Udaipur City Palace

Udaipur, the city of lakes, is known as the Venice of the east. Maharana Udai Singh II founded Udaipur in 1568 after his citadel Chittorgarh was sacked by Mughal Emperor Akbar. The legend says that Udai Singh was guided by a holy man meditating on the hill near Pichola Lake to establish his capital on this very spot. Surrounded by Aravali Ranges, forests and lakes this place was less vulnerable than Chittorgarh. Maharana Udai Singh died in 1572 and was succeeded by Maharana Pratap who valiantly defended Udaipur from subsequent Mughal attacks. Maharana Pratap is the most revered Rajput icon and gallantly fought the Mughal at the Haldighati in 1576. Udaipur is also the centre for performing arts, craft and its famed miniature paintings.

City Palace towers over the Pichola Lake. Maharana Uday Singh initiated the construction of the palace but succeeding Maharanas added several palaces and structures to the complex, retaining the uniformity of design. The entry to the palace is from the Hati Pol, the Elephant gate. The Bari Pol or the big gate brings one to the Tripolia, the Triple gate. It was once a custom that the Maharana would weigh under this gate in gold and silver, which was distributed to the populace. Now, it's the main ticket office. Balconies, cupolas and towers surmount the palace to give a wonderful view of the lake. Suraj Gokhada or the 'Balcony of Sun' is where the Maharana used to grant public audiences, mainly to boost the morale of the people in difficult times. The Mor Chawk is the peacock square and gains its name from the vivid blue mosaic in glass of a peacock that decorates its walls.

The main part of the palace is now preserved as a museum displaying a large and diverse array of artefacts. The City Palace museum is entered through the Ganesh Deori meaning the door of Lord Ganesh. This leads to the Rajya Angan, the royal courtyard which is the very spot where Maharana Udai Singh met the sage who told him to found a city here. An armoury museum exhibits a huge collection of protective gear and weapons including the lethal two-pronged sword. The rooms of the palace are superbly decorated with mirrors, tiles and paintings. Manak Mahal or the Ruby palace has a lovely collection of glass and mirror work while Krishna Vilas display a rich collection of miniature paintings. Moti Mahal or the Pearl palace has beautiful mirror work and the Chini Mahal has ornamental tiles all over. The Surya Chopar or the Sun Square depicts a huge ornamental sun symbolising the sun dynasty to which the Mewar dynasty belongs. The Bari Mahal is a central garden with a magnificent view of the city. Some more beautiful paintings can be seen in the Zenana Mahal or the ladies chamber, which leads to Lakshmi Chowk, a beautiful white pavilion.

Inside the separate palace enclosure, entered from the south of Badi Chowk, are the Shiv Niwas and Fateh Prakash Palace, which are now run as hotels. The grand City Palace on the banks of Pichola Lake is the finest example of architectural and cultural explosion under the rule of Rajput rulers. The palace hails tourists from all over the world, leaving them awestruck by its beauty and grandeur.

History of City Palace Udaipur
The History of City Palace is related to the kingdom of Mewar that has gone through several capital changes during the reign of its many rulers. The capital was first established in Nagda in 568 AD by Guhil, the first Maharana of Mewar. It was later moved to Chittor in the 8th century under the rule of Sisodias. During 1537, the Mewar kingdom came under the rule of Maharana Udai Singh II. Due to war with the Mughals there was a risk of losing the Chittor fort. Hence, Maharana Udai Singh II chose a new capital for his kingdom near Lake Pichola that shielded the territory from its enemies, well surrounded by forests, lakes and the imposing Aravalli hills.

The construction of City Palace started under the reign of Maharana Udai Singh II and was enhanced subsequently by his successors over a period of 400 years. This palace is of great historical importance as it served as the administrative complex of the Maharanas. The first royal structure that was built in the City palace complex was 'Rai Angan', the royal courtyard. After the death of Maharana Udai Singh II, his son Maharana Pratap took over Udaipur. During the Battle of Haldighati, Maharana Pratap lost the war to the Mughal emperor Akbar and Udaipur came under the rule of the Mughals.

After Akbar’s death, Mewar was handed over to Maharana Pratap's son and successor Amar Singh I by the Mughal ruler Jahangir. Udaipur once again fell into the attacks of Marathas in the year 1761. To protect Mewar from further attacks, Maharana Bhim Singh signed a treaty with the British in 1818 asking for their protection. After India’s independence, Mewar became a part of democratic India and kings of Mewar retained the ownership of the palaces in Udaipur.