India Travel
Fateh Sagar of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Not far west of Sahelion-ki-Bari is Fateh Sagar, a lake fringed by sharp hills and connected to Lake Pichola by a canal built shortly after the turn of the twentieth century. At the jetty on the western shore, you can hop on the boat that ferries tourists across the water to Nehru Park in the centre of the Jake (daily: summer Sam—6.30pm; winter 8am-6pm; Rs3).The park, constructed in 1937 as a famine relief project, is nothing special, but pleasant enough if you want to get away from the bustle of the town.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Around Fateh Sagar of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Anand Bhawan, off Fateh Sagar Road. Pricey government-run hilltop hotel, with commanding views from its lawns and terraces, but nowhere near as much panache as the Laxmi I/Has nearby. Hilltop Palace, Ambavgarh. Most swish and modern of the upscale places above Fateh Sagar, with superb views, panoramic rooftop bar and restaurant, and the best pool in town. Their lake-facing rooms cost double, but ask for a discount. Laxmi Vilas Palace, off Fateh Sagar Road. Gopal Singh's nineteenth-century hilltop guesthouse, overlooking Fateh Sagar Lake, is now run by ITDC. Although marginally less pricey than other palace hotels, it's still sumptuously
The City of Udaipur in Rajasthan
The original settlement of Udaipur focused around the grand City Palace. bordering the west shore of Lake Pichola. Immediately north is the maze of tightly winding streets that constitute the old city. It cakes a few days of wandering before this labyrinth becomes intelligible; start by getting acquainted with the gates and circles that form traffic islands at the major crossroads. From the clock tower that marks the northern edge of the old city, roads lead east to the tourist information office and Ahar, west to the lake, and north to the GPO at Chetak Circle. Continuing north, the road
Shilpgram of Udaipur in Rajasthan
The road running around the north of Fateh Sagar leads to the rural arts and crafts centre ot Shilpgram (daily 9.30am-6pm; Rs10), near the village of Havala, 5km out from town and best reached by bike. This exemplary crafts village - one of the best in the country - was set up to promote and preserve the traditional architecture, music and crafts of the tribal people of western India, and holds displays of the diverse traditional lifestyles and customs of India's rural population. Dwellings arranged in the compound include a solid two-storey wooden house from northern Gujarat, exquisitely carved throughout, circular
East of Udaipur in Rajasthan
The belt of hilly land east of Udaipur is the most fertile in Rajasthan, watered by several perennial rivers. Although you need your own vehicle to penetrate the countryside, the historic town of Chittaurgarh, which preceded Udaipur as the seat of Mewar's rulers, is easily accessible by bus. Further east, clusters of crumbling temples mark the sites of still older cities. In the far southeast, the heartland of the princely state of Kota, palaces and forts in Kota and Bundi stand sentinel over fields of wheat, groundnut, castor-oil plants and opium poppies. A prime crop here for centuries, opium is
Eating of Udaipur in Rajasthan
The place to eat in Udaipur has long been the Lake Palace's romantic dining terrace, reached by launch from the Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel.The closest most visitors get to it, however, are the rooftop restaurants stacked behind Lai and Gangaur Ghats, whose gastronomic shortcomings and generally inflated prices are more than offset by spellbinding views over Pichola Lake to the distant Aravallis. Many of the cheaper places in this area advertise free screenings of the James Bond movie Octopussy, with its manic boat and auto-rickshaw chases around the city's landmarks, beginning every evening, usually at 7pm. Thankfully, you can escape
Chittaurgarh East of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Of all the former Rajput capitals, CHITTAURGARH (or Chittor), 115km northeast of Udaipur, was the strongest bastion of Hindu resistance against the Muslim invaders. No less than three mass suicides (johars) were committed over the centuries by the female inhabitants of its fort, whose husbands watched their wives, sisters and mothers burn alive before smearing ash from the sacred funeral pyres over their bodies and riding to their deaths on the battlefield below. An air of desolation still hangs over the honey-coloured ramparts, temples, towers and palaces of the old citadel, which sprawls over a rocky plateau high above the
Around Udaipur in Rajasthan
You'd need to have a lot of time on your hands to see more than a fraction of the ruins, palaces, temples, forts, lakes and wildlife sanctuaries that abound in the countryside around Udaipur. Day-trips northeast of the city can take in the important historic temples of Nagda. Eklingji, Nathdwara. and Kankroli along NH-H towards Bhihwara, or the peaceful wooded surroundings ot Ranakpur and Kumbalgarh. which also make appealing stopovers before you join NH-15 en route to Jodhpur. Renting a car saves time, but regular and efficient local buses, as well as private tour companies, serve both routes.
