Day Tour By Car and Driver Udaipur City with Guide

The History of City Palace is related to the kingdom of Mewar that has gone through several capital changes during the reign of its many rulers. The capital was first established in Nagda in 568 AD by Guhil, the first Maharana of Mewar. It was later moved to Chittor in the 8th century under the rule of Sisodias. During 1537, the Mewar kingdom came under the rule of Maharana Udai Singh II. Due to war with the Mughals there was a risk of losing the Chittor fort. Hence, Maharana Udai Singh II chose a new capital for his kingdom near Lake Pichola that shielded the territory from its enemies, well surrounded by forests, lakes and the imposing Aravalli hills.

The crystal items have been brought from various parts of the world. The items include various household furniture like a dining table, mirrored tabletops, lamps, footstool, crockery set, washing bowls, a sofa set & a crystal bed. Other items are fountains, dresses, paperweight, perfume bottles etc. The most striking element of the gallery is a crystal embedded carpet, woven with gold and silver threads that shine beautifully in the gallery. There are over 600 unique items and most of them are one of their kinds in the world. It is said that these items have never been used.

With dimensions of 3 miles in length, 2 miles in width and a depth of 30 feet, Lake Pichola has four main islands namely Jag Niwas, Jag Mandir, Mohan Mandir and Arsi Vilas. Jag Niwas is home to Lake Palace which is now converted into a heritage hotel while Jag Mandir is home to the famous Lake Garden Palace. Mohan Mandir served as the place from where the king used to witness the Gangaur festival celebration held anually. Once an ammunition depot, Arsi Vilas has a small beautiful palace which was built by one of the Maharanas of Udaipur to relax while enjoying the sunset on the lake. A sanctuary consisting of a number of birds such as tufted ducks, cormorants, coots, egrets, terns, kingfishers etc. is also built here.

Jagdish temple is one of the best architectural wonders of the Mewar dynasty. Jagdish temple showcases the Indo- Aryan architectural style. The temple is built keeping the rules of Vastushastra, the Hindu architectural science in mind. This three-storied temple is built on raised platform flaunting magnificently carved pillars, huge airy halls and painted walls that are adorned with vibrant colors and intricately decorated ceilings. At the entrance, there are two massive elephants statues of stone, installed to welcome the visitors. An inscription engraved on the stone slab is found at the entry. Mahara Jagat Singh installed the inscription to record his contributions to the temple.

Saheliyon Ki Bari also known as the Garden of Maidens, is one such marvel of nature created by man for a woman. In Indian history, women find little or no significant place, but things are different when we turn to the history of Mewar Kingdom of Udaipur. Saheliyon Ki Bari is one of the rare areas in the history of India, where a particular place is built for women.