For most of us, Rajasthan is synonymous with vibrancy of
colours. Perhaps this state alone can boast of being a guardian of its colossal
tradition and culture and hence the sole reason why it could draw a maximum
number of tourists from all parts of the world. We have set out to explore the
“Venice of the east” or the “city of lakes” Udaipur, a city that is buttressed by
the oldest mountain ranges, the Aravallis.
Warm scintillating sun’s rays stroking us on a perfect
wintery day could by far be the best welcome gesture we could experience as we
stepped out of the train to enter the cultural flag bearer of Rajasthan.
Winters are the most preferred time to visit the western part of India. The temperatures
of the mid-day could be most pleasant hovering around 25C. Luckily our choice
of the hotel proved to be best as it is located in the old city where the
grandeur of the old traditions is still alive. The narrow lanes and the
mesmerising slopes in this part of the city offered a merry ride as our auto
steered into various alleys at a modest speed. As we anxiously stepped inside
the hotel we were awe-struck by the beauty of Lake Pichola created in the 14th
century is currently a sanctuary for a wide variety of birds. Over several
centuries, the lake’s surroundings and islands within have been developed. This
freshwater artificial lake is spread across 1700 acres and is abutted by the
overwhelming high rises of hotels that offer a fantastic view.
View of Lake Pichola from Hotel
The first leg of our exploration included a boat ride on Lake
Pichola to reach the Jag Mandir Palace, a natural island developed within the
lake. The Jag Mandir place is acclaimed to be most sought after place for
celebrity weddings and indeed the ideal place for pleasure parties. This palace
also served as a refugee asylum for Shahjahan when he rebelled against his father
Jahangir for the Mughal throne. Jagriti, a museum within the place has a unique
collection of rare paintings, old photographs, maps and contemporary
architectural drawings.
Jag Mandir place
Next, we stopped
at the Fateh Prakash Palace which is now a seven-star hotel that also houses the
crystal gallery. The visit to the
Crystal Gallery is a guided audio tour and for the first time, we were
flabbergasted by the splendour, flamboyance, and grandeur of the Mewar
dynasty. Crystal Gallery connoted the glory of the Sisodia clan and has an
exquisite display of the various paintings, large chandeliers, and weapons of
the kings. It housed the biggest display of the unused crystal chairs, tables,
fountains, tables, dinner sets, perfume bottles, beds, and table fountains which
were ordered by Maharaja Sajjan Singh in 1877 from F&C Osler & Co,
London. But before the shipment arrived the king died and it remained unopened
for nearly 110 years. It is the single largest collection of crystals anywhere
in the world. The opulence of the interiors transports us back to the time of
the rajas and reminds us of the wealth and the glory of medieval Indian kings. The
tour ended with refreshments offered with a special vintage touch. Unlike other
trips to forts in other parts of India, this place is very well-maintained and
hence this place is frequented by tourists who are stumped by the audacious
display of the richness of the royal dynasty.
Fateh Prakash Palace
The next spot on our list was City Palace which is in the
same complex as the Fateh Prakash Palace. The outer facade of the palace is an
amalgamation of Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles. The flamboyant five-storied palace built on the top of the hill offers a panoramic view of the entire
city and its surroundings. Actually, the Palace is a pack of series of palaces
built by successive 76 generations of the Sisodia Clan and is a repertoire of different
artifacts of the Mewar dynasty. A small museum within the complex has been
exclusively dedicated to legendary Maharana Pratap and his horse Chetak. A walk
through the entire palace is like a journey past various generations of the
dynasty who have substantially modified, modernised, and tried to beautify and
glorify their fame according to existing trends of their regime. Even the
silverware and other aesthetic possessions of the kings and Queens were
displayed. As we exited the palace, we couldn’t stop ourselves from lauding the
dedication, special interest, and extra efforts made by Maharana Pratap
Charitable Trust to restore the beauty and the identity of one of the oldest
dynasties of our country. So far, we have visited many dilapidated forts
across India, but this particular palace alone could successfully transport us
back to the times of the Rajas.
Outer Façade of City Palace
Apart from the fort, Udaipur also boasts of its unique
collection of vintage cars of Raja’s of Mewar which include the Rolls-Royce,
1939 Cadillac Open convertibles, Mercedes, Vauxhall, and Opel Models. These have
become more popular with the James Bond Octopussy where one of the Ford cars was
actually used. All the cars are in working condition and can be customised on
request. They are all housed in the semi-circular courtyard which was the original
palace garage. A visit to this museum is a must for every motor vehicle lover
as the collection also has an old truck, bus and a few jeeps.
1939 Cadillac Open convertibles
Our adoration for the place reached its zenith when we took a
ropeway and reached a hill peak at sunset. The ropeway led us to Mansapurna
Karni Temple, located at the highest point of the hill. A bird’s eye view of
the city under the setting sun wrapped by a blanket of still blue waters
surrounded by the aesthetically landscaped Aravalli ranges was a visual treat. With those pleasant images of the city we
retired back to our hotel room and eagerly waited for the night to grow. Our
hotel rooftop offered a splendid view of the beautifully lit Lake Pichola its
islands and Ghats. The serenity of
blissful moments is symphonized by the sacred hymns and temple bells from a
very old Mahadev temple located on the Ghats. A lovely candlelight dinner
under the open sky gave a perfect ending to an eventful day.
A bird’s eye view of the city
We started our second day by first visiting the Jagdish
Temple dedicated to Laxmi Narayan built in Indo-Aryan architectural style by
Maharaja Jagat Singh. It is 150 mt away from the City Palace. It is constructed
at an elevation and we have to take a flight of 32 marble steps to reach it. The
three-storied temple complex has beautifully sculpted pictures of elephants,
charioteers, dancers, musicians and horsemen, a typical feature of Maru-Gurjara
architecture. The central deity Lord Vishnu is four-armed and the idol is
carved out of a single black stone. The temple premises are thronged by
hundreds of visitors and ardent devotees as well. The sound of the hymns, bhajans, and recitations bestows celestial peace of mind. Then we immediately dispersed
into the market to have local breakfast at a small outlet where the steaming
vapours of ginger tea eagerly welcomed us. The typical breakfast
served included hot poha garnished with freshly chopped coriander and onions,
samosas with khatta-meeta chutney and kachori. We savoured the local
delicacies and chalked out a plan for the day.
Jagdish Temple
Udaipur was founded by Maharaja Udai Singh II father of the
legendary Maharana Pratap, who is known n for his outstanding bravery and
chivalry. Especially his resistance to the untiring efforts of Mughal Emperor
Akbar to annex the Mewar kingdom is a source of inspiration to every Indian and a matter of honour and prestige for Rajputs. Motibagri is a place overlooking the
Fatehsagar Lake, has a bronze statue of the Rajput hero, Maharana Pratap riding his favourite
horse Chetak. The location of the place at an elevation, amidst well-manicured gardens is a delightful sight. Down the hill, we entered a museum containing
splendid paintings of Maharana Pratap and other kings of the Sisodia clan. It also
had replicas of the Kumabalgarh Fort, the Chittorgarh Fort, and the battleground of the Haldighati, where Rana Pratap clashed with outnumbered Mughal armies.
The journey to the past is an exhilarating experience as it leaves us inspired
and cleverly elusive as well.
Bronze statue of Maharana Pratap riding Chetak
As we walked out of the museum we were bowled by the
irresistible speed boat ride across the Fateh Sagar Lake. Though the ride lasted
for a few minutes, the bouncy jumps it offered on a wintery morning while the
popular Bollywood numbers played in the background made the ride pretty
exciting. Then we visited Saheliyon ki Bari, a royal garden meant for the royal
ladies and their women's entourage. It has fountains, lotus pools, carved gateways and fountains. During our visits to all these historical places in Udaipur,
we were pleasantly delighted that none of these structures were left decrepit.
In fact, the concerned authorities have made diligent efforts to restore the
structures to act as repositories of our illustrious past.
Saheliyon ki Bari
We next stopped at Shilp Gram, a craft village where skilled craftsman and artisans from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan displayed their unique talents. It actually showcases the typical village environment in each of the states. Thatched huts, sheds, and wooden houses seen in the remote villages are the special attractions of the place. Youngsters who are born, and bred in the metros remotely deprived of the pleasure of the countryside can have an opportunity of acquainting themselves of the rural India. Here we had the privilege of talking to some of the craftsmen who were extremely happy with the state government for taking a special interest in patronising the artisans and craftsmen with exceptional talent. We had a unique learning opportunity here when we accidentally stumped into a hut displaying a rare collection of crystal objects. Moved by our curiosity and interest the crystal maker a winner of 37 international awards started narrating about his accomplishments. He is an Indian government-sponsored craftsman, travelled to 56 countries and is a visiting professor at Oxford University. For a majority of us, who still believe that professional courses are the proclaimed path to glory and success, his route of excellence and passion towards the selected vocation is the perfect answer.
