Nathdwara Yathra - 3

      Radhekrishna! We reached Udhaipur by 6 a.m. We took an auto and reached our hotel. We had booked at the hotel online and so checked in to our room. We got ready quickly and went for a tour of Udhaipur by auto. Udhaipur is a beautiful city of lakes and palaces. Many of the palaces have been converted in to luxury hotels. We started with Pichola lake. Boat rides are conducted around the lake.It is a vast lake right in the middle of which is a palace turned hotel called Lake Palace Hotel run by the Taj group. The Lake Palace covers the entire island in the Pichola lake. Boat rides are conducted around the lake. We are taken around the Lake Palace Hotel. On the eastern shores are situated a series of massive palaces turned luxury hotels. We enjoyed the boat ride very much. 

       We were taken to Karna devi temple situated on a hill top next. Cable car services are provided to reach the top of the hill. On top is a small temple of Karna devi. The view from there is breath taking. Children will definitely enjoy the cable car ride. 

 We proceeded our tour and passed by City Palace which is partly occupied by the royal family and the rest is open for visitors. It is a big palace of architectural beauty. We roamed about palace for an hour and came out. 

  Our next destination was Jagdish Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is an old beautiful temple. It was arati time when we went so attended that there. 

 Just outside the temple there are number of shops on both sides of the road selling various handicrafts items, dresses etc. It is a shopper's delight to walk around the place.

 From there we were taken to Aravali Vatika a nice garden on the small hillock. We hurriedly finished seeing around the garden and proceeded to our next destination Prathap Smarak which is dedicated to the memory of Rana Prathap Singh. It was here that the Rana's military force were given training. The old dilapidated building is still there. There is a light and sound show in the evening.

 

       From there we proceeded to Fateh sagar lake. It is a beautiful lake and is a source of water supply in Udhaipur. We went for a boat ride around the lake and visited Nehru Park which is situated in the midst of the lake. Our next destination was a park of water fountains called Saheliyon ki Bari. Sahelion Ki Bari' was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The princess was very fond of bathing rains. So the Rana made this garden with lots of fountains. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fateh Sagar Lake have beautiful lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant- shaped fountains. These fountains are fed by the water of the lake gushing through ducts made for the purpose. Each water channel has its distinct sound and the mingling of these sounds complement the ambience of the place

  On our way back we passed Sukhadiya Circle and reached our hotel. On the whole it was a nice outing. We enjoyed seeing around Udhaipur very much. We had booked our tickets in a conducted tour for Nathdwara darsan next day. We were so excited and were very much looking forward to the much awaited trip of Nathdwara to see our little Srinathji! Will be back in the next issue about that trip. Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!