"Mewar Kingdom on Pichola Lake" Top 5 Page for this destination Udaipur by atufft

Udaipur Travel Guide: 460 reviews and 1,448 photos

City Palace view of Lake Pichola and Lake Palace - Udaipur
City Palace view of Lake Pichola and Lake Palace
Venice of the East

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.

Nagda and Eklingi are countryside attractions
Nagda Ghats - Udaipur

Nagda Ghats

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).

Aravelli Range and the Jain Temple at Ranakpur
Ranakpur in the Aravalli - Udaipur

Ranakpur in the Aravalli

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.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:Udaipur is a romatic place to visit without so many crowds
  • Cons:The Lake isn't so clean, so don't look too close
  • In a nutshell:The Rajput Mewar Palace at Udaipur, Pichola Lake, Ara are Unique.
  • Last visit to Udaipur: Jan 1998
  • Intro Updated May 4, 2007
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Reviews (37)

Streets of Udaipur - Udaipur Wander the Streets of Udaipur Near City... Things to Do (8)

The city is built on some rolling hills and the narrow streets are worth a good stroll through them. After lunch or in... more travel advice

Bead Work on Garment Bought in Udaipur - Udaipur Rajasthani Handicrafts Shopping (1)

In the vacinity of the rooftop restaurants, up the hill from the City Palace are a number of shops devoted to Rajasthani... more travel advice

Palace Courtyard - Udaipur More on City Palace Architecture Things to Do (8)

The City Palace was a defensible building designed to fool invaders and make defense of the Mewar Rajput easier. For... more travel advice

Just Inside the Palace Entrance Door - Udaipur City Palace Parking and Entrance Things to Do (8)

The City Palace is so oriented toward the lake, that the entrance parking lot appears to have been forgotten as an... more travel advice

Comments (10)

  • Reply
    greekcypriot's Profile Photo
    Jan 5, 2011 at 12:39 AM

    Alan thanks for sharing these helpful tips and beautiful pictures. I am going to be reading more of your trips in the coming days.

  • Reply
    xaver's Profile Photo
    Nov 27, 2010 at 11:19 PM

    this looks like a wonderful and not too crowded area to visit. The City Palace specially looks impressive.

  • Reply
    BruceDunning's Profile Photo
    Dec 20, 2009 at 11:30 AM

    The palace and surrounding architecture looks real nice. You are right, there are wonderful places in India to see, and this being one of those.

  • Reply
    jethanand's Profile Photo
    Aug 11, 2008 at 4:16 PM

    Thank you very much for recording your impressions and sharing them with us. What can I say - I must visit !

  • Reply
    monina_c's Profile Photo
    Jun 24, 2007 at 11:26 PM

    Thanks for sharing this experience.

  • Reply
    TheWanderingCamel's Profile Photo
    May 7, 2007 at 8:43 PM

    I really must get to India one day. Some amazing places here, thanks for the effort! leyle

  • Reply
    calcaf38's Profile Photo
    May 5, 2007 at 12:37 PM

    Beautiful updated page. Than you for alerting me.

  • Reply
    tiabunna's Profile Photo
    Apr 21, 2007 at 4:01 AM

    What a remarkable place! Beautiful buildings well complemented by the photographs.

  • Reply
    Ewingjr98's Profile Photo
    Apr 7, 2007 at 10:46 PM

    Wow, those temples remind me of Angkor Wat, though much more intricate. Great photos!

  • Reply
    sayedaburas's Profile Photo
    Apr 5, 2007 at 9:20 PM

    Informative as usual (~_~)

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