Udaipur- the charismatic beauty of the City of Lakes I visited this December, thanks to COVID unlock. And trust me, “Keesariya Balam Aavooni, Padharo Mare Desh” is not just a song but the actual essence of Rajasthan. I have always been mesmerized by the royal touch, hospitality, culture & in-depth history of Rajasthan. Since Rajasthan has a sweet spot in my heart- a visit to Udaipur was an enthralling feeling of meeting an old lover. Working from home gives you an included advantage to satisfy your travel craving. This entire thought of voyaging to adjacent places of Delhi was of my mother since she was bored. We considered Himachal & Uttrakhand first but looking at Instagram & WhatsApp posts, we avoided seeing snow. Every third individual was in these places. And the COVID convention changed for these states due to increased tourism. Consequently, another reasonable travel goal was Rajasthan, & we had this Udaipur belt untouched.
Therefore, Udaipur was chosen, and I booked the Hotel Panorama Haveli- since it advertised a great bargain on booking.com. This lodging was located in old Udaipur overlooking the south of Pichola lake. To clarify, Udaipur has numerous staying choices from luxury hotels, to the haveli, to budget motels & indeed 1BHK homes and hostels. You can book as per your comfort & necessity. It was a road trip, so I got my car serviced. The distance we covered was 624km, roughly a 10hrs 32min drive. Nevertheless, we were all equipped & excited for the road trip, & luckily, my junior Priyanka joined me on this trip with my mom.
We started around 5.45 am from Gurgaon on the 10th of Dec. It was a chilly morning with haze wrapping the neighbourhood. As we drove the interstate, I appeared to see the cars had the yellowish fog light flickering like a star. It made a spooky air with the flickering of the yellow & orange light. But the fog looked fumy and flimsy in the weak morning light, and I was much obliged to the dawn. The drive was smooth, with less traffic and an excellent road. We made our to begin with a halt at a roadside Dhaba for breakfast, and we ate Aloo Paratha. It was yum. Afterwards, we took a few breaks for tea & the final one for lunch.
When we reached it, it was 5 o’clock, and we checked into our hotel. Depleted from the long travel, we went to the inn’s rooftop eatery after refreshing. The view was all-encompassing. On one side, I could see the Lake & on the other side, the sun setting on Aravalli. It was stunning. We requested tea & a few nibbles, & sat there, getting a charge out of the magnificence around us.
Our evening was calm as we walked to the adjacent temple & sat near the Lake for some time. It was an ancient Hanuman temple near Hanuman ghat. We strolled a little further to the bridge that associated Chand Pole & Hanuman Ghat and looked at the sparkling lights of City Fort. Afterwards, we had an early supper & went to bed.
On another day, we got up early, had a quick shower and were all set to explore the city. We booked an autorickshaw to explore the city as it’s not only a helpful but economical way to travel. I have continuously preferred local transportation when it comes to exploring the city. Besides, our first pit halt was at a rooftop see cafe, Jheel’s Ginger Coffee Bar & Pastry kitchen.
The cafe was located on Gangaur Ghat Road, 700m from my inn; consequently, we chose to walk down & asked our autorickshaw driver to meet us exterior of the eatery. We reached the cafe in 5-7min & climbed to the rooftop on the 5th floor. Quite a task. Be that as it may, be; nevertheless, the view from the rooftop was astounding, as I could see the JagMandir- Lake Garden Royal residence and the Taj Lake Palace. The climate was cloudy today; thus, we were beyond any doubt of losing the sunset on Pichola lake. But without losing the temperament further, we requested coffee, Ice tea, a few sandwiches & mushroom cheese omelette. The food was alright, but the view was magnificent.
After breakfast, our autorickshaw driver proposed going to the Karni Mata temple since the timing was changed due to COVID. We agreed & drove towards the temple, situated on the Aravalli mountains, and a ropeway ride takes you to the place. The temple gives an impressive Udaipur view, including Fateh Sagar Lake, Pichola, City Royal residence, and Gulab Bagh. Even I was not disappointed, as one can see Lake Pichola’s shades of water from here.
Talking about the temple, Shri Mansapurna Karni Mata Temple is located on Machala Hills close to Din Dayal Upadhyaya Park, at an idealized height, & open through either side. One could climb 150 stairs from Din Dayal Park or take a 4 min ropeway route. I chose the ropeway alternative as more secure & convenient. A cabin for 4 cost me Rs 640. In any case, a ticket for 2 & 6 individuals was too accessible per cabin. Surprisingly, the temple encompasses an expansive, well-kept-up region covering most of the hillock.
