Udaipur Lake Palace
The white walls of Udaipur's Lake Palace soar above the peaceful
waters of Lake Pichola, topped by ornamental battlements and
turrets. The sprawling palace has been developed by successive
maharanas since the foundation of Udaipur in 1559. These days, part
of the palace is home to the current maharana, a section of it is a
first-class hotel (with the best restaurant in the city), and the
remainder is a museum.
The approach to the City Palace is through the Elephant Gate,
Hati Pol. The Great Gate (Bara Pol) leads to the first court, where
eight carved arches mark the spot where the rulers were once
weighed against gold or silver, the equivalent value of which was
then distributed among the poor. Beyond the Tripolia Gate is the
arena where the elephant tug-of-war competitions were staged, past
which are a series of courtyards, overlapping pavilions, terraces,
corridors and hanging gardens.
The Krishna Vilas honours a 19th-century Udaipur princess, who
poisoned herself to avoid the dilemma of choosing a husband from
the two rival households of Jodhpur and Jaipur. Its walls display
miniature paintings portraying royal processions, festivals and
hunting parties. Further along, a glass mosaic gallery contains
superb portraits and stained glass, and offers a wonderful
panoramic view of the city below. Set into the walls of the
17th-century Mor Chowk are brilliant mosaics of three peacocks
showing the three seasons: summer, winter and monsoon. Perhaps the
most splendid rooms in the palace are the women's quarters, Zenana
Mahal, with their ornate alcoves, balconies and coloured
windows.
Udaipur's Lake Palace really does have a storybook quality to it
- both in terms of its looks and its history - and it is rightly
considered by all and sundry to be one of India's stellar tourist
attractions.
Address:
Pichola, Udaipur