“ Rising up on the shores of Lake Pichola, the City palace of Udaipur
is among the largest of its kind in Rajasthan,"
The majestically huge white Udaipur City Palace located in the heart of Udaipur and
towering over the lake, was originally built by Maharana Udai Singh of the
Sisodia Rajput clan, and extended to its present form by subsequent
Maharanas. Although a conglomerate of buildings added later by different
Maharanas, the palace managed to retain its uniformity of design.
Built in granite and marble and surrounded by balconies, towers and
crenellated fort walls, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan stands on a
crest, overlooking the Pichola Lake. Udaipur City Palace is a heritage building,
which showcases the finest elements of Rajput culture and their arts. The
City Palace of Udaipur rises from a bluff, with stupendous views from the
terrace over the water to the hills. It was built in seven phases around the
mid-16th century,
Architecture of City Palace in Udaipur
A blend of medieval European and Chinese architecture, the palace complex
has a number of remarkable buildings of immense beauty, gardens and
fountains, well planned and finely executed over the years.
Approaches
Udaipur City Palace complex can be approached through the 'Hati Pol', or the
'Elephant Gate' from the main road. From the northern end through the
Baripol and the Tripolia Gate with its eight carved marble arches. The
biggest and most beautiful temple of Udaipur, the Jagdish Temple dedicated
to Lord Vishnu is situated here. The 'Bara Pol' or the 'Great Gate' on the
northern end leads to the first courtyard, which joins Tripolia or the
'Triple Gate'. Between the two gates there are 'Toranas' under which the
rulers in the past were weighed against gold and silver, the value of which
was then distributed to the poor.
The City Palace Museum
The main part of the palace with its several ' Mahals' is now preserved as
a Museum. The museum includes the Mor chowk with beautiful mosaic of the
peocock, the Ruby Mahal has glass and mirror works in it while the Krishna
Villa possesses a remarkable collection of miniatures depicting festivals
and royal processions.
The Bari Mahal has a fine garden with views of the city, the Moti Mahal too
has beautiful mirror works, while the Chini Mahal is decorated with Chinese
and Dutch ornamental tiles. Paintings can be seen in the Zenana Mahal. Entry
to the museum is through the Ganesh Deori, which leads to the Royal
courtyard. The Amar Vilas, occupying the highest point has exquisite hanging
gardens with fountains, towers and terraces and a majestic view of the town
and Lake Pichola
The City Palace Museum preserves a variety of artefacts which includes the
collection of medieval arms and armour including the lethal two-pronged
sword, the18th century paintings depicting courtly life in Udaipur and
battle scenes, Sun windows, Hindu devotional art, silver caskets, a gallery
dedicated to Maharana Pratap and royal memorabilia that can be viewed for a
small fee.
Jagdish Temple
About 150metres north of the City Palace lies the Indo-Aryan Jagdish
Temple, built by Maharaja Jagat Singh in 1651. It enshrines a black stone
image of Lord Vishnu as Jagannath or Lord of the Universe, also a brass
image of the Garuda in front of the temple steps can be found.
Accommodation in Udaipur
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» Udai Kothi |
» Fateh Prakash Palace
» Jagat Niwas Palace |
» Laxmi Vilas Palace |
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