This temple was built to mark Udaipur’s boundary and safety when the area of Machala Magra was built for residency purposes between 1620-1628 by Maharana Karan Singh. Though this temple was abandoned for a long time, in 1997, the temple committee re-established and renovated the premises, and it is still a work in progress. The temple premises are very expansive and quiet. We sat in the peace and tranquillity of the temple, immersing in the beauty it had to offer us, Udaipur.
Following, we droved towards Jagdish temple, after we came down from Karni Mata Temple. One thing that bothered me was the whole city was burrowed up due to Smart Udaipur’s development. Most of the streets were closed or blocked & with loads of potholes. Nevertheless, the Jagdish Temple is located at the City’s Royal residence, which has been in persistent reverence since 1651. It was initially called the temple of Jagannath Rai but is presently called Jagdish-Ji. Strolling towards the temple, I noted that the architecture is Indo-Aryan style. Maharana Jagat Singh built the Jagdish temple in 1651, amid his administering curb from 1628-53.
Well, this temple is devoted to Lord Vishnu, and I had to climb 32 marble steps, caught by a Brass picture of Garuda within the conclusion, being the mount (Vahana) of God Vishnu, to reach the holiest place. This temple is the foremost lovely case of Hindu Iconography, comprising three stories of hand-carved stone and an exceptional point of either Māha Māru or Māru-Gurjara architecture, brightened by excellent and lavish carvings.
The temple’s most energizing include is the tower, about 79 feet tall. This Shikhar (building) is decorated with dancers, elephants, horse riders and musicians sculptures, making it a sight to behold. Though clicking photographs were not permitted interior of the temple premises, I have overseen several clicks. But if you do not attempt this trick, you’ll be caught. I offered my prayers to Lord Vishnu, seeking his blessing & strolled out of the sanctuary. What caught my attention was that constructing this temple fetched a surmised estimation of RS 1.5 million in 1651. Phew! That’s an impressive amount.
Post our darshan at Jagdish temple, our next halt was supposed to be Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal Gallery, which displays masks, pots, canvases and wall craftsmanship to urge the foremost unique social experience of Rajasthan. In any case, the genuine treat begins with a puppet show at 6 pm. Too bad! We were less fortunate that the exhibition hall was closed due to COVID. Subsequently, we went to Saheliyon-ki-Bari.
We drove adjacent to the Fateh Sagar Lake to Saheliyon-ki-Bari, which suggests Courtyard or Garden of the Maidens, was laid for a bunch of forty-eight ladies. Interestingly, the garden is found on the Fateh Sagar Lake banks, displaying a green withdrawal in Udaipur’s drylands. Maharana Sangram Singh built it from 1710 to 1734 for the illustrious women.
As per legend, the King planned the garden with fountains and kiosks, a lotus pool and marble elephants. From the Fateh Sagar Lake, the water for the fountains was drawn. One fine day he presented the park to his queen as the queen was accompanied by 48 maids in her marriage, to offer all of them pleasurable minutes away from the court’s political interests, this designed garden utilized be the prevalent unwinding spot of the royal women. The queen and her maids and female companions used to come here for a walk and spend their recreation time.
By the time we reached our hotel, it was 7 pm. We requested tea & got refreshed. Since the booking was 9 pm at the Upre by 1559 A.D, we rested for a while. The Upre by 1559 A.D unwinds at a swanky yet traditional rooftop lake view eatery with a bar. They serve luscious North Indian, Rajasthani and Mughlai dishes to extinguish your meat longings with alcohol and cocktails.
I adored the ambience, and the eatery was within walking distance from our hotel. The night view from the roof incorporates shining lake waters and a horizon of legacy ghats. It was cold, but the tall electric chimney was making it tolerable.
We finished supper with Rabri and strolled back to the hotel. We fell asleep in a couple of mins as soon as we hit the bed.
How to Reach:
By Air:
The nearest airport is Udaipur airport, 22km away from the centre of the city. From the airport, you can book a cab to the town.
By Rail:
Udaipur railway station is connected with all Rajasthan cities and important cities around the country. Few luxury trains cover Udaipur as a part of many itineraries. You can book cabs, autorickshaws, and other options to reach your required destination from the railway station.
By Road:
Udaipur is well connected by road to major cities. The road network connects Udaipur with six and four-lane highways, making commutation easier. There are frequent buses, public and private, ply from Rajasthan, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai.