Boasting appellations like the 'City of Lakes' and the
' City of Dawn', Udaipur has a heart that with each beat exudes oodles of
romance and beauty that no visitor to the city can escape. Wonderfully
strewn with splendid lakes, engaging palaces and stunning temples, the lake
city seems more of a dream than reality. One of the most elegant palaces
ever erected in the state of Rajasthan is the City Palace of Udaipur,
positioned on shores of the stunning Lake Pichola. The stately palace sits
atop a hill and remains surrounded by crenellated walls. The architecture of
the palace is one of its kind and exemplary in the sense that it was not
erected at one time.
An
enterprise of Maharaja Udai Singh, the grand edifice of City Palace was not
conceived as a whole. But the present structure is an effort of various
subsequent additions that were made by the successive rulers of the city.
However, the beauty lies in the fact that even today you will not be able to
distinguish its subsequent additions and would consider the whole edifice as
a whole.
The grandiose structure of the City Palace has huge gateways - the Hati
Pol, the Bada Pol and the Tripolia. You can make your entry into the palace
either through the Hati Pol or the Bada Pol. A big courtyard connects the
Bada Pol to the Tripolia. Betwixt the two gates lie the eight toranas or
arches. It is the spot where the maharajas were weighed against gold and
silver. Later, a tantamount value of the same was dealt out among the poor.
Elephants fights were one of their leisure time sports. And the curious
clash was arranged in the arena that lies just beyond the Tripolia. Moving
ahead, you come across a series of courtyards, pavillions, terraces,
corridors and gardens. The centrally located Chhatri which is painted in
cream bears blue coloured tiles and octagonal towers. The Sheesh Mahal or
the palace of mirrors sets forth exquisite inlay work of mirror. A visit to
the Krishna Vilas lets you have a look at miniature paintings that depict
royal processions, festivals and the game of Chogan.
Next to visit inside the palace is the Chini Chitrashala. As the name
itself suggests the chitrashala offers to see wonderful Chinese and Dutch
tiles. The Dutch tiles also depict scenes from the holy Bible including the
flight to Egypt. Bhim Vilas too has nice paintings of Radha and Krishna on
its walls. There is a glass mosaic gallery from where you can have stunning
views of the city below. A mosaic of peacocks set in the walls can be
observed at More Chowk. These mosaics represent three seasons - summer,
winter and monsoon. The Amar Vilas has beautiful terraced gardens that are a
treat for your eyes.
While you are in the City Palace, don't miss to pay a visit to the City
Palace Museum that displays an interesting collection of royal weaponry
including the armour of Maharana Pratap Singh and the drums and bugles of
the Mewar ruler Rana Sagar.
Plan a trip to the lake city of Udaipur and pay a visit to the City Palace
where you will gain an insight into the history and culture of the region.
There is a lot to see for tourists and the city never fails to enchant even
the most jaded traveller.
