Udaipur
The city, called "the City of the Dawn", built between a lake and green hills, was founded by Udai Singh at the 16 2nd century. It is avoided of two large beautiful lakes in which the mountains are reflected around. It is the place chosen by the Emperor Jahan Shah when it sought to escape his father before becoming emperor.
The most outstanding visit of Udaipur is City Palace, vastest and sumptuous palate of the Rajasthan. It was built at the 16 2nd century on a hill which dominates the Lake Pichola and the city. It is an immense maze of halls, rooms, terraces, courses interior connected by a complicated network of corridors and staircases. The attraction of this palate lies in the mural decoration of its parts and in the splendid situation of its terraces.
One more particularly visits the splendid court of the peacocks (Mor Chowk), a pretty garden in terrace, a small palate with the superb murals, and finally the palate of the pearl, Moti Mahal which testifies to the astonishing taste of the sovereigns to formerly for the decorations with mirrors.
Located at the medium of the Lake Pichola, elegant Jag Niwas, palate of white marble, an idea of gives what could be a princely life. It was built to the 18 2nd century by Jagat Singh II like residence of summer. It was transformed into hotel in 1963, under the name of "Lake Palace", was become famous near the tourists who wish a single decoration... and expensive. In theory, it is visited only if one dines there (on reservation obviously).
Further on the lake, one can go for a short visit, until Jag Mandir, another small uninhabited marble palate, appearing to float on water. The walk on the lake in end according to midday offers splendid sights on City Palace, very gilded with the rays of the setting sun.
Eklingji
It is in a rock small valley, with the hollow of the Arawalli Mounts, that is the sanctuary of Ekingji and its 108 temples blottis within a high wall. Most significant, built out of white marble, is dedicated Eklingji, to guardian divinity of princes d' Udaipur. The interior doors out of solid silver, which separate the crowned part of the temple, where resides the divinity, from the part where the faithful ones are held, are extraordinary. It is in this place that Mahârana of Mewar were formerly crowned.
Nagda
Nagda, with a few kilometers before Eklingji when one comes from Udaipur, was capital of Guhila of Mewar. Only remain of the 18 temples of origin, at the edge of an insulated valley, some sanctuaries of the 11 2nd century. Two more significant are the temple of Vishnu, more decorated with splendid statues, and the temple of Shiva, oddly called temples of Hopper and Bahu (what means mother-in-law and daughter-in-law respectively), makes of it a malencontreuse deformation of Sahasra Bahu which indicates Vishnu with the thousand arms.
Although cut in an extremely hard quarzite, these temples however propose remarkable very worked statues.
With the periphery (external walls) of the temple of Vishnu, one details frescos of small scenes of Mahâbhârata and Râmâyana, some erotic not very explicit and the divinity usual: Brahmâ, Vishnu, Shiva and their Shakti, Indra and Indrani, Kubera, Varuna, Yama, Vayu..., as well as pretty nymphs. The sculptures are in rather good general state but the faces suffered from the Moslem invasions of the 12 2nd century. The extraordinary balustrade of the mandapa is noticed. At the interior, the stone torana which connect the worked pillars of the mandapa are splendid. The statue of Vishnu disappeared from its cella.
The temple of Shiva is more sober, but of similar architectural design.
Between these two temples and the valley which opens on the front, towards the east, remains some remainders of a temple of Ganesh and a temple of the Lakshmî goddess. It is with the northern wall of this small temple that a remarkable representation of sitted the Ganesh god is.
Ahar
At the exit of Udaipur, towards Chittorgarh, the 19 chhattri of Ahar raised in the honor of Mahârana d' Udaipur, deserve a short visit; the place is nostalgic with wish and gives one (distorts) impression of abandonment. One will notice steles representing of the sati, wives of the late kings, that the habit resulted in giving itself death while going up on one to rough-hew. This heroic end was worth to them, and is worth to them always, the devotion of the visitors. This habit was prohibited at the 19 2nd century.
Chittorgarh
Capital of Rana of Mewar during nine centuries, Chittorgarh is dominated by its fort raised over a hill which overhangs of 180 m the small city. It is an exceptional site, as well by its position dominating the plain as by its importance in the collective memory Rajasthani.
The fortress of Chittorgarh is indeed the symbol of the bravery of the warriors of formerly. The fort, built at the top of a tabular hill, is cut off behind its wall. One reaches it by a single way which crosses a series of seven successive doors whose seventh, Ramapol, the most worked, is thus called to remember Mahârana Kumbah it. It shows representations of Ganesh and of Shiva Bhairav A the interior of the walls was a true city with its palates, temples, houses, basins.
In spite of its impregnable aspect, Chittorgarh fell to three recoveries, during centuries, under the attacks of the Moslem warriors, at the end of exhausting seats. These tragic defeats showed the voluntary sacrifice (jauhar) by the fire of thousands of women and children not to fall alive between the hands from the enemies.
Jai Stambh (Tower of the Victoire), formidable and nevertheless elegant tower of nine stages, high with 37 Mr. It is decorated with a profusion of statues of gods. It is the most famous monument of Chittorgarh. It commmémore victory of Mahârana Kumbha over Muhammad Khilji in 1440.
The temple of Samdeshwara is made conspicuous by a rare representation tricéphale of Trimûrti One also says that it is about Shiva in its form tricéphale. One can photograph this statue which is in the sanctuary (to leave an offering).
The temple Jain de Sat (a) Deori is characteristic of architecture jain, but the statuary in poor, is compared with that of the large sanctuaries of this religion (Ranakpur and Mont Abu in the Rajasthan, Palitana in Gujarat).
The temple of Kumbha Shyam is dedicated to Varâha beautiful Garuda of black stone is held under a kiosk in front of the entry of the temple ]
The temple of Kâlî (Kalika Subdued to mandir) was devoted before to Sûrya This temple is very old since it would go up to the 8 2nd century. Two statues of the solar god, on his tank drawn by seven horses, like wants it the traditional iconography, are in the déambulatoire, rappellant the initial dedication of the temple. The temple of Adbhadji (Shiva) is little visited bus with the variation. The sanctuary contains a large statue of Shiva with three heads. And finally the nostalgic house of the Padmini queen, in the medium of a small water level, is not worth visiting, but is worth the glance.