India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [466]
FESTIVALS Udaipur’s biggest festivals are the Mewar Festival, held every March or April, and the Holi Festival, held every March. October’s Ashwa Poojan is another celebration worth inquiring about (your hotel should be able to advise you on exact dates and where best to experience the festivities). The Gangaur Festival is celebrated with special zeal by the women of Udaipur (end of Mar to Apr). During this festival, unmarried women pray to the goddess Gauri (manifestation of Parvati, Shiva’s wife) for a good husband, while the married pray for the well-being of their husbands and a happy married life. Women decorate their hands and feet with mehendi (tattoos of henna paste) and carry colorful images of Gauri and terra-cotta lamps on their heads as they dance and sing songs in street processions. At the end of the festival they break these lamp-pots and celebrate with a feast. Festivities last 18 days and include many colorful processions and a fireworks display.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
To make Udaipur’s intriguing and valorous history really come alive, consider taking on the services of a qualified guide in the city, which can be requested through your hotel or by contacting one of the recommended local operators (see above).
If your idea of a vacation is lying by a pool with a good book, only visits to the City and Lake palaces (see “Top Attractions,” below) need top your list of things to do in Udaipur proper. The city is the ideal base for a number of day trips, however. The most highly recommended is a round-trip through Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Fort, taking in the temples of Ranakpur along the way, and possibly stopping at Eklingji on the way back (see “Top Excursions,” below). The lovely, scenic drive passes picture-postcard rural hamlets and fields of mustard, scattered with boys tending cattle and women clad in bright saris tilling the soil.
For those interested in seeing more of the city, the following day tour—to be tailored to your needs—provides an overview of the top sights in and around Udaipur. Start your day by exploring the City Palace, which usually towers over the city’s raison d’être, Lake Pichola. Two more palaces can be seen on what would be the islands of Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir (see “Top Attractions,” below). Exit through Tripolia Gate to explore the Old City of Udaipur, which sprawls north of the palace. Jagdish Temple, the largest in Udaipur, is its chief attraction. Despite some lovely exterior carvings (including hidden erotic pieces your guide will point out), the temple itself is rather ordinary (if you’ve seen a number of them elsewhere, that is), but its attraction lies in its massive popularity. The temple has seen a constant stream of people who come to worship Lord Jagannath, an aspect of Vishnu (the black stone image enshrined within), since it first opened its doors in 1652. Aarti takes place at around 10am, 7:30pm, and 10pm—try to time your visit for when the bhajans (prayer-songs) make for a most atmospheric experience. (Remove your shoes before entering, and an attendant will look after them for a small tip; no photography inside.) The bronze half-man, half-bird statue of Garuda outside is the vehicle of Vishnu. From Jagdish Temple you can wander the mazelike streets of old Udaipur, admiring the whitewashed havelis and popping into tiny shops before reaching the clock tower that marks the northern edge. Near the lake edge, at Gangaur Ghat, you can visit the Bagore-ki-Haveli Museum ( 0294/242-2567), a restored royal haveli with plenty of idiosyncratic design detail that’s now part of a museum and cultural center; it’s best visited on evenings for the nightly music and dance performances. If you haven’t picked up a bicycle from Heera Cycle Store (86 Gangaur Ghat Rd., near Jagdish Temple), catch a taxi from here (or have your driver waiting) to Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum (Panch Vati Rd.; entry Rs 35, Rs 20/50 camera; daily 9am–6pm), Udaipur