"Mewar Kingdom on Pichola Lake" a Udaipur Travel Page by atufft

The Rajput Mewar Kingdom has a special reputation for art in general, and the palaces set on Pichola Lake are very compelling support for its reputation as a place of romance. We took an overnight train from Jaipur, sharing a sleeper with another couple, and at the station our driver greeted us to take us to our hotel. Along the way we passed a wedding parade complete with musical band. We didn't spend much time in our hotel because though relatively small, Udaipur nevertheless has plenty to do for tourists. The city palace for starters is a pleasant place to visit, presenting a complex labyrinth of rooms and vistas over the lake. Actually, Pichola Lake is but one of many in the area, several of which are connected by canals. In the middle of Pichola Lake is a lovely princely palace that appears to float on water. Elsewhere in Udaipur are various gardens, most of which have elaborate irrigation from the lake water in this semi-arid region.

Udaipur has good restaurants and evening dance productions at the local outdoor theater. During a second day, we drove up a winding road into the Aravelli Mountains where we visited other lakes, villages, and temple ruins. We visited some very old temples and watched people bathe at the ghats. I practiced my portrait photography with some local village families at their simple slate roofed homes. That night we took a launch out to eat dinner at the lake palace, one of the more expensive places of dining in India (or even the world).

The VT system doesn't reach outside of Udaipur into the low sem-arid mountains of the Aravalli Range. This region is a wonderful place to see villagers and the ruins of old Hindu temples, many of which we did not have time to explore, and in this region also is the most spectacular of Jain Temples at Ranakpur. In fact, Ranakpur, known as the temple of a thousand columns, is very unique and in many ways equal to any architectural monument in Udaipur itself. Due to its distance away from Udaipur, we visited Ranakpur on our way through the Aravelli Mountains to Jodpur. I have here a great many "off the beaten path" tips, so be persistent in turning the pages. Some of the best of Ranakpur, for example, are far down the list, but in my mind are high up in terms of priority for visitors.