The day looked beautiful as we left the hotel on our way to Udaipur City Palace by the Pichola Lake.
Considered a fairy-like city with marble palaces and lakes surrounded by a ring of hills, Udaipur was founded by Maharana Udai Singh in 1559, having become the capital of Mewar, whose rulers refused any alliances with the Mughals, thus turning it into an "independent" city bearing the great pride of those who became the prime defenders of the Rajput honour.
The Jag Niwas (Lake Palace) looked astoundingly beautiful in its almost idealisticly magical setting in the Lake.
Stretching along one of the shores of the Lake Pichola the City Palace is the largest Palace in Rajasthan comprising a complex of several palaces built or added to by 22 different Maharanas between the 16th and 20th centuries.
We walked into it by the Tripolia Gate above which is the Mewar crest, a large Sun face, which reinforces the Sisodia clan's claim to be descended from the sun. A profusion of graceful balconies, cupolas and turrets topped its façade.
We then walked pass the Ganesh Deordi Gate where entrance tickets were checked, leading into a courtyard decorated with frescoes of horses and elephants.
(To be continued)
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