This is a continuation of a journey that began in Jodhpur. En route to the “City of Lakes,” we stopped at Ranakpur which is famed for its Jain temple.
Sadly, by the time we arrived at the temple, it was pretty late in the eveningBut we still went inEven though I couldn't get any photos from inside, take my word for it - it's very impressive!The most impressive aspect of this temple is inside you will see over 1,400 beautifully sculpted marble pillarsBut do get here by daytimeWe reached Udaipur at night and went to Sukhadia CircleThis roundabout is a popular hangout and famous for its street food. We had some pav bhajji and kulfis. Yummy indeed.
Date: 29th December 2006
The next morning we had breakfast at a paratha food stall right in front of our hotelThe aloo (potato) parathas were served with fresh homemade yoghurtBut I couldn't believe they served each paratha with 50gms of butter!After our cholesterol-packed breakfast, we began our sightseeing of UdaipurThat's the Udaipur City Palace complex, today's main attractionOur driver first took us to this small lake
There's an entry ticket to the Udaipur City Palace Complex, which also houses the Shiv Niwaz Palace HotelWe went inThe first thing we saw were the royal stables
We went out to the lakeAnd took a boat ride on Lake PicholaWe really enjoyed the morning calm, it was very relaxingThat's Jag Mandir, a small palace, in the distanceAnd that's the famous Lake Palace hotel (by Taj) which was made world famous in the Bond film 'Octopussy'We made a short stop at Jag Mandir, which was booked that day for a lavish wedding (All of Rajasthan's palaces play host to weddings to those who can afford to rent out the space)The palace was built on a natural island, one of two on Lake PicholaThat's the Udaipur City Palace Complex from Jag MandirWe headed backUdaipur was once dubbed the "Venice of the East"That's another palace turned hotel (forgot the name of it though)A boat ride on Lake Pichola is highly recommendedWe went back inside the palaceIt was 11:15am
That's a guy playing the tabla
The houses that neighbour the palace
Of all the three major palaces, this one is the most exquisiteProbably the income from the hotel business helps in renovation and additional enhancements
Some of these royal halls are available for rentThe entry ticket also includes a serving of tea at the darbar hallThat's usOne attempt at a panorama inside the darbar hall
Here’s a video I took from inside the palace rooms:
... and one outside the palace before leavingWe left the palace and next went to a park facing Fateh Sagar lakeThe place is also famous for the Maharana Pratap memorialAfter that, we checked out the Vintage and Classic Car Collection of the erstwhile royals of UdaipurWhich comprises of a lot of Rolls RoycesSo... they knew how to 'roll'. Get it?A good chance to see a vintage Rolls Royce dashboardAnother Rolls RoyceThey have a brief description outside each carThe Buick EightIts steering wheelA classic Ford car
Morris Tiger & 1000Some American car called the RamblerA vintage ChevroletA classic JeepThey had more cars in a garageAlong with some old horse-drawn carriagesThis looks like its still in useNow I know why it was called 'petrol pump'
With that, we were done with our tour of Udaipur – definitely the prettiest of the three major cities of Rajasthan, and well worth the visit.
After the wedding in Jaipur, we flew back to BangaloreI insisted on getting a window seat for this very reason
Check out those light raysIt was time for the sun to setAnother good trip comes to an end
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One Comments
Preeti
01/04/2016
Nice post Mithun. The other palace in Udaipur turned into a hotel, the one you couldn’t remember is the Oberoi Udaivilas.
🙂 hey can u help me with a taxi service, maybe the one you took? I’m Preeti Dhakappa on Facebook in your list. Or you could write to me: preetsdhakappa@gmail.com
Preeti
01/04/2016Nice post Mithun. The other palace in Udaipur turned into a hotel, the one you couldn’t remember is the Oberoi Udaivilas.
🙂 hey can u help me with a taxi service, maybe the one you took? I’m Preeti Dhakappa on Facebook in your list. Or you could write to me: preetsdhakappa@gmail.com