Around Agartala in the Northeast
On the border with Bangladesh, 27km south of Agartala, the large lake of Kamala Sagar is overlooked by a small but important Kali Temple. Its twelfth-century sandstone image of Mahisa-Mardini, a form of Durga, has a skwatingam in front of it. Buses leave from Battala bus stand in Agartala to the lake (5 daily: 1hr). On the road to Udaipur, 33km south of Agartala, the nature reserve at Sepahijala extends over eighteen square kilometres, with a lake, zoo and botanical gardens, and is home to primates including the Hoolock gibbon and goiden langur and around 150 species of birds. The beautiful
Udaipur in Rajasthan
Despite the last twenty years of unchecked ferro-concrete construction, James Tod's assessment of UDAIPUR still holds true. Reflected in the shimmering waters of Pichola Lake, the city's skyline of whitewashed havelis and tapering temple shikhams, surmounted by the domes and ornately carved balconies of the famous Rajput city palace, has managed to keep its head above the rising tide of hotels and terrace restaurants, and remains one of Asia's most exotic spectacles. Enjoying it from a boat at water level, or on a rooftop in the cool of the evening, many travellers are tempted to forget their tight itineraries. In
Kumbalgarh North of Udaipur in Rajasthan
The remote hilltop fort of KUMBALGARH, 84km north of Udaipur, is the most formidable of the 32 constructed by Maharana Kumbha in the fifteenth century. Protected by a series of seven thick ramparts, it was only successfully besieged once, when a confederacy led by Akbar poisoned the Sisodias' water supply - the Moghul emperor later returned it to them anyway. Aside from the impressive fortifications and ancient monuments they enclose, the main reason to venture out here is to experience the idyllic Aravalli countryside. Winding through a string of tribal villages and picturesque valleys, the Udaipur road alone more than
Royal cenotaphs and Ahar museum of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Across the narrow Ahar River, 2km east of Udaipur, domed cenotaphs huddle together on the site of the royal cremation ground. Raised on platforms, some of which are decorated with shiva Jingams, many of the chhatris are falling into disrepair, and the site is pretty dirty Even so, it's a good place to pick up on local history, featuring an ornate memorial to the prodigious builder jagat Singh (1628-52) and the cenotaph of Amar Singh (died 162(1) who contributed so much to the City Palace, embellished with friezes depicting the immolation of his wives. Less than lkm south of here, archeological
Ajmer Accommodation East of Jaipur in Rajasthan
With long-distance bus and train departures conveniently timed so that you can make them from Pushkar, it's hard to think of a reason to spend a night in Ajmer. However, the town has many hotels to house the flow of pilgrims visiting the Dargah, and although most are chock-full during Urs Mela, at other times rooms are in plentiful supply. A collection of cheap lodges stand opposite the railway station, and there are also a few hotels in the bazaar Mansingh Palace, Ana Sagar Circular Road. Luxury hotel in ideal surroundings, a lew kilometres northwest of town on the shores of
Travel details in the Rajasthan
Trains Jaipur to: Agra (2 daily; 7hr); Ahmedabad (2 daily; 14hr); Ajmer (5 daily; 2-3hr); Alwar (7 daily; 2hr 35min-4hr); Bikaner (3 daily; 6hr 30min-1 Ohr); Calcutta (2 daily: 29hr); Chittaurgarh (2 daily; 7hr 40min-8hr 15min); Chum (3 daily: 5hr 20min); Delhi (8 daily; 4hr 20min-6hr 30]; Jhunjhunu (3 daily; 4hr 40min-6hr); Jodhpur (4-5 daily; 5hr-6hr iOmin); Kota (3 daily; 3hr 45min); Mount Abu (3 daily; 8-9hr); Mumbai (2 daily; 16hr 30min-22hr); Sawai Madhopur (2-3 daily; 2hr-3hr 20min); Sikar (5 daily; 3hr); Udaipur (2 daily; 10-12hr). Jodhpur to: Abu Road (3 daily: 5hr); Agra (2 daily; 13hr); Ahmedabad (3 daily; 10hr);
Nathdwara of Udaipur in Rajasthan
