Udaipur: A charm beyond words
Udaipur is a fascinating place. It can appeal to solo travellers ticking off their ‘bucket-list’, couples seeking a romantic get away, old age folks visiting for sight seeing and others who just went there to attend a wedding. The small by-lanes of old Udaipur are now brimming with cafes. The number of ‘poles’ that would have once been the entrance to this city (Chand-pole, Hathi-pole, etc) are now landmarks for taxi pickups and drops. As you walk across these small by-lanes, you can’t help but wonder if every alternate person here is a tourist. Centuries ago, people called these lanes home (a few still do!). The Mewar region saw many bloody wars and one cannot help but wonder how did everyday life exist when there were enemy armies standing a few miles away, ready to plunder, kill and destroy.
Settled in between the Aravallis, Udapiur has many beautiful lakes, palaces, museums and temples. The Rajputs who built this city from scratch gave it beautiful lakes, palaces and architecture. However, they would not have imagined so many lake facing cafe’s adding to the charm centuries later. The lanes of old Udaipur are full of hostels, cafes and novelty stores.
Traveling alone, you have all the independence to explore what you want to. For me, a view of the lake at night from a cafe is one of the MUST DOs when in Udaipur. It is a sight that will leave you speechless. You’ll want to just sit there and let the sight soak in (Sure, if you’re a couple then you’d want to look into each others eye and talk of that sparkle/twinkle/whatever blah blah). But if you are a solo traveller, then it wouldn’t be tough to keep staring at those lights for hours at a stretch. If unlike me you are a foodie (I really am not a foodie) then Udaipur has a lot to offer to your taste buds. I did try the thaali at 2 different places, but that’s where my food exploration part ends.
If you are a lover of everything history — Forts, palaces, museums, ancient temples and architecture then you would not know where to start and end. Udaipur and places around it have a lot to offer. The history of the Mewar region is rich, colourful, bloody and full of valour. The fabled Haldighati, the story of Chetak and Rana Pratap, the marbles of the Ranakpur temple and the majestic fort of Kumbhalgarh will be a beautiful drive away from Udaipur.
For someone who loves forts, Kumbhalgarh is a delight. Sitting on top of the Aravalli hills, near the border of Mewar and Marwar and surrounded by vast stretches of barren land, Kumbhalgarh’s history and story is fascinating. So is the climb up to the top of the fort and the sight from the top. I would strongly recommend you to take a guide instead of trying to randomly figure out the fort. Now, many people expect forts to be like palaces. Filled with stuff you would find in the museum. Don’t have such expectations from forts. Mewar has seen a lot of brave soldiers fight battles that are etched in history. Kumbhalgarh stands still in the passage of time, reminding generations after generations of the history of Mewar.
Udaipur will make you fall in love. With it’s cafes, with it’s lakes, with it’s palaces and museums and with the lovely shows it has on offer for tourists. The show at the Saheliyo Ki Baari at evening will leave you spellbound. Well, spellbound reminds me of the view of Udaipur from the Karni Mata temple. You reach there after taking a ropeway and then this sight welcomes you.
For me, a place with a history is always special. Udaipur has a history that few cities can rival. But then it has the beauty which again very few cities can rival.
