The City Palace Udaipur is a magnificent palace complex built by Maharana Udai Singh of the ruling Sisodia clan in 1559 AD. The palace showcases the finest elements of Rajput culture and arts. The subsequent Maharanas extended the palace to its present form. The palace is made of the finest granite. Crenellated fort walls surround this largest palace complex in the whole of Rajasthan. The architecture of the beautifully embellished walls inside the palace is inspired by European and Chinese architecture and their aesthetic appeal is immense.

Inside The City Palace UdaipurThe city palace of Udaipur Jagdeesh Temple

The City Palace complex is known for housing a number of spectacular buildings, fountains and well planned gardens. The traveller enters the palace through the ‘Hathi Pol’ or the ‘Elephant Gate’ from the main road. Udaipur’s biggest temple, the Jagdish Temple (dedicated to Lord Vishnu and constructed in 1651 AD) is also inside the palace complex. Bara Pol or Great Gate (constructed in 1600 AD) is situated on the northern end and leads to the first courtyard. Tripolia or ‘triple gate’ (constructed in 1725 AD) join the first courtyard. Eight brilliantly carved marble arches lie between these two gates which are known as “Toranas”. It was under these arches that the rulers were weighed against gold and silver in the past.

As one moves past the Tripolia, we enter an arena where elephant fights were staged. The striking aspect of the City Palace is that its rugged exterior gives no clue to its exquisite interiors that house luxurious apartments, hanging gardens, massive octagonal towers and cupolas with mesmerizing views of the lake and the city from the upper terraces.
Raj Angan
“Raj Angan” or the Royal Courtyard of 1571 AD is the oldest part of the City Palace. It was built by Maharana Udai Singh. Dilkhush Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Moti Mahal and Krishna Vilas are other prominent palaces. Krishna Vilas was constructed in the reminiscence of an extremely beautiful princess who poisoned herself to avert a bloody battle for her hand by rival princess. It has on display a brilliant collection of miniature paintings depicting royal processions, festivals and games of the Maharanas. Then there is the breathtakingly beautiful ‘Manak Mahal’ (Ruby Palace) which has crystal and porcelain figures.

Inside_view_of_City_Palace,_UdaipurThe walls of Bhim Vilas Palace have stories of Radha-Krishna painted on them. The palace also houses a mosaic gallery called the ‘Suraj Gokhala’ with beautiful stained glasses and a panoramic view of the city below. The lavish décor of the The Moti Mahal (Palace of Pearls) is unparalleled. The fabulous inlaid mirror work of the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) is yet another delight for the traveller. Then we have the Hawa Mahal and Bari Mahal with its beautiful garden, built on a 90 feet high natural rock formation. The highest point of the Amar Vilas has grand hanging gardens with fountains, towers and terraces and offers a majestic view of the town and Lake Pichola. The palace also houses a Surya Chopar (a Sun square) which depicts an enormous ornamental sun, the symbol of the Suryavanshi (Descendents of Sun) dynasty of Mewar.

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