We'd had a great time in Ahmedabad and after several days there, planned a bus trip to Udaipur, the Lake City, about 300 kms north-east in Rajasthan state. We booked the bus then hired a tuktuk to get us to the bus station. This should have been straight forward, except that just as out tuktuk arrived at the bus station, our bus drove off.
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| Village transport and roadworks |
However, with the help of another tuktuk, dodging the local village transport of camels, donkeys, and oxen, and detouring because of roadworks, we finally caught up with the bus at its next stop, and boarded.
The bus was comfortable and we enjoyed travelling through the tiny rural villages making for an interesting, albeit slow, 6-hour drive.
It was slow because of the roadworks.
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| Dusty roads but interesting villages |
But in all cases, the villages we have passed through have been really interesting.
Once in Udaipur, the bus stopped in the outskirts, and we were told that we had to get off. Not speaking the language, we had no idea what was going on - much confusion reigned.
Then a tuktuk driver (we have met many on this trip), said he knew of our hotel and that it was in the old city of Udaipur. After another round of bargaining to agree a price (it’s expected), and off we went with him in his tuktuk.
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| No room for tuktuks or cars in the narrow street of old Udaipur |
We very quickly saw why the bus could go no further - the streets became increasingly narrow so that even the tuktuk found it tight.
Eventually, we arrived at Panorama Guest House; an attractive traditional style building. After checking in and each being presented with a welcoming garland of pretty flowers, we hauled our cases up three flights of steep steps, to our room.
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| Our hotel: hand-painted decorations and a beautiful brass lock |
It was spacious and lovely, with hand-painted pictures on the ceilings and walls, and other traditional features. We just loved the front door and key. The door had a huge brass bolt and a big padlock to match, with a beautiful brass elephant and key.
As we explored this interesting guest house, we were delighted to find a sunny courtyard with a fountain and a shady rooftop restaurant. It really was quite lovely.
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| View from our room across Lake Pichola, Udaipur |
There were great views of the city from the rooftop restaurant, and we had a wee balcony off our room that had fabulous views across the lake.
But to our dismay, the air-con wouldn’t work and the temperature was over 35 degrees Celsius! However, one-hour and two electricians later, it hummed along and we began to relax and cool down.
Not long after that, we went out to explore this interesting-looking city.
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| Marg on footbridge to the old city of Udaipur |
It was easy to walk from our guest house, through the narrow streets, over a footbridge spanning one end of Lake Pichola, and into the old city centre.
Udaipur is a small city by India standards, with a population of around 470,000. Founded in 1559, it is the historical capital of the kingdom of Mewar, but now known as the "City of Lakes" or the "Lake City" because of the seven lakes that surround it.
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| Interesting architecture and decorations in the old city of Udaipur |
Much of the architecture in the old part of the city reflects the traditional Mewar style, with most buildings having beautiful filigree or hand-painted decorations of people, animals, and patterns.
Roaming around the quaint narrow and crooked streets, we
popped into various places for sightseeing, or for a break from the oppressive
heat.
There are several palaces in Udaipur, and we visited a few
including the marble Monsoon Palace, and the Lake Garden Palace. But our
favourite was the City Palace.
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| Udaipur with the City Palace atop the hill |
It is located in the old city at the end of one of the wider streets in Udaipur, and strategically built on a hill overlooking Lake Pichola.
The Palace was constructed over a period of nearly 400 years, commencing in 1559. Over those years, several rulers of the Mewar dynasty, contributed to its design and decoration.
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| Entry archway for the City Palace, Udaipur |
The whole lot has now been, or is in the process of being restored, and set up as a museum. The items on show include rooms, decorative furniture, antiques, paintings, and utensils of the Mewar royal era.
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| Inside the City Palace, Udaipur |
It is stunningly decorated, both inside and out, with many beautiful frescoes. We found it really interesting, and spent quite some time there.
The next day, we just kicked around the city enjoying the ambiance and the local activities.
There was a lot of activity near us. Men in large and small turbans were seen riding motor-scooters; and there were horses, donkeys and other animals freely wandering around the streets.
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| Activities seen in Udaipur |
We saw women doing their washing in the nearby lake, and people bathing and swimming in it too. There were artists painting murals, many craftsmen making metal or pottery bowls, and a myriad of other activities that make Udaipur so charming.
That evening, we visited a local haveli (traditional mansion) that holds regular concerts. We found the cultural dances, costumes, puppetry and music very interesting.
The following day, we travelled about 117 km east of Udaipur to visit Chittorgarh Fort for the day.
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| The imposing wall and view of the plains, Chittorgarh Fort (UNESCO) |
We booked a taxi to take us there, and after rather fast and swervy ride, we reached this historic fortification. Built in the 7th century, it is the largest fort in India and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The fort is situated on the top of a hill and surrounded by a very thick wall. Driving up the hill took us through several impressive gates, and through one, we could look down over the plains that would have been the site of centuries of battle.
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| Top (L-R): Jaimal and Patta’s Palace, Kirti Stambh Jain temple. Below: Rana Kumbha Palace, Victory Tower |
The fort sprawls across 700 hectares. Because of its size, we drove between the various ruins and buildings, rather than walking, enjoying the brief reprieve offered by the taxi’s air-conditioning in between.
After a hot, long, but very interesting day, we headed back to Udaipur and packed our gear ready to move on.
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| Some of the streets in Udaipur |
We really liked Udaipur; it has quite a relaxed feeling to it, the architecture is lovely, its tiny streets are charming and the old city is very easy to walk around, even in the heat. There are many lovely cafes about, and plenty of bazaars and markets. It is a very attractive, authentic and vibrant city.
After a lovely break here, we were ready to travel to Jodhpur, our next destination.
The above blog is part of our 2-month tour of India. The first blog on this tour is called "Off to Delhi".
The above blog is part of our 2-month tour of India. The first blog on this tour is called "Off to Delhi".