Udaipur is a small
city and yet it is one of the most visited tourist cities in the state of
Rajasthan as well as India also known as the ‘Venice of the East’. Famous
largely for its five serene lakes and royal palaces placed strategically giving
panoramic views of some of these lakes, this city broke several of my
misconceptions. A: Not all cities in Rajasthan are arid and desert like. B:
There can be plenty of lush greenery especially during heavy rainfall during
the monsoon months. C: There is adequate fresh water supply thanks to the
bountiful lakes and adjacent rivers here.
The Roadsurfers’
second trip was a well-planned affair to remember. The Mewar Express brought us
to Udaipur early in the morning through an overnight journey from Delhi’s
Nizamuddin station. Home to one of the roadsurfers, we were lucky enough to get
free accommodation, local transportation and free entry to several historical
monuments thanks to his father’s job in ASI. The first place to visit on our
list was the City Palace which is a magnificent and formidable structure parts
of which are now turned in to a heritage hotel. Flaunting the richness of a
royal lineage, a lake side view and the luxury of fine dining and hospitality,
it is a dream haven for passing foreign tourists who are fascinated by
Rajasthan, royalty and rejuvenation in the lap of nature. The adjoining palace
houses arms and ammunition, horse carriages, living quarters and other glimpses
of the royal life of indulgent kings and queens in a forgotten era. A little
distance from there is Lake Pichola, the oldest and largest lake in the city.The
third stop was a cable car ropeway ride that gave us a bird’s eye view of the
expansive forests below, flanked by hills on both sides, atop one of which is
the Karnimata Temple. All the exertions of the day finally ended in a sumptuous
lunch of butter chicken and rotis at the Flames Restaurant. The evening saw us
continue romancing the lakeside view of the palaces over hukka and beer at