palace are:

• Amar Vilas
• Badi Mahal
• Durbar Hall
• Fatehprakash Palace
• Jagdish Temple