UDAIPUR :The Erstwhile Capital of Mewar,City of amazing Lakes, the City Palace & Kumbhalgarh Fort, The Great Mewar King -Rana Pratap:The unconquered/undefeated Maharana of the Haldighati battle against the mighty Moghul army which was demoralised/terrified by his Valour,the indomitable courage & bravery

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UDAIPUR :The city is a lovely blend of lakes, lush green hills, forts, palaces ,temples, gardens and narrow lanes. Its fondly called the ‘Venice of India’.The sight of the historic monuments bring to mind tales of heroic past infused with valour and chivalry. Of the original 11gates only 5 are remaining. The Suraj pol on the astern side is the main entrance to the city.The lake palace on Jagniwas island in middle of Pichhola lake is the finest example of its Architecture and cultural exposition. Sahelion ki badi, the city palace and Jagdish mandir are other noteworthy architectural illustrations. Several places of interest around Udaipur include majestic Chittorgarh,Haldighati,mountain fortress of Kumbhalgarh,Jain temples Ranakpur,Eklingji,Nathdwara and cool retreat of Mt. Abu make the visit to Udaipur a memorable one.Its mesmerizing sights are an inspiration to the poets, writers and painters.Fairy tale palaces,lakes and forts create a picture of prefect atmosphere for the tourists.The Pichhola lake mirrors a feeling of wonder and tranquility .Udaipur was once the epicenter of heroism ,valour and chivalry.Its a jewel of Mewar -a kingdom rued by Sisodia dynasty for 1200yrs.Like so many cities in Rajasthan,Udaipur comes with a legend-Maharaja Udai Singh met a sage meditating on a hill overlooking Pichhola lake who advised him to build his palace on that spot nestled in an amphitheatre of low mountains.He built Udaipur city palace in 1559 overlooking the Pichhola lake-a great marvel in granite and marble.

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About Udaipur: It was founded by Maharana Udai Singh in 1559 and shifted the capital of Mewar from Chittorgarh to Udaipur in 1559.Its Population-4,51,100(census-2011)Elevation-600mt above msl,Religions:Hindism,Jainism and Islam. Area-37sqkm ,660 km from Delhi.Nearest Airport is Dabok -24km from city center.Railways-Udaipur Jn.is connected to major cities.It was capital ofthe erstwhile Mewar from 1559 to 1949.

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Main tourist attractions:

1)City Palace:A majestic architectural marvel towering over the lake in a conglomeration of courtyards,pavilians,terraces,corrodors,rooms and hanging gardens.Main entrance is through the Tripolia gate with 8 marble porticos.The Suraj Gokhada ,the balcony where the Suryavanshi maharanas of Mewar presented themselves to people in time of trouble to restore their confidence. The Mor chowk is known for its exquisite peacock mosaics in glass and chini chitrashala noted for its blue and white ceramics. Govt. Archealogical museum with rich collection of paintings of Mewar is worth visiting.2)Jagdish temple was built in 1651by Maharana Jagat Singh.The Indo Aryan temple is largest and beautiful with noteworthy sculptures. 3)Bhartiya Lok kala Mandal:Its a indian folk arts museum including folk dresses ,ornaments ,puppets ,dolls,folk musical instruments,folk deities and paintings .4)Sahelion ki badi-is a small ornamental garden with fountains as relaxing spots of royal ladies who went for a stroll, with delightful pools, chiselled kiosks and marble elephants. 5)Pratap Memorial: Atop the motimagri overlooking the fatehsagar, is the memorial of Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with his bronze statue.6)Fateh sagar :A beautiful lake overlooking hills on 3 sides and Pratap memorial on North was built by maharana Fateh Singh.In the middle of the lake is the Nehru park- a lovely garden island with a boat shaped café assessible by an enjoyable boat ride.7)Pichhola lake:A picturesque lake was enlarged by the founder by hills, palaces, temples ,Jagmandir and Jagnivas lake palace are all of breathtaking beauty.8)Ahar :The ancient capital of Sisodias boasts of profusion of Royal cenotaphs of rulers of Mewar.A rare collection of antiques including iron potsand other art items excavated in the region are displayed in small Govt. museum.9)Sajjangarh Fort :Dominating the city’s skyline ,it offers panoramic views of lakes palaces and surrounding countryside, built by Maharaja Sajjan Singh.10)Gulab bagh:A rose garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh and a library has a rare collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books.Toy trains and Zoo for children are added attractions.11)Eklingji: Its a Hindu temple complex in Udaipur distt.and believed to be the ruling deity of Mewar princely state.Constructed by Bappa Rawal in 8th century ,reinstalled by Hammir Singh in 14th century and renovated by Rana Kumbha in 15th century.It was destroyed by Mughals twice which finally was renovated by Rana Raimal (1473-1509) installing the present Vigraha murty in the main temple. 12)Kumbhalgarh fort: It was built by maharana Rana Kumbha (1419-1463)in 15th century,its at 1914 mts elevation and is the principal fortification after Chittorgarh and extends 12km enclosing gardens, palaces and temples.The Badal mahal & Kumbhalgarh wild life sanctuary is an attraction .13)Jagat , 14)Nathdwara: 15)Rajsamand lake and Kankroli: ,16)Nagda: ,17)Chittorgarh, 18) Sajjangarh:, 19)Ranakpur, 20)Haldighati & Chetak smarak

