Apni Dhani

A thematic village restaurant in Udaipur, Apni Dhani has it's own charm. Apart from the culinary delights of a restaurant, Apni Dhani tends to highlight the colourful life of the people in rural
Rajasthan. There are various shows arranged to delight the public, but it serves as a window to look at the culture of Rajasthan.

Lake Pichchola

Lake Pichola with exceptional scenic beauty is surrounded by hills, embankments, bathing ghats, shrines and palaces. The lake was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II after he founded the
city. He built a masonry dam, known as the 'Badi Pal', and the vast lake is nearly 5km in length and three km wide. The magnificence of the lake is enhanced by beautiful Lake Palaces, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir.

Saheliyon ki Baadi

I couldn't find much information about this beautiful garden, which displays its thirst for renovation and prompt restoration. In the outskirts of city, a few kilometers through the banks of the Fateh Sagar, our auto driver took us to this garden. If his stories were to be taken into face value, this garden was designed for the unique purpose of providing a rain-like shower for the princess (he told me the name, but it's now hard to recollect), a a gift from her father Rana Sangram Singh II, who did not want his daughter to be deprived of the pleasure of having a rain shower, in an arid city. Though the driver told us that the shower works purely on gravitational principles and manual operations, I couldn't find a suitable reason to believe it--neither by the way it was designed nor by the altitude it maintains vis-a-vis the level of the mighty Fateh Sagar.

City Palace: More images

City Palace

The City Palace

Largest palace complex in Rajasthan, the City Palace of Udaipur stands tall in glory and honour bearing testimony to the tumultous history it as witnessed. The construction of this great palace consummated a whopping 300+ years. Initially, Maharana Udai Singh built this superb wonder, but the present form of the Palace is the result of subsequent additions by his successors. City Palace boasts of the wonderful blend of Medieval, European and Chinese Architecture.

City Palace comprises 11 wonderful palaces, which were built by different rulers still they resemble each other. With the sheer glimpse of unique paintings, antique furniture and exquisite glass mirror & ornamental tiles work of these palaces, you will get amazed. Manak Mahal (Ruby Palace) has figures of crystal and porcelain. However, Bhim Vilas flaunts a fabulous collection of miniature paintings depicting the real life stories of Radha-Krishna.

The 'Krishna Vilas' is known for the noteworthy album of miniature paintings portraying royal processions, festivals and games of the Maharanas. Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace) is celebrated for its lavish decor while Sheesh Mahal (Palace of mirrors) is known for its breathtaking mirror work. 'Chini Chitrashala' is renowned for its Chinese and Dutch ornamental tiles. 'Dilkusha Mahal' (Palace of Joy) is known for the murals and wall paintings.

Bada Mahal is the exotic garden palace that stands erect on a 90 feet high natural rock formation. Rang Bhawan is the palace that used to contain royal treasure. There are temples of Lord Krishna, Meera Bai and Shiva, located right to the 'Rang Bhawan'. 'Mor Chowk' has exceptional glass mosaics of peacocks, set in the walls presenting the three seasons of summer, winter and monsoon. 'Laxmi Vilas Chowk' is an art gallery with a distinctive collection of Mewar paintings. City Palace has amazing interiors with delicate mirror-work, marble work, murals, wall paintings, silver work, inlay work and surplus of colored glass. The exquisite work of City Palace cannot be bounded in words, so one must visit this palace to capture the real picture of it.