About The Lake City Udaipur ISPPD National Convention Udaipur 2010

Watermarked by whimsy and splendour, Udaipur holds stage as one of India’s truly seductive cities. It surprises you with its glassy lakes in the middle of a desert, Rajasthan. The elevated hills and the beautiful lakes make a picture-perfect backdrop to the Udaipur city. Udaipur is regarded as one of the most romantic cities of the World and subsequently, also known as the 'Venice of East'.
Udaipur is one of the most naturally beautiful cities on planet earth. The lakes, mountains and the habitat of the city present an excellent example of harmony between the nature and the built environment.
Founded in 1559 by Maharaja Udai Singh II, following the final sacking of Chittor by the Mughal emperor Akbar, Udaipur is packed with palaces, temples and havelis, and nowhere better testifies to the Rajput passion for the fantastical and fairytale. Its palaces are straight out of a fairy-tale and its lakes, forts, palaces, temples, gardens and mountains are all reminiscent of a heroic past, epitomising valour and chivalry.

City Palace: The imposing City Palace, surmounted by balconies, towers and cupolas, and towering over Lake Pichola, is Rajasthan’s largest palace. A conglomeration of buildings created by various Maharajas, it still manages to retain a surprising uniformity of design. Especially noteworthy Lake Palace

are the Mor Chowk with its lavish mosaics of peacocks, the Manak (Ruby) Mahal with its glass and mirrorwork, the Krishna Vilas with its remarkable collection of miniatures, the Bari Mahal, the Moti Mahal, the Chini Mahal, The Zenana Mahal, the stunning crystal gallery and the grandiose Durbar Hall. The former guesthouses of the city palace, the Shiv Niwas Palace and the Fateh Prakash Palace have been converted i Lake Palace

nto heritage hotels.

Lake Palace: Originally known as the Jag Niwas and made up entirely of marble, this palace located in the middle of Lake Pichola was built by Maharaja Jagat Singh II in 1754. Today it is the ultimate in luxury hotels, with shady courtyards, lotus ponds and a pool shaded by a mango tree. The Lake Palace, along with the Shiv Niwas Palace and Monsoon Palace, was used in the James Bond movie Octopussy.

Jag Mandir: Another island in the Lake Pichola, it is known for its garden courtyard. It is said that the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan derived some of his inspiration for the Taj Mahal from

this palace when he took refuge here after revolting against his father Jahangir. It is here that theBollywood actress Raveena Tandon tied the matrimonial knot.

Sajjangarh Fort (Monsoon Palace): Perched Sajjan Garh Fort

on the top of a distant mountain range like a fairytale castle, this summer resort of the Maharajas was originally an astronomical centre. It offers breath-taking views, especially at sunset.

Lake Pichola: Placid Lake Pichola derives its name from Pichola Village which it submerged and was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh after he founded the city. This picturesque lake which is now 4 km long and 3 km wide encloses 2 islands – the Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. The City Palace lies along its eastern banks.

Lake Fateh Sagar: This delightful lake, bordered by hills and woodland was constructed by Maharana Jai Singh to the north of Lake Pichola. It is an artificial lake dug up in 1678 and reconstructed by Maharana Fateh Singh, hence the name. A canal links it to Lake Pichola, via Swaroop Sagar and Rang Sagar Lakes. At its centre lies the beautiful Nehru Park, garden island which also houses a solar observatory.

Badi ka Talab (Tiger Lake): About 5km beyond Shipgram, this is a mammoth artificial lake flanked by hills. Crocodiles are said to lurk in its waters.

Bagore-Ki Haveli: This gracious 18th century haveli built by Amir Chand Badwa, the Prime Minister of Mewar is located right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Ganghaur Ghat. It has over a hundred rooms and some very interesting displays of costumes and modern art.

Maharana Pratap Memorial (Moti Magri): Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking Lake Fateh Sagar is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with an impressive bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak", who was killed in the battle of Haldighati.

City Palace Museum: The main part of the City Palace is now preserved as a museum displaying a large and diverse array of artifacts. The armoury museum exhibits a huge collection of protective gear and weapons including the lethal two-pronged sword.

Shilpgram Museum: A crafts village 3km west of Fateh Sagar, this living ethnographic museum depicts the enormous diversities in craft, art & culture between various Indian states. The colourful craft festival held here during the winter is a fantastic spectacle.

