Udaipur, Rajasthan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is on Udaipur, Rajasthan. For other meanings see Udaipur (disambiguation).
| Udaipur | |
  Udaipur
|
|
| State - District(s) |
Rajasthan - Udaipur |
| Coordinates | |
| Area - Elevation |
- 598 m |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Population (2001) - Density |
389,317 - |
Udaipur pronunciation (उदयपुर) is a city and a municipal council in Udaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar, and the administrative headquarters of Udaipur District.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Udaipur is located at [1]. It has an average elevation of 598 metres (1961 feet). Located at the foothills of the Aravalli Range, Udaipur lies in southern Rajasthan near the Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh borders.
[edit] History
Udaipur was the capital of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, ruled by Ranawats of the Sisodia clan. The ancient capital of Mewar was Chittor or Chittorgarh, located on the Banas River northeast of Udaipur. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot and it would be well protected. Udai Singh established a residence there. In 1568 the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Chittor, and Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence, which became the city of Udaipur. As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia ranas, and later maharanas, reasserted their independence and recaptured most part of Mewar except the fort of Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818. After India's Independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Udaipur acceded to the Government of India, and Mewar was integrated into India's Rajasthan state.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 India censusGRIndia, Udaipur had a population of 550000. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Udaipur has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 72%. In Udaipur, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] About the city
Udaipur is famous around the world as the City Of Lakes or Venice of The East. The Pichola Lake, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar in this city are considered some of the most beautiful lakes in the state. Fateh Sagar contains two small islands, one of which contains USO, or Udaipur solar observatory, and the other one has a beautiful garden called Nehru Garden.
It is known for its Rajput-era palaces. Particularly famous is the Lake Palace, which entirely covers a small island in the Pichola Lake. Many of the palaces have been converted into luxury hotels. The City Palace, or the Palace of the then King of Mewar, is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the city.
Udaipur is also home to the Udaipur Solar Observatory, one of the six stations participating in the international Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) which is aimed at the determination of the physical properties of the solar interior. Udaipur is one of India's most celebrated tourist destinations with a peculiarity and culture of its own. •1.2 million tourists a year •Rs 1800 crore annual spend •3 hours away from Ahmedabad •Total district population of 2.5 million •City population of 0.55 million •One of the highest per capita car population in India •Some of the world's most luxurious hotels like The Oberoi Udaivilas and The Lake Palace Hotel •Commerce looking up and tourism growing at a rate of 22% annually
- Lake Palace - Originally known as the Jag Niwas, took three years to build and was inaugurated in 1746. Nothing but marble is used in the composition of this palace.
- Jag Mandir - Another island in the Lake Pichola, which is known for its beautiful garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father.
- City Palace and Museum - Next to Fateh Prakash Palace, houses beautiful glass and mirror works.
- Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal - An excellent museum of folk arts. Also hosts great puppet shows in its auditorium.
- Maharana Pratap Memorial - Rana Pratap's bronze statue seated on his loyal horse Chetak.
- Sajjangarh Fort (Monsoon Palace) - The summer resort of the Maharajas. Atop the hill overlooking all the lakes. This palace had an ingenious way to collect rain water for consumption all year around.
- Sukhadia Circle - A landmark built on a traffic roundabout in Udaipur. It is a three tiered fountain that is lit at night and is a popular place for the locals in evenings.
- Jagdish Temple - a Temple situated in the middle of the city - a big Tourist attraction
- Ambika Mata Temple
- Fateh Sagar Lake
- Udaipur Solar Observatory - Udaipur is the site of India's only Solar Observatory. The Observatory, called USO (Udaipur Solar Observatory) is situated on an Island in Lake Fatesagar. The telescopes are run from an office building on Badi Rd. The site is run under PRL (Physical Reaserch Lab) in Ahemdabad.
- Nehru Garden
- Bagore-ki-Haveli
- Moti Magri
- Saheliyon-ki-Bari
- Ahar Museum
- Shilpgram - The crafts village, located north west of Udaipur, is a must see place for those who want to see the cultural heritage of India, its handicrafts etc. Shilpgram hosts crafts fair every year which is one of the biggest in India, people from different states in the country hold their stalls showcasing their art and crafts work. More information can be found at http://www.shilpgram.org
[edit] Transport
Udaipur is well connected to the world through land, rail and air.
