View of the City Palace, during a Boat Ride at Sunset, Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
For all those who have wondered all their lives why the name of so many cities in Rajasthan ends in “-pur”, like Jaipur, Jodhpur or Udaipur… here is the key. This final syllable indicates that a Hindi prince founded a city. The ending “-bad”, like in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad or Islamabad, tells of a Muslim founder. Last but not least, ending in “-er” like Ajmer, Bikaner or Jaisalmer, indicates a city of the desert. Our guide, Mr. Singh, who took us around the gigantic City Palace, enlightened us. And this is why we will always remember that Udaipur was founded by Udai Singh…
He must have been an amazing man: not only did he begin with the construction of the City Palace and enlarged Lake Pichola, he also start a dynasty whose unbroken lineage reaches into present days. The enormity of such projects befits a Maharana, who outranks a Maharaja. And we almost got to see the present Mahrana!
In Udaipur, the beginning of the Holi Festival is celebrated with a pompous ceremony on the palace grounds. A grand reception is hosted by the Maharana for his extended family, and those willing to dish out 70 Euro. The decision to do such a silly thing – though tempted – was taken from us by transport logistics. Our train booking to Bundi was for that very evening, and there was no way to get a ticket for the following day – the very day when a billion people throw colored powder at each other.
City Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
City Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Anyway, we made the most of the palace, the largest in Rajasthan, a maze of narrow stairways that lead to rooms with amazing wall decorations and shady courtyards. After Mr. Singh had taken us through the palace, the palace museum, to a tailor and to an artist doing miniature paintings we told him to stop.
Horse “desguised” as an elephant to mislead elephants during battles, City Palace Museum, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Carrier Pigeons Box, City Palace Museum, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Is there a better place than a pool to relax from such strenuous activities? Not any pool, but the one at Shiva Niwas Palace, one of the two luxury hotels inside the palace grounds. The decorous blue tiles gave the water the perfect color, and we did not want to be anywhere else, but embedded in a courtyard surrounded by bougainvillea in full bloom and shady trees. Why can commoners (not us!) reside inside palace walls? Well, even Maharanas had to tighten their belts and in 1955 the family retreated to a small section of the palace. The rest was turned into a museum and yes: there was still room for two luxury hotels…
Having Breakfast at Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel, inside the City Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Having Breakfast at Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel, inside the City Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
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