Ahar Museum: Located about 2 kms east of Udaipur is an impressive cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphs of Maharanas cremated here, the most striking of which is that of Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is the Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery.

Vintage and Classic Car Museum: This fascinating collection of the Maharajas’ cars within the grounds of the Garden Hotel comprises a variety of classic and interestingly rare transportation vehicles including a Cadillac complete with purdah system and the beautiful Phantom Roll Royce used in Octopussy.

Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal: This is a small museum of folk arts, showing dolls, masks, tribal jewellery, musical instruments, paintings and puppets.

Jagdish Mandir: Built by Maharana Jagat Singh I in 1651, this is a fantastically carved Indo-Aryan temple which enshrines a black stone image of Lord Vishnu as Jagannath, Lord of the Universe. A brass image of Garuda occupies a shrine in front of the temple.

Neemach Mata Temple: This temple is located on a green hill in the Dewali area of Udaipur. It offers both stairs and an uphill sloping path (walk of 800m).

Karni Mata Temple: It is located on top of Machhala Hill and can be accessed either on foot or through the Ropeway system.

Saheliyon-ki-Bari: Sahelion Ki Bari' or the Garden of

the Maids of Honour is a small quaint ornamental garden laid out for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fateh Sagar Lake marble pavilions, elephant-shaped fountains and a delightful lotus pool.

Gulab Bagh & Zoo: A rose garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh situated near the palace on east side of Lake Pichhola, it houses a toy train as well as a library with a collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Also within the garden is a zoo with various wild animals.

Doodh Talai: A "Rock Garden" from where one can enjoy the sun setting over Lake Pichhola and a panoramic view of the old city, it also boasts of Rajasthan's first ‘Musical Fountain’.

Nehru Garden: This is a park situated in the centre of Lake Fateh Sagar. Covering a huge area of about 41 acres with its Nehru Park

flower gardens and a lily pond, it overlooks the ancient Moti Mahal of Maharana Pratap and gives a view of Aravalli hills on three sides.

Rajeev Gandhi Park: Constructed as a memorial to the late Prime Minister of India, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi this park is nicely landscaped with lush green lawns, lovely plants and stepped fountains, and offers a spectacular view of the lake. It also offers an amusement park for children.

Udaipur Solar Observatory: Asia's only solar observatory, it is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fateh Sagar (Location: 240 35.1' : 730 42.8' ).

Sukhadia Circle: Sukhadia Circle is a large roundabout in the city's

northern suburb of Panchwati. The centrepiece of the circle is a large, three-tiered fountain just over 21 m. high, with scalloped dishes surmounted by a wheat-ear motif, representing prosperity. Illuminated at night, it is now a well-known landmark. A circular pond, where odd duck-shaped paddle boats vie for space, surrounds the fountain; nearby are pleasant gardens.

Ropeway: It is installed between two mountains right on the bank of Lake Pichola. The view from the Gondolas is Ropeway

breath-taking and includes Lake Pichola, Lake Fateh Sagar, the magnificent City Palace complex, Sajjangarh Fort and above all the artistically landscaped Aravali mountains on the other side of the lake.

Voted as the ‘World’s Best City’ for Travelers in 2009 in an online poll by Travel & Leisure magazine.
Named Asia's 2nd Best City in 2007
Ranked 7th among Best Cities in the World, year 2007
Oberoi Udaivilas named the ‘World's Best Hotel’ in 2007 by Travel & Leisure magazine
Zonal Railway Training Institute named Asia's Best Railway Training Institute, inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India
Also Known as the ‘Venice of the East.’

Udaipur is mentioned under the spelling Oodeypore in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book as the birthplace of Bagheera, the fictional panther in the king's Menagerie.
Indian sections of the James Bond film Octopussy were filmed in the City and the Lake Palace.
Some scenes from the British television series The Jewel in the Crown were filmed in Udaipur.
Hollywood movies/ TV serials filmed in Udaipur include Opening Night, Heat and Dust, Indische Ring, Inside 'Octopussy', James Bond in India, Octopussy, Gandhi.
Many Hindi movies like Guide, Mera Saya, Phool Bane Angaray, Kachche Dhagey, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Jalmahal, Yaadein, Return of the Thief of Bagdad, Eklavya:The Royal Guard, Dhamaal, Jis Des Mein Ganga Rehta Hai, Chalo Ishq Ladaaye, Fiza, Gaddaar, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Khuda Gawah, Kundan, Nandini,...,, etc. were filmed in Udaipur.
Actress Raveena Tandon got married at Jagmandir of HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur in 2004.
It is claimed that Jag Mandir of Udaipur was the inspiration behind Shahjahan's creation of the Taj Mahal.
The Disney channel film, The Cheetah Girls One World, was shot in Udaipur in January 2008.
The television reality show Rakhi ka swayamvar was shot at the Fatehgadh Palace Hotel in Udaipur.