The temple dedicated to Krishna - known also as Nath, the favourite avatar (incarnation) otVishnu - at NATHDWARA."Gateway to God", is said to be the second richest temple in India after Tirupati (in Andhra Pradesh). The site was known as Sihar until the moment in the seventeenth century when1 a chariot laden with an image of Krishna became stuck in the mud 26km north of Eklingji. The idol was being carried from Krishna's birthplace Mathura to Udaipur to spare it almost certain destruction by Aurangzeb; its bearers interpreted the event as a divine sign and established a new temple where
Shiv Sagar at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh
A short way south of the complex, a few hundred metres from Matangesvara, the Shiv Sagar tank is surrounded by a motley assortment of buildings and open space. The steps down to it are animated with pilgrims bathing and collecting water from the "Ocean of Shiva". Cunningham's original map of the temples showed a body of water that ran north to divide the Western Group into two sections; crossing it to the temples may have represented a symbolic transition from the finite to the celestial.
Kankroli and Rajsamand of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Northeast of Nathdwara, NH-8 winds through another 17km of undulating scrub before reaching KANKROLI, 65km from Udaipur. This dusty little market town stands on the shores of the vast Rajsamand Lake, whose construction was commissioned by Maharana Raj Singh in the seventeenth century after a terrible drought swept Rajasthan. On the lake's western shore, a few kilometres our of town, is Nauchowki. a collection of nine chowks (pavilions), on platforms above the steps leading to the water. With carved pillars and ceilings showing scenes from the life of Krishna, these chowks were erected by Raj Singh to commemorate his marriage to
Amar Sagar, Sam and Barra Bagh in Rajasthan
A short distance northwest of Jaisalmer, AMAR SAGAR is a small peaceful town set around a large lake (empty during the dry season). A former palace and large complex of Jain temples, recently restored to their former magnificence, stand on the lake edges. The huge, rolling sand dunes 40km west of Jaisalmer are known as SAM, though strictly this is the name of a small village further west. The dunes are so famous in Rajasthan that most tourists don't realize that there are others throughout the desert; consequently they have become a prime attraction. There's even an RTDC tourist bungalow,
Gadi Sagar Tank and the Folklore Museum to the Jaisalmer in Rajasthan
South of the city through an imposing triple gateway, Gadi Sagar Tank, built in 1367, was once Jaisalmer's sole water supply. Its north and east banks are flanked with ghats and temples whose sandstone bricks glow with a warm deep ochre in the evening light. This peaceful place is the focus of the festival of Gangaur in March, when women fling flowers into the lake and pray for a good husband, and the Maharawal heads a procession amid a pomp and splendour unchanged for generations. The delightful little Folklore Museum near the tank's main gate (daily 8am-7pm; Rs10) has some interesting
Practicalities to Kata East of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Kota's railway station is in the north of town, a few kilometres from the central bus stand. The tourist office (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm) is in the RTDC Chambal Hotel, Nayarpura, not far from the bus stand. Changing money is a time-consuming process. The State Bank of India on Aerodrome Circle will change travellers' cheques: other banks do not. The post office is on Station Road (Mon-Sat 6am-6pm).
Arrival, information and city transport of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Daily flights connect Dabok Airport, 25km east of Udaipur, with Mumbai, Delhi, Aurangabad and Jaipur. Taxis run to the city itself for around Rs200. Trains from Delhi and Ahmedabad pull in at Udaipur City Station a little to the south of the town centre (don't get off at Udaipur Station, much further north).The bus stand is a few hundred metres north of here, directly opposite Udai Pole, the easternmost gate of the old city. The easiest way to get into town from either is to jump in a rickshaw or conga. The town's grand but largely ineffectual tourist office (Mon—Sat )