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Udaipur
The popularity of leisurely cruises on Lake Pichola of Udaipur among international tourists has earned it the title of ‘Venice of the East’. The culture of the city is quite similar to other Rajasthan cities of similar stature with royal grandeur strewn all over the city, colorful festivals, markets offering typical Rajasthani handicrafts, and warm hospitality and world-class services in some of the most prominent luxury heritage hotels of the state. The most beautiful city of Rajasthan, Udaipur has inspired writers, poets, and painters with its romance and fairy-tale palaces. Grandiose temples, fabulous gardens, and lakes retain the influence of a glorious heritage of the city. Udaipur has a glorious past. One of the most important cities of the mighty Mewar kingdom ruled by Sisodia Rajputs for about 1200 years, Udaipur has an interesting legend about its origin. It is believed that when Maharana Udai Singh lost Chittorgarh to Mughal Emperor Akbar, he met a local hermit in the forests of a hill overlooking Lake Pichola. The holy man pointed out the beauty and favorable environment for a burgeoning and prosperous city to the Maharana. The fertile valley area watered by a stream and a lake surrounded by low Aravalli hills was indeed an enticing sight and less vulnerable than Chittorgarh. Maharana took the advice and proceeded to build a city named after him in the amphitheater region. After his death in 1572, the legendary warrior Maharana Pratap Singh took over the kingdom and became a Rajput icon for gallantry and valor. The legends of the battle of Haldighati in 1576 are still narrated with pride. Mewar and Udaipur has a checkered history of bloody battles with foreign invaders, until it signed the peace treaty with British. Lake Pichola is remarkable in itself but the City Palace standing on its bank is ethereal. The opulent granite and marble structure originally had 11 gates. Five remain intact to this date, including Suraj Pol or the Sun Gate, the main entrance to the complex. The beautiful Lake Palaces of Udaipur cast a magic on the visitors with their romantic settings on the islands in Lake Pichola, landscaped gardens, historical associations, highly wrought exteriors, and lavish interiors.
Udaipur , Reservation Form
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Udaipur is one of the most important Rajasthan cities that have played a crucial role in shaping up culture and tradition of Rajasthan. Founded by Maharana Udai Singh II in 1568, it is an important tourist destination that has secured its place in golden chapters of Rajasthan. Situated on the Jaipur-Mumbai Highway, Udaipur is easily accessible by road, rail or air. Often known as the City of Lakes because of the abundance of water bodies, it is 420 km from Jaipur – the capital of Rajasthan.
