If you ever saw Roger Moore as James Bond then there’s a chance you may have seen Udaipur. If you’ve ever read Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, then you’ve seen a mention of Udaipur (a reference almost impossible to discern, though, because of its spelling: Oodeypore) as the birthplace of the fictional panther, Bagheera. Scenes from Britain’s Jewel in the Crown television show were filmed in Udaipur. And so were many films: Darjeeling Limited, Heat and Dust, and Octopussy (the aforementioned James Bond film). It’s perhaps one of the most famous cities you didn’t know you knew: Udaipur, India.
Udaipur is known as the City of Lakes (also, like Singapore, it’s known as the “Venice of the East”), located in western India in the state of Rajasthan. It was once the capital of the kingdom of Mewar and contains numerous lakes, such as Fateh Sagar Lake and Lake Pichola — some of the most beautiful vistas around. Historic palaces line the lakes, many from the Rajput-era in the 16th Century. Many of these palaces have been converted into Udaipur five star hotels, and provide travelers the chance to stay in monumental buildings dating back to 1559. If you choose to stay in one of these historic places, you might wonder what there is to do in Udaipur, aside from luxury service and lakeside and palatial views. Here’s a few sites worth taking a look:
There are several museums worth examining, including the Pretap Museum inside the City Palace. It exhibits old inscribed sculptures, as well as paintings from the kingdom of Mewar, specifically from the artist known as Shah Jahan, who constructed the Taj Mahal. There’s the Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal, which is a museum of folk arts, including puppet shows, which could be nice, especially if you’re traveling with your family.
On top of Pearl Hill (aka Moti Magri), you will find a memorial for Maharana Pratap — a bronze statue of the Rajput hero atop his best-liked horse. There’s also the Monsoon Palace, known as the Sajjangarh Fort, which over looks every lake in the area. One of the largest attractions in Udaipur is Jagdish Temple, a Hindu Temple, which was finished in 1651. All the lanes that lead from the city wall (otherwise known as the sheharpanah) meet at the Jagdish Temple.
Or you may simply want to relax in your hotel suite, just as James Bond once did.