Udaipur travel guide

History

The legendary Ranas of Mewar who traced their ancestry back to the Sun, first ruled the region from their seventh-century stronghold Chittaurgarh. The title ‘Rana’, peculiar to the rulers of Mewar, was supposedly first used by Hammir who reoccupied Mewar in 1326. In 1568, Maharana Udai Singh founded a new capital on the shores of Lake Pichola and named it Udaipur (the city of sunrise) having selected the spot in 1559. On the advice of an ascetic who interrupted his rabbit hunt, Udai Singh had a temple built above the lake and then constructed his palace around it.

In contrast to the house of Jaipur, the rulers of Udaipur prided themselves on being independent from other more powerful regional neighbours, particularly the Mughals. In a piece of local princely one-upmanship, Maharana Pratap Singh, heir apparent to the throne of Udaipur, invited Raja Man Singh of Jaipur to a lakeside picnic. Afterwards he had the ground on which his guest had trodden washed with sacred Ganga water and insisted that his generals take purificatory baths. Man Singh reaped appropriate revenge by preventing Pratap Singh from acceding to his throne. Udaipur, for all its individuality, remained one of the poorer princely states in Rajasthan, a consequence of being almost constantly at war. In 1818, Mewar, the Kingdom of the Udaipur Maharanas, came under British political control but still managed to avoid almost all British cultural influence.

Getting around

The touristy area around the Jagdish temple and the City Palace, the main focus of interest, is best explored on foot but there are several sights further afield. Buses, shared tempos, auto-rickshaws and taxis cover the city and surrounding area; some travellers prefer to hire a scooter or bike.

Ins and outs

Getting there

The airport, about 30-45 minutes by taxi or city bus, is well connected. The main bus stand is east of Udai Pol, 2-3 km from most hotels, while Udaipur City Railway Station is another 1 km south. Both have auto-rickshaw stands outside as well as pushy hotel touts.

Udaipur

Air

Dabok airport is 25 km east, T0294-265 5453. Security check is thorough; no batteries allowed in hand luggage. Transport to town: taxis, Rs 190. Indian Airlines, Delhi Gate, T0294-241 0999, open 1000-1315, 1400-1700; airport, T0294-265 5453, enquiry T142. Reserve well ahead. Indian Airlines flights to Delhi, via Jodhpur and Jaipur; Mumbai. Jet Airways, T0294-256 1105, airport T0294-265 6192: Delhi via Jaipur, Mumbai; Kingfisher/Air Deccan, T0294- 510 2468: Jodhpur via Jaisalmer, Aurangabad, and Agra.

Bicycle

Laxmi Bicycles, halfway down Bhatiyani Chotta, charges Rs 30 per day for hire, well maintained and comfortable. Also shops near Kajri Hotel, Lalghat and Hanuman Ghat area, which also have scooters (Rs 200 per day).

Bus

Long distance

Main State Bus Stand, near railway line opposite Udai Pol, T0294- 248 4191; reservations 0700-2100. State RTC buses to Agra, 15 hrs; Ahmedabad, 252 km, 6 hrs; Ajmer, 274 km, 7 hrs; Bhopal, 765 km, 15 hrs; Bikaner, 500 km, 13 hrs; Chittaurgarh, 2½ hrs; Delhi, 635 km, 17 hrs; Indore, 373 km, 12 hrs; Jaipur, 405 km, 9 hrs; Jaisalmer, 14 hrs; Jodhpur, 8 hrs (uncomfortable, poorly maintained but scenic road); Mount Abu, 270 km, 0500-1030, 6 hrs; Mumbai, 802 km, very tiring, 16 hrs; Pushkar, tourist bus, 7 hrs; Ujjain, 7 hrs. Private buses and luxury coaches run mostly at night; ticket offices offices on City Station Rd, from where most buses depart. Ahmedabad with Bonney Travels, Paldi, Ahmedabad, has a/c coaches with reclining seats (contact Shobha Travels, City Station Rd), departs 1400 (5½ hrs), Rs 325, with drink/snack stops every 2 hrs. Highly recommended. Shrinath, T0294-242 2204, and Punjab Travels have non a/c buses to Ahmedabad and Mount Abu. Jaipur: several ‘deluxe’ buses (computerized booking) with reclining seats, more expensive but better. For Jaisalmer: change at Jodhpur. Jodhpur: several options but best to book a good seat, a day ahead, Rs 180. Tour operators have taxis for Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur.

Motorbike

Scooters and bikes can be hired from Heera Tours & Travels in a small courtyard behind Badi Haveli (Jagdish Temple area), Rs 250-500 per day depending on size of machine.

Rickshaw

Auto-rickshaw

Agree rates: about Rs 40 from bus stand to Jagdish Mandir.

Taxi

RTDC taxis from Fateh Memorial, Suraj Pol. Private taxis from airport, railway station, bus stands and major hotels; negotiate rates. Taxi Stand, Chetak Circle, T0294-252 5112. Tourist Taxi Service, Lake Palace Rd, T0294-252 4169.

Train

Udaipur City station, 4 km southeast of centre, T0294-252 7390, T131, reservations T135. Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Exp 9943, 1945, 8½ hrs. Chittaurgarh: 5 local trains daily. Delhi (HN): Mewar Exp 2964, 1835, 12 hrs, via Chittaurgarh, Kota and Bharatpur. Jaipur: Jaipur Exp 2966, 2220, 9½ hrs, and on to Agra (12 hrs) and Gwalior (14 hrs) via Kota (5 hrs) and Sawai Madhopur (7 hrs); Mumbai: Jaipur Exp 2966,.

Banks

Many ATMs on Town Hall Rd. Chetak circle and around Bapu Bazar. Foreign exchange at Andhra Bank, Shakti Nagar. Cash advance against Visa/MasterCard, efficient. Bank of Baroda, Bapu Bazar. For Amex. Thomas Cook, Lake Palace Rd. Poor rates. Trade Wings, Polo Ground Rd, Vijaya Bank, City Palace entrance.

Internet

Many options around Jagdish Mandir and Hanuman Ghat, Rs 30-50/hr. Wireless at Whistling Teal, next to Raj Palace Hotel, pleasant garden cafe but poor service, overpriced.

Medical services

Ambulance: T102. General Hospital, Chetak Circle. Aravali Hospital (private), 332 Ambamata Main Rd, opposite Charak Hostel, T0294-243 0222, very clean, professional. Recommended. Chemist on Hospital Rd.

Post

The GPO is at Chetak Circle. Posting a parcel can be a nightmare. Poste Restante: Shastri Circle Post Office.

Useful contacts

Fire: T0294-227 111. Police: T100. Tourist Assistance Force: T0294-241 1535.