Overview
The very word Udaipur evokes memories of warriors warding off the mighty Mughals. It was here that Maharana Pratap kept his historic tryst with Emperor Akbar. It was here that Rani Padmini preferred “Jauhar”and walked alive into a flaming pyre than be subjected to any indignity by the invaders. Meera, the royal poetess and worshipper of Lord Krishna, was born here. Udaipur is a city of shimmering lakes, rugged hills and embattlements, in the shape of palaces, both big and small. The City Palace and its imposing octagonal towers surmounted by cupolas, add excellence to the architecture. At every step, there is a hoary relic, comparable in magnificence to the Windsor Palace at United Kingdom. Zenana Mahal is a romantic palace, possessive of their womenfolk. The Kings had it built as an impregnable fortress without even a window. Lake Palace as the name implies, is a palace set amidst the lake – Pichola. The Maharana Pratap Memorial on an elevated platform is an imposing statue of the Maharana, in bronze alloy astride his favourite horse “Chetak”. Lake Fateh Sagar north of Lake Pichola, overlooks a number of hills and parks. Jag Mandir here is an island palace.