Road: It falls on the golden quadrilateral, lying midway between Delhi and Mumbai on National Highway (NH) 8 and is around 650 kms from either metro. The roads in this part of the country are really nice, paved in the middle, and fit for self-driving. One can either drive from Jaipur (around 7 hours) or Ahmedabad (4-5 hours), or take a Rajasthan Tourism bus from India Gate in Delhi.
Air: There are daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur (425 kms) from Jet Airways,Indian Airlines and kingfisher .
Train: Train connectivity is established between Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad through trains run by.Indian Railway. Recently Udaipur got connected with Delhi, Jaipur, Kota and Agra with superfast Mewar express on broadgauge line.
[edit] Places nearby
- Nathdwara - in Rajsamand District, and is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage site of India.
- Ranakpur - A village that is home to one of the most important Jain temples. 1400+ marble pillars support the temple. These marble pillars are carved in exquisite detail. Opposite the Jain temple is the much older Sun Temple. Located in Rajsamand District, 110 km north of Udaipur.
- Haldighati - A mountain pass in Rajsamand District that hosted the battle between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and the Mughal emperor Akbar. Now a memorial site.
- Kumbhalgarh - A 15th century fortress, built by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, with 36 kilometres of walls. Over 360 temples are within the fort. It also has a wildlife sanctuary. Located in Rajsamand District, 64 km from Udaipur. The vista from the top of the palace typically extends tens of kilometers into the Aravalli hills.
- Mount Abu - A popular tourist hill station
- Eklingji - An ancient temple complex
- Kankroli and Rajsamand Lake
- Rishabhdeo: Famous Jain pilgrimage center sacred to Jains and local tribals.
- Jagat
- Bambora
- Jaisamand Lake
- Udaisagar Lake
- Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary
- Baneshwar
- Galiakot (Mazar-e-Seyadi Fakhruddun Shaheed)
- Dungarpur
- Banswara
- Chawand -The Third Capital of Mewar and also the place where Great Maharana Pratap spent his last years.
[edit] Udaipur in literature and popular culture
- Udaipur is mentioned under the spelling Oodeypore in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book as the birthplace of Bagheera the fictional panther in the king's menagerie.
- Udaipur is the site of India's only Solar Observatory. The Observatory, called USO (Udaipur Solar Observatory) is situated on an Island in Lake Fatesagar. The telescopes are run form an office building on Badi Rd. The site is run under PRL (Physical Reaserch Lab) in Ahemdabad.
- Indian sections of the James Bond film Octopussy were filmed in the city and the Lake Palace.
- Some scenes from the British television series The Jewel in the Crown were filmed in Udaipur.
- Many hindi movies like Guide, Mera Saya, Phool Bane Angaray, Kachche Dhagey, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Jalmahal etc. were filmed in Udaipur.
- Actress Raveena Tandon got married at Jagmandir of HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur in 2004.
- Jag Mandir of Udaipur was the inspiration behind Shahjahan's creation of the Taj Mahal.
- Wedding of model Elizabeth Hurley with Arun Nayar is going to be held at Devigarh Fort, Udaipur.
[edit] References
- References: info also available at http://www.geologydata.info
[edit] External links
- Udaipur
- Udaipur City Map (Maps of India)
- Udaipur District web site
- Udaipur photo gallery by Andy Carvin
- Photographic Gallery of Udaipur
- Udaipur Yellow Pages
- Udaipur, Rajasthan travel guide from Wikitravel
| State of Rajasthan Rajasthan Topics |
|
|---|---|
| Capital | Jaipur |
| Divisions | Ajmer | Bharatpur | Bikaner | Jaipur | Jodhpur | Kota | Udaipur |
| Districts | Ajmer | Alwar | Banswara | Baran | Barmer | Bhilwara | Bikaner | Bharatpur | Bundi | Chittorgarh | Churu | Dausa | Dholpur | Dungarpur | Ganganagar | Hanumangarh | Jaipur | Jaisalmer | Jalore | Jhalawar | Jhunjhunu | Jodhpur | Karauli | Kota | Nagaur | Pali | Rajsamand | Sawai Madhopur | Sikar | Sirohi | Tonk | Udaipur |
| Major cities | Alwar • Bhilwara • Bikaner • Jaipur • Jaisalmer • Jodhpur • Udaipur |
