A desert kingdom tucked away in the midst of hills, an impregnable citadel, an impressive royal lineage stretching back 26 generations and a fierce sense of independence characterize the Udaipur city. Unlike its desert counterparts in Rajasthan, Udaipur is situated in the forested, hilly region of Aravalli Ranges in complete contrast to the arid deserts of Marwar in the northwest. The kingdom of Mewar was ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for over 1200 years from Chittorgarh before Maharana Udai Singh II founded Udaipur in 1568 following the final sacking of their hill fortress. In sharp contrast to its spartan and martial persona are lakes, hills, temples, gardens and fairy-tale palaces that make Udaipur the most romantic and enchanting place in Rajasthan. Apart from Udaipur’s own splendours, there are several other places to visit in its vicinity – Jaisamand Lake, the fort of Kumbhalgarh and the temples at Ranakpur, Eklingji, Nagda, Kankroli and Nathdwara.
Red cable cars ferry sightseers on short (five minutes one way) trips up the hill from Deen Dayal Park at Doodh Talai (next to the Shiv Niwas Palace hotel)
The Monsoon Palace can be seen from Udaipur, perched high on a hill above the city.
Udaipur has many vantage points for photography but arguably the best one is Ambrai Ghat, especially at sunset. It's located directly opposite the City Palace .
Udaipur festival list include Mewar Festival held in March at Udaipur is a festival welcoming spring with food, song and dance. Colourfully attired women take images of Goddess Gauri to Lake Pichola for immersion and a procession of boats ends the celebrations. In Mount Abu a Summer Festival is held every June. Exuberant celebrations in this sylvan retreat with tribal festivities, folk and classical music amidst verdant settings make this a joyous event.
There are lots of little shops in Udaipur where you can buy all sorts of things – colorful clothes, tie-dye fabrics, folk toys, silver jewelry and wall hangings. The most popular local crafts that you could take home are miniature paintings and pretty images of gods and goddesses made in Mollela village near Nathdwara. You can also buy great silver jewelry, jootis (traditional footwear) and beautiful leather bound journals and photo albums made with hand made paper.
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