Udaipur is situated on the banks of the lovely Lake Pichola and the lake ofudaipu4 Fatehsagar, in Southern Rajasthan, the Eden like Udaipur, cocooned by the Aravalli Hills, is a dotted with numerous beautiful palaces, domes, shrines among other top tourist attractions. Udaipur is situated around the shimmering clear blue water lakes, which whisper the mood of a bygone era.

The city was founded in 1567 AD by Maharana Udai Singh on the advice of a sage. Udaipur was last of the numerous Mewar capitals. It was in Udaipur that legendary Maharana Pratap was born. He was obsessed with Chittaur and the past glories of the Sisodia clan possessed his mind. Maharana Pratap left Udaipur to win back Chittaur from the Mughals. But he failed in his attempts and Udaipur remained the capital of Mewar till India got her independence.The memory of the failure of noble Pratap gives Udaipur its pervading mood of nostalgic wistfulness.
The city acquires its scenic beauty from the Aravallis. Three lakes- Pichola, Fateh Sagar and Udai Sagar make it an oasis in the desert. Udaipur is known as the ' City of Lakes'. The two most scenic and famous lakes of the city are Lake Pichola and Lake Fateh Sagar.

Places of Interest

Lake Palace
The Lake Palace in Udaipur is a palace on an island in the middle of Lake Pichola girdled by hills. Lake Palace was built
in 1754 by Maharana Jagat Singh II in Udaipur. This palace was earlier known as Jag Niwas and was named by Maharana Jagat Singh. Lake Palace was the Summer residence of the rulers of Mewar. This former summer residence of the Royal family has now been converted into a fabulous luxurious hotel. The Lake Palace Hotel is considered to be one of the best hotels in the world

City Palace
Completely white and majestic, the City Palace Udaipur stands on a hill surrounded by crenellated walls. City Palace Udaipur main entrance is through the triple arched gate, the Tripolia, built in 1725. The Suraj Gokhada, the Balcony of the Sun, where the Suryavanshi Maharanas of Mewar, presented themselves in times of trouble to the people to restore their confidence, is another fascinating monument. The Chini Chitrashala is noteworthy for its blue and white ceramics.

Jagdish Temple
Jagdish Temple is built in 1651 A.D., by Maharaja Jagat Singh I, it is the largest and most splendid temple in Udaipur.

Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum
This Indian folk arts museum displays a rich collection of folk dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks, dolls musical instruments and paintings.

Saheliyon ki Bari
This garden of the maids of honour, brings to the fore, the unique lifestyle of the royal ladies, who once strolled through these gardens. This spectacular garden has numerous fountains in four pools, embellished with delicately chiselled kiosks and elephants.

Fateh Sagar
Fateh Sagar is built by Maharana Fateh Singh, this elegant lake is surrounded on three sides by hills, and the Pratap Memorial on the north. One can indulge in boat rides on the rippling waters, and row across to the Nehru Park - an island garden.

Pichhola Lake
The legendary Pichhola lake Udaipur that entranced Maharana Udai Singh, it is surrounded by hill palaces, temples, bathing ghats and embankments.

Jag Mandir
Jag Mandir lies towards the south of the lake and was completed by Maharana Jagat Singh I (reigned 1628-1652). However, the Jag Mandir palace was developed by Rana Karan Singh (1620-28). Eight elephant statues face Jag Niwas from Jag Mandir and the empty island with its domed pavilion. This pavilion on the island better known as the Gul Mahal and built between 1625-7 was started by Karan Singh (1620-28). It is one of the few examples of Mughal styled architecture in the state and now houses some exquisite Mughal paintings and murals.

Shiv Niwas Palace
The debonair Shiv Niwas Palace Udaipur was first opened for the shooting of the 007 Bond film Octopussy. This crescent shaped palace was originally the annexe to the Shambhu Palace near the southern end of the Pichola Lake. Shiv Niwas Palace Udaipur was built sometime in the beginning of the century by Maharana Fateh Singh for nearly Rs 6,00,000, a very great sum in those days. Shiv Niwas Palace Udaipur style and design of the building is purely European although it has retained some of the distinctive traditional Hindu elements seen in Udaipur. Shiv Niwas Palace Udaipur is a beautiful combination of Hindu tradition and European elegance.