‘R’ in Rajasthan stands for Royalty and U in Udaipur stands for Uniqueness because of its City Palace Complex. This is the largest ever complex in the state and is very different from the one built-in Jaipur. Credit goes to the founder of Udaipur Maharana Udai Singh II and 22 other kings of Mewar who added more beauty and meaning to this place with time.
It has been a popular tourist destination among history buffs, romance-seekers, and nature lovers since the 16th century.
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Besides tourists, filmmakers also take a keen interest in the Palace. Guide was one of the first movies filmed here. Ram Leela and even James Bond’s Octopussy movie were filmed inside the City Palace.
All this praise because of what it embraced with time, from kings’ lifestyle, different architectural styles across the globe, and majestic beauty. Let’s turn the pages of history and dig deeper into this royal palace.
See City Palace Of Udaipur From Lens Of History
The palace was not built in one go for the purpose of showcasing bravery of Maharaja of Rajasthan. It’s story begun with the establishment of Udaipur around 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II.
He became king of Mewar in 1537 and shifted his kingdom’s capital from Chittor to Udaipur. Aravalli Hills was the preferred place for this purpose and the construction of City Palace begun.
First area that he built was a royal courtyard called as Rai Angan. The construction could not get completed during king’s lifetime and his successors took this project. It took around 400 years to complete the City Palace of Udaipur.
Also Read: Planning For A Romantic Trip In Udaipur? Take A Look At Top-rated Sightseeing Here
Must- See Things Inside The City Palace Complex:
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The entire palace reflects Rajput-style architecture and is decorated with granite and marble work. It has many small and big beautiful balconies from where queens used to enjoy the scenic view of Lake Pichola.
Small palaces inside the complex are astonishing too; all are connected chowks and corridors which were designed in zig-zag fashion to confuse enemies. The palace’s height was also a factor that tricked enemies; it is 1962 ft above the Lake.
Let’s go inside the palace and see what it has inside for tourists:
1. Gateways-
- Badi Pol is the main gate at the north of structure. It is the first gate to be built and opens to the first courtyard with small shops lined around the way.
- Second is 3 arched gate ‘Toran pol’ which opens to the Manak Chowk
- Third gate is called as Elephant Pol
2. Mughal Styled Amar Villas
Next beautiful structure of this palace is an elevated garden that takes you to the Great Palace ( Badi Mahal). It is called as Amar Villas and has mesmerizing fountains, passages covered with green trees, and terraces to let you see Udaipur from the top.
3. Great Palace ( Badi Mahal)
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Great thing about this palace is that it is made of rocks and its height is fairly high. Even a room at ground floor seems to be at fourth floor. The interior of building is decorated with ancient paintings of temples, fighting scenes, and more. It also has a special pool where kings used to celebrate Holi.
4. Fateprakash Palace
One of the must-see area within the City Palace complex is the luxury building which has now turned into a hotel. It has 100 years old items, all rare and beautiful, such as chairs made of crystals, dressing tables, crockery and more.
There is a story behind these items. It is said that the then King Sajjan Singh ordered all this luxurious stuff from London. Unfortunately, he passed away before his order could arrive and so the packages were never opened.
5. Durbar Hall
Inside the Fateprakash palace is big hall which was also known as Minto Hall as Lord Minto had laid its foundation. It was built during the reign of Maharana Fateh Singh and used for meetings. Even ladies were part of the meetings then but they were allowed to see the proceedings from hall’s gallery.
6. Manak Mahal
City Palace tour is incomplete if you don’t see this grand structure. A highlight of the mahal is a sun emblem that has a quote from Bhagvad Gita in Sanskrit. It is said that the emblem was the first thing kings used to see every morning.
7. Mor Chowk
As the name says, this chowk has beautiful peacocks structures made up of 5000 glasses of different colors that shine during sunrise and sunset. These structures reflect three seasons of year- summer, monsoon and winter. At the top of Chowk is a balcony, Kanch-ki-burj, and Badi Charur Chowk.
8. City Palace Museum
If you go further then you will reach Zenana Mahal which is a place dedicated for women. It has spellbound balconies, windows and floors. The place is now known as museum and is famous as popular destination wedding venue in Udaipur. Around 500 guests can gather in the palace at one time.
Apart from these royal places inside the complex, you should visit:
- Rang Bhawan- A place dedicated for Shiva, Krishna and his loyal disciple Meera Bai, Earlier it was used to keep treasure of the kings
- Sheesh Mahal– Maharana Pratap built this stunning palace for one of his 11 wives, Maharani Ajabde. It has mirrors all around, from walls, ceilings to floors; perfectly photogenic.
- Laxmi Villas Chowk– This is basically an art gallery where you can see paintings of Mewar
- Krishna Vilas– Games, miniature paintings and other royal items are stored in this area
- Chini Chitrashala– It houses collection of tiles from China and Dutch region
- Bhim Vilas– The place is a reflection of Krishna and Radha’s love story and show it through beautiful paintings
City Palace Udaipur Timings
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Opens at 09:30 am | Palace Museum opens at 09:00 am
- Closes at 05:30 pm | Palace Museum closes at 05:15 pm
Best time to visit- October to March
Ticket Price
- Entry fees- Rs 30 per Adult | Rs 15 per children
- Museum fees- Rs 300 for visitors of 18 years or above | Rs 200 for senior citizens, defense, police and paramilitary personnel
Visitors can even go on a boat ride during sunset or take a charter boat with their family. The price for each ride varies between Rs 200 and Rs 550.
How To Reach
You can easily reach City Palace from anywhere in Udaipur as it is built close to the airport and public transportation. Take a bus or taxi from the Dabok airport and get there.
The City Palace Udaipur holds the history of Mewar in most beautiful form giving enormous information to the history enthusiast. It is a must-visit if you are in Udaipur and want to see something worth your money.