Travel facilities:

a)Dabok airport is at a distance of 24 km from city center. b)Rail:Udaipur jn. is connected to major cities. c)Road:wide network of bus services. d)Local transport :Tourist Reception and Guide centre. e)Conducted tours of RTDC to various tourist destinations like Eklingji ,Haldighati , Nathdwara,Rajsamand,Kankroli,Chittorgarh &Ranakpur.are easily available for booking. f)Hotels&Havelis:Super Dx to budget hotels are available offering local food specialities.

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MAHARANA PRATAP SINGH SISODIA (1540-1597): He was crowned as the 13th Mewar King (1572-1597)after his father Maharaja Udai Singh in 1572.He was a true knight and an epitome of raw courage and love for his motherland-a glorious saga of Rajput valour and spirit of sacrifice for the cherished principles. He died in 1597 during a hunting accident.He was the first freedom fighter & ‘Bharat ka veer putra.’in real terms.

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THE BATTLE OF HALDIGHATI:

In 1576 the battle of Haldighati was fought between Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Moghul Emporer led by Man Singh of Amber at Khamnor ,Haldighati about 10km from Gogunda.The sieze of Chittor in 1568 led to loss of fertile Eastern belt of Mewar to Moghuls.Akbar then decided to attack Udaipur to expand his kingdom.The battle of Haldighati was fought fiercely and the outcome of the battle mustn’t be concluded on religious basis.The Mewar forces prevailed over the mighty Moghul army clashing with full vigour & courage and forced them to flee owing to their better strategy and planning in the location.The Moghuls were not able to capture Maharana Pratap as he escaped into the mountains to gain vital time before launching fresh offensive on the enemy.The Moghul army was so terrified of Maharana that it returned back to Gogunda after failing in their mission. Therefore Maharana Pratap was clearly victorious in the Haldighati battle.Akbar was very upset with Man Singh and stopped his entry into his Darbar .Akbar made many more attacks on Maharana Pratap but without any success.During the Haldighati battle,Chetak was injured seriously and died beside a nallah near the battlefield.The gallant horse was cremated ceremoniously & Chetak Memorial was constructed at the location. Maharana Pratap fought a fierce battle at Diver valley and had a decisive victory.He made Chavand his new capital .After that Maharana fought and regained back from Moghuls the western belt of Mewar- Kumbhalgarh,Udaipur& Gogunda.He died at Chavand during a hunting incident in 1597.

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Readers may pl. note that all the information provided is from reliable sources(to which I’m very grateful)to the best of my knowledge.Still if anything is found incorrect kindly convey it on my site.I will make sure that it is duly edited. Pl.read the Udaipur & Chittorgarh blogs in conjunction to relate with Sisodia Dynasty Rulers.