Shilp Gram
By late afternoon, we proceeded to Monsoon Palace formerly
Sajjan Garh Palace, constructed atop the hill. The fort was a summer resort
for the raja who overlooked the beauty of the lakes and also used to observe
the monsoon clouds. This fort has a unique mechanism of storing the
rainwater for round-the-year use, hence the name Monsoon Palace. Presently this
is under the control of Rajasthan Forest Board and has a display of charts
containing pictures of the fauna and flora found in the Aravalli ranges. Since
it is located at the highest elevation in Udaipur, it offers a panoramic view of
the lakes, forts, hills, and the countryside. It is touted to be the best place to watch the sunset. This place was shown in the James Bond Movie Octopussy as well. Hundreds of
tourists awaited in the grand balconies to watch the spectre of sunset. As the
sun started bowing down making way for the moon, the gradual spell of the
orange light began to wane and a curtain of darkness began to engulf the skies.
Soon the crowds started retreating into the confines of the concrete jungle. As
we came across the brightly lit corridors of small shops displaying colourful
stuff in the undulating lanes of the old city, an irresistible urge for
shopping overpowered us. Most of the stuff up for sale are signature
product of the land and speaks volumes of the talent of the local artisans.
Probably these craftsmen must have flourished under the steady patronage of the
rajas. This is true for most of the places, wherever strong kingdoms ruled
those provinces had signature products. This obviously sends an unequivocal
message that local art and culture can be nurtured only if the local
governments undertake strong initiatives to encourage the artisans.
Unfortunately, we were unable to find a good place to savour the local
delicacies, hence had to quench our hunger with regular roti and dal.
Sunset from Monsoon Palace
On the final day of our trip, we decided to visit some
historical pilgrimage centres around Udaipur. We first travelled to Nagda, 23km North-west of Udaipur on a highway to Nathdwara. This is recognised as a
heritage monument by the Archaeological Society of India and is popularly referred to
as the Saas-Bahu temple. The temple is almost in its ruins but the marvellous
carvings on the walls speak volumes about its glory of yesteryears. The temple
was actually dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Some of the carvings on the inner walls
of the deserted temple have clear depictions of incidents in Ramayana. Sitting
by the side of Lake Bagela, the ruins stand as stunning examples of
architectural excellence and engineering skills dating back to the 10th
century.
Temple ruins of the Saas-Bahu
The temple Eklingji the reigning deity of the Mewar Kingdom is one
kilometre away from Nagda. It is a temple complex that has 108 temples now closely
guarded but access to some parts is restricted due to security reasons. Eklingji
is highly revered among the locals. The main temple made of sandstone and
marble had several intricate carvings. It houses the four-faced image of Lord
Siva in black marble. During our visit, the temple wore a festive look with
locals actively engaging in bhajans, devotional dances, and beating drums. We
then headed to Nathdwara, 23 km from Eklingji temple. The place is famous for the temple of
Shrinathji, a 7-year-old boy in the 14th century who was considered as an incarnation of Bhagwan Vishnu. It is the most popular Vaishnavaite shrine and is
considered to be the Lord Balaji of the North. The main deity is the black-faced
Lord Krishna with raised hands holding the Mount Govardhan. The place is famous
for the noted Rajasthani style of Pichwai-painting where artists depict the
rasalilas of Lord Krishna. The temple was thronged by thousands of devotees
mostly from Gujarat. Unlike at the Eklingji temple, scores of devotees thronged
the temple premises and briskly huddled past each other to have the
darshan of the Bhagwan adding to a lot of commotion and confusion. The whole purpose
of visiting the sacred places almost gets lost if no order prevails. Though
most of us don’t enjoy such a pilgrimage this is unfortunately becoming the
order among the temple crowds. The roads en route temple corridors were
extremely busy with shopkeepers making brisk business. Either side of the road
was occupied by street hawkers selling different milk sweets, pakoras and
various tantalising fried foods. Though the local delicacies were
mouth-watering, compromised hygienic issues have stopped us from devouring any
of the stuff. Restraining our culinary senses, we stepped into a
well-maintained hotel for our lunch.
Shrinathji
As we were heading to Udaipur, we realised that the place is
quite arid and dry. We thanked ourselves for planning this trip in winter else
we will be scorched by the intense heat. We then relaxed for a few hours in the hotel
room and got ready for the return journey home. Udaipur, unlike most of the
cities, is pretty much clean and maintained well. The place is really geared up
to receive a constant exodus of foreign tourists and extend unforgettable
hospitality. Most of them have a reasonably good level of communication skills in
English, one more reason for its growing popularity.
Photographs Courtesy: Dr. Bhaskar Teegela
@ Copyrights Reserved.
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