5 things you didn’t know about Udaipur

Udaipur is every tourist’s perennial paradise. Beautiful, friendly and historically rich Udaipur draws the tourist like a magnet. It also helps that there is so much to explore and do here. Why not start with learning some fun facts you did not know, such as:

1. 400 years of construction. Talk about ‘work in progress’. The enormous City Palace of Udaipur was built over a staggering 400 years, with successive kings adding wings, cupolas, new roofs and other elements to it. It was started by Rana Uday Singh II in 1559, and kings to take the throne after him continued to expand the complex located near Lake Pichola. On the inside, it is a series of structures integrated to look like one whole edifice.
   
   
2. Saas-bahu temples of Nagda. These temples are simply stunning in concept and execution. They are two temples, one smaller than the other, laid out such that the larger one encircles the other. They have different architectural styles, and are said to be dedicated to Lord Vishnu. You will love to see the intricate details of the ceilings and the columns in the prayer hall, as well as the wide archway and female figurines on the walls.
   
   
3. Asia’s second largest artificial lake. The kings of Rajasthan were true artists and visionaries, and their foresight in planning was seen mostly in their architecture and town planning. Take, for instance, the Dhebar Lake (or Jaisamand Lake) which was built as a large artificial lake to supply water to the town. It was the largest such lake in Asia till Egypt’s Aswan Dam took the top honours. Dhebar Lake was built in 1685 while the huge dam on the Gomati River was being constructed. It is about 14 km long and 102 feet deep!
   
   
4. The City of Lakes. While on the subject of lakes, it is pertinent to note that Udaipur has lots of them. In fact, it is the lake capital of Rajasthan, and many of them are man-made, built to facilitate the drinking water reserves and agro-based activities. These lakes were built in historic times by enterprising Mewari kings. Some of the prominent ones are Fateh Sagar, Pichola, Uday Sagar, Jaisamand, Raj Samand and Jiyan Sagar.
   
   
5. The Great Wall of Udaipur. China can keep its Great Wall, we’ve got one of our own. The wall of the famous Kumbhalgarh Fort was built to protect the structure inside – a complex of 300 temples and a huge fort – and is over 36 km long in perimeter. It is thus, the second largest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China.

You can complete your historical experience by staying at the best palace hotels in Udaipur. Book yourself into royal rooms with every luxury you can think of, to make your holiday even more special.