Udaipur

This is our second trip as part of our New Year celebrations every year. Udaipur happened when I really desperately wanted a different holiday. Udaipur befitted perfectly for a laid back, royal and majestic holiday. I love traveling in the winter’s as it is evident by now and this was perhaps the best winter trip off mountains for a change.

We first went to Shiplgram. This is a small artificial village created on top of a hill basically to host exhibitions and mela’s. We were in time to make it to the last day of Shilpgram. The best part about this state is the color. You can find almost every vibrant color that is there in a palette in this one state, and Shilpgram had it all. There were outstanding handicrafts from every corner of the state and typically Rajasthani puppets and music everywhere. At one corner there was a group of performers from different states who were rehearsing for a dance & music performance scheduled for later that night. We did not intend to stay till then so we sat down to see the practice session. There was a group of 20 performers who were playing drums, dhol, flute and a lot of other instruments and the synchronization were mesmerizing.

Next stop was Saheliyon ki Baadi. Nothing fancy, but an escape where the queens supposedly came to spend time with friends. There a few carved fountains in the place all different from each other. Saheliyon ki Baadi has seen quite a few movie songs being shot here. There are fountains carved in the shape of an elephant, a tiger, a fish, a peacock and the color schemes are fascinating. We ended our first day with a visit to the Maharana Pratap Monument. That is the place where he is said to have fought a battle or something. But the view of the lake outside is what you should really go here for. Fathe Sagar looks beautiful really from above there.

This is one trip which was totally unplanned. We decided every morning where we’d land today. That day we began our day with a visit to Monsoon palace. This aptly was a Monsoon getaway for the royalty. This Palace is on a hill top and overlooks the city. It must be really quixotic from here in the rains. From the monsoon palace our next halt had to be the City Palace. Honestly I wasn’t prepared for what going to come. From the outside City palace looks ordinary when the main gate opens n front of a highly crowded market. When we entered it was hard to believe the grandeur our eyes were seeing. Part of the Palace has been converted into a museum; part of it into an infinite star Hotel and parts of it is given to the Taj group of Hotels and wait!!!! Part of it is still occupied by the original heirs. It is an endless property flooded with tourists. City Palace trip begins with a peep into the lives of the royalty. The gorgeous colorful stained glass really set the mood inside and filters light as it comes through. The rooms are tinted sky blue, rich red and plush green. Even as you walk through you can sense how people must have lived in here. The rooms are magnanimous and no less than a maze. And believe you me, I have seen a lot of palaces and forts but I have often wondered how they never thought of making a lavatory in there. But this one discovery stunned me. City Palace actually had a washroom! That too cushioned and carpeted.

After you walk out of City Palace there is the other astounding part which is the lake side of the palace. To see this portion you need to pay a nominal (pun intended) fee of Rs 600/- but we decided to empty our pockets since we’d not get a chance again and it was worth every penny spent. As we were walking around everything grew bigger and better. There were attendants dressed in uniforms and vintage cars around. The cutest thing I saw was golf carts that carried tourists from the terrace café upto the residential part of the hotel. We booked ourselves on the next ferry ride to Jug Mandir. We had a waiting of 30mins so we passed time on the EXPENSIVE terrace café had sandwiches and sipping coffee with tourists. And then the ferry took us around the awesome Lake Palace Hotel managed by Taj. I was really jealous of people who were actually living there. Our ferry passed by and I looked at the lucky few and we stopped finally at Jug Mandir. The guide kept saying ‘this is the place where actor Ravina Tondon got married’ but Jug Mandir am sure has a history of its own. It beautifully carved everywhere you see. There are huge elephant statuettes carved on stone to welcome you and fountains and stained glass inside. A huge verandah or open air space must have been made for public addressing by the ruler then. When the sun set on the beautiful lake, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the place. It spelt royalty and majesty in every inch of the premises. Awesome! Is all what I have to say about City Palace.

Udaipur is the city of lakes. Everywhere you go you will find a lake somewhere. We went to the biggest lake Fateh Sagar Jheel in the evening. It’s huge and has an island in the middle of it. this piece of land has been transformed in a garden and hosts restaurants and snack bars. The only way you can reach here is by a boat that has fixed timings. So be informed about the last boat to leave the island if you do not want to be left alone! Udaipur is mesmerizing and worth a visit for sure. The charm of the city is intriguing and grows gradually on you. For food freaks I have lots to recommend. Try the typically Rajasthani Dal Baati Choorma at Santosh’s, it’s to die for. I would definitely recommend you eat anything that suits your budget at The City Palace Hotel near the lake. It might burn a hole in your pockets but it’s worth it.