Shop till you drop……..
Udaipur has masses of little shops selling jumbles of things from cloth lanterns to antique jewellery.
The town is known for its local crafts particularly its miniature paintings in the Rajput-Mughal style: shops line Lake Palace Road, Hathi Pol market and around Jagdish Temple. Silver jewellery, leather-bound books and handmade paper are other popular buys in this area. So is bandhini or tie-n-dye fabric, particularly of the leharia (wave) patterns. You can fill your shopping bags with the Nathdwara pichhwais, terracotta of Molela, laquerware, enameled jewellery, curios, antiques and more. Be prepared to bargain hard, as most places have ridiculously inflated prices for tourists.

Getting around……
Autorickshaws: These are generally unmetered, so you should agree on a fare before setting off – The standard fare anywhere in town is around Rs 20-25. It may cost anywhere between Rs 100-200 to hire an autorickshaw for a day of local sightseeing.

Jaisamand Lake: Located 48 km southeast of Udaipur, this startlingly huge artificial lake is one of Asia’s largest. Created by damming the Gomti river, it was built by Maharana Jai Sigh in the 17th century. There are beautiful marble chhatris around the embankment. The surrounding hilltops are dotted by palaces built for the king favourite queens.

Rajsamand Lake: This royal lake with a magnificent dam created in the 17th century offers a spectacular view of the sunset adorned by beautiful torans [arches] and chhatris [pavilions]. Special features of Rajsamand include stunning sculpture and a long Sanskrit inscription on twenty-seven white marble blocks, dated 1675/76.

Eklingji temple: A temple complex situated nearly 22 km north of Udaipur, it is enclosed by long walls of hard rock. Built in 734 A.D., it houses 108 temples chiselled out of sandstone and marble devoted to Eklingji.

Nathdwara: Nathdwara lies 48 kms from Udaipur and literally means the gateway to the Lord. This great Vaishnavite shrine is said to have been built in the 17th century on the spot exactly defined by the Lord himself. The legends have it that the image of Lord Krishna was being transferred to a safer place from Vrindaban to protect it from the destructive wrath of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Ranakpur: It is a village located 90 kms north of Udaipur that is home to one of the most important Jain temples. More than 400 marble pillars support the temple, an incredible piece of architecture. Opposite the Jain temple is the much older Sun Temple.

Chittorgarh: About 140 km from Udaipur, Chittorgarh was the capital of Mewar from 734 AD to 1559. Chittor’s Fort is the greatest in Rajasthan, and has a history that epitomizes Rajput romanticism, chivalry and tragedy. Of interest here are the Rana Kumbha Palace, Fateh Prakash Palace, Jaya Stambha (Tower of Victory), Padmini’s Palace and Kirti Stambha (Tower of Fame).

Kumbhalgarh: About 84km north of Udaipur, Kumbalgarh

is a fantastic, remote fort, fulfilling all romantic expectations and vividly summoning up the chivalrous, war-like Rajput era. This 15th century fortress, built by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, has walls which stretch over 36kms and encloses around 360 temples.

Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the most rugged of the Aravali in Pali, Rajsamand and Udaipur districts of Rajasthan. It is home to a very large variety of wild life, some of which are highly endangered species.

Haldighati: A mountain pass in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan in western India, it connects Rajsamand and Pali districts, 44 kilometres from Udaipur. The mountain pass is historically significant as the location of the historic Battle of Haldighati, which took place in 1576 between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Raja Man Singh of Amber, general of the Mughal emperor Akbar.

Mount Abu: Rajasthan’s only hill station, it is reached via a winding road through massive wooded hills. The town surrounds the picturesque Nakki Lake. Nearby are the Jain Dilwara temples, with spectacular marble carving.

Rishabhadeoji: A famous place of pilgrimage for Jains and local tribals, Rishabdeo is situated 65 kms from Udaipur on Udaipur-Ahmedabad Road. The main attraction is the temple of Rishabhadeoji, the first Jain tirthankara.