Udaipur

     Set in the Lush Girwa Valley, surrounded by the Aravallis and interspersed with translucent lakes, Udaipur (meaning 'City Of Sunrise' ) is more favored by nature than most of its desert neighbors. It is situated in southern Rajasthan, 374 kms. from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, and is land of lakeside pleasure palaces, rambling hilltop fortresses, luxuriant gardens with fountains and streams, where bards sing of beautiful princesses and epic warriors. Its annals abound with tales of romance and heroism, chivalry and great traditions. Udaipur, Chittor and Bhilwara formed Mewar, the largest erstwhile princely state in Rajasthan and a geographically secluded territory whose distinctive physical features played an important role in shaping its history. Maharana Udai Singh II (1536-1572)  laid the foundation of Udaipur as the capital of Mewar in 1567, after the final sack of Chittor by Moghuls. He built Udaipur (named after himself ) between the fortresses of Chittor and Kumbhal Garh. Nestling in an enchanting valley with abundant water and formidable natural defenses, Udaipur was a counterpoint to stark Chittor, 111 kms. away. Udaipur is the jewel of Mewar - a kingdom ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200 years. The foundation of the city has an interesting legend associated with it. According to it, Maharana Udai Singh, the founder, was hunting one day when he met a holy man meditating on a hill overlooking the Lake Pichhola.  The hermit blessed the Maharana and advised him to build a palace at this favourably located spot with a fertile valley watered by the stream, a lake, an agreeable altitude and an amphitheater of low mountains. Maharana followed the advise of the hermit and founded the city in 1559 A.D. Overlooking the aquamarine expanses of the Lake Pichhola stands the splendid City Palace - a marvel in granite and marble. Of the original eleven gates of the Udaipur City, only five remain. The Surajpole or Sun Gate on the eastern side is the main entrance to the city.
The people who visited Udaipur and saw the natural beauty, expressed their gratitude in various forms. Some call it " City of Sunrise " some as "Venice of East ", others commented as "City of Temples ", "City of Lakes" , "City of Beauty", "Kashmir of Rajasthan", "City of Divine Love", etc, etc. The city has religious and cultural activities round the year and people partake these activities with gay and happiness. The people are friendly, laborious and proud of their self respect. The food is quite simple and they avoid showbiz in their life. The costumes are very colourful and the typical silver jewellery used by rural ladies need real admiration. The town, full of mines and minerals, forestry, animal husbandry, is situated at 75° South East of 24° North on about 1900 feet of height above Mrs.. The old city was founded on the back of rocky surface that is why the level of houses are unparalleled, surrounded by a city wall of about 10 kms. with six entrance gates with 'Suraj Pole' as principal gate to enter inside the town. During the modernization and beautification of the city the present government removed the city ramparts except the six gates.

Air : Dabok Airport is 24 Km from the city centre. Daily Indian Airlines flights connect  Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Aurangabad, Mumbai and Delhi.

Rail : Udaipur is directly linked by rail with major cities. Some important connections are from Himatnagar, Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Jaipur, Ajmer and Chittaurgarh.

Road : A wide network of bus services link Udaipur with several destinations. There is Rajasthan Roadway Deluxe, Super deluxe and AC buses as well as private travels also available from the major cities.

Local Transport : Unmetered taxis, autorikshaws, tongas and  city bus is easily available for local transport.