﻿India is known for its busy streets and buzzing cities.
But if you’re a local, or if you’ve ever been to India,
you would know that there are also more peaceful and calm places like this.
This beautiful city is one of the most romantic cities in India.
Welcome to Udaipur! The City of Lakes.
The historic city of Udaipur is located in Rajasthan.
Meaning the Land of Kings.
The largest state in India located in the northwest.
Surrounded by a total of 7 lakes, people sometimes refer to Udaipur
as the Venice of the East. Besides its lakes, it’s best known for
Its forts, palaces, gardens, architecture, Royal heritage, art, and sunsets.
In today’s video, we’ll see what makes the city
one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
We didn't come at the ideal time.
Most people like to visit Udaipur between September and March.
When the weather is more pleasant and not as hot.
Lake Pichola is an artificial freshwater lake. Now that might make you think that
it must have been created in recent years. But it was actually created in the year 1362.
That makes it the oldest lake in Udaipur.
Gangaur Ghat is a beautiful spot by the waterfront.
Tourists and locals come here to absorb the beauty of the lake.
But as you can see,
Some use it for a place to swim on a hot day like this.
This is the City Palace. It’s the largest palace
in the State of Rajasthan and the second largest in India.
It's located on the lakeside of the Lake Pichola. And there’s also a museum inside.
Let’s go have a look!
It is not only the largest palace in Rajasthan
but also the most visited tourist attraction in the city.
The complex includes 11 palaces, gardens, terraces, pavilions,
and the City Palace Museum. Each palace was built for a unique purpose.
Each one features immense architectural details, And houses antique objects and artworks.
Also because the palace is built on a small hill,
you can get a really good view of the city and its surroundings.
Including several other monuments such as the the Lake Palace and Lake Pichola.
We would recommend that you're planning at least 2 to 3 hours
to explore the history and architecture
of the palace in detail because there is a lot to see.
If you want, there are guides available on site for an additional cost.
An interesting fact about the City Palace is that it was not just built by one king.
It was built over a period of 400 years. It was commissioned by Maharana Udai Singh II.
Who is also the founder of the city of Udaipur. That’s where the name comes from.
The Lake Palace is located in the middle of Lake Pichola.
And it’s the former summer palace of the royal family.
Which got turned into a hotel. Unfortunately, non-hotel guests
are not allowed to visit. But if you’re looking to
live like a king for a day or two and you want to enjoy the serene,
fantastic view from the middle of the lake, you can give this romantic hotel a try.
If not, you can always have a look by boat from the outside.
The palace is just as beautiful from the outside, as it is from the inside.
Just as you thought you had seen all of Udaipur’s palaces,
there is one more. And this one is located on a hilltop.
Overviewing a panoramic view of the city’s lakes,
hills, and surrounding countryside: the Monsoon Palace.
Even though Udaipur is famous for its lakes, don’t miss a visit to the local markets.
You can find anything from handicrafts to vegetables.
Udaipur is not only famous for its handicraft, but also for its miniature paintings.
The miniatures were painted with extremely fine brushes.
Made from just a few strands of squirrels' tail hair.
Many of the craftsmen have been doing these kind of paintings since generations.
And were once artists for the kings. Usually made from natural colours,
the paintings depict beautiful scenes from the artist's imagination
in incredible detail. Painted on small pieces of silk or paper.
An amazing activity which is a lot of fun is trying it yourself in a miniature
art workshop, run by local artists.
Honestly, it doesn’t look easy. But it’s even harder than it looks.
But don’t worry! With practice, patience
and the help of the artists, you can still create beautiful paintings.
Look at these elephants!
So which of them is mine, which of them is yours?
They’re identical.
My elephant is bigger than yours.
Yeah.
And more messy.
Udaipur has many temples. One of them is the Karni Mata Temple.
A Hindu temple dedicated to Karni Mata, the patron deity of the Rajput clan.
It was built in 1628. But it only started
receiving visitors from the year 1997.
People visit this temple for 2 main reasons. The first is the belief that the Goddess will
provide her blessings and grant longevity.
The second is to take in the breathtaking view from the top.
To get up to the Karni Mata Temple, you can either take the stairs and walk up,
Or you can take this ropeway Which costs only 117 Rupees.
Which is around 1,5 Euros.
According to a legend, Karni Mata’s sons
Were reincarnated as rats, particularly white rats.
Which is why you’ll find some rats in cages here.
Standing here at the top, you can see why this city
is called the City of Lakes. Over there is the Goverdhan Sagar Lake.
Here is the Pichola Lake. And over there is the Fateh Sagar Lake.
When visiting the City of the Lakes, you can’t miss going out on a boat ride.
It’s an amazing experience with scenic views of the lakeside.
Especially during the sunset time.
By the way, these are not birds, but thousands of fruit bats.
You can’t leave Udaipur before trying some of the local traditional food.
Perhaps the best way to try all the flavours is to simply order a Rajasthani Thali.
One of the most mouthwatering traditional dishes is Dal Bati Churma.
Which are dough balls made from wheat flour, served with lentils and
a sweet crumble made of semolina and flour.
Hope you enjoyed this video! Do subscribe to the DW Travel channel
for more such videos. See you next time!