Venice of the East, Udaipur

India is a vast country and each one of its states and cities has its own colour and flavour. Mumbai may be the lifeline of this world’s second-fastest-growing economy and also the new face of India with its five-star hotels, hip lifestyle and vibrant nightlife. And Delhi and Agra maybe the location of the greatest monuments of the country like Taj Mahal that are evidence of its glorious past. But that’s not all, if you head to the state of Rajasthan you will be able to see some of the most magnificent cities of India with some of its most stunning architecture. The pink city of Jaipur being the closest to Delhi is one that receives the most tourist traffic but if you can venture into the heartland of Rajput city-states you can witness the Venice of the East, Udaipur.

Considered as the most seductive city of India, Udaipur rose to fame with the Bond series movie Octopussy which was filmed in this historical city back in the ’80s. The major attraction of the city is the snow-white Lake Pichola and the gorgeous buildings on its banks with their reflections in the lake creating a mesmerizing sight. There is a small airport in the city but there are no direct flights available for it, instead, you can take a cheap flight to Delhi or Jodhpur and then either take a connecting flight to Udaipur or make the journey by road. As the city is one of the most visited places in the state so you will find quite a lot of accommodation facilities with most of the major hotels located close to Lake Pichola. If you are looking for some cheap hotels then you can head to the northern part of the city which is a lot farther from the lake but you will save quite a lot of your hard-earned cash by choosing this area for your stay in the city.

The city was built in 1559 by Maharaja Udai Singh and so bears his name. The city made a name for itself during the Mughal invasions of the Rajput lands as the city which put up the most resistance so much so that it has become the part of the folklore of the Rajasthan. Like most of the other tourists to Udaipur, the first place you will want to visit is the floating Lake Palace, which is the largest palace of the Rajasthan with a 244 m façade. The palace is a combination of the building constructed by different maharajas at different times but the most striking feature of the complex is the uniformity of the design. There is a museum within the palace that provides quite a deep insight into the history of the city.

Another building worth your visit is the Bagore Ki-Haveli, a 138 rooms mansion built in the 18^th century by the then prime minister of the Udaipur. The haveli is built on the water’s edge near Gangur Ghat, and today it acts as a cultural showpiece of the city with its restored houses and cultural displays, the most famous of the attractions of the haveli is the world’s biggest turban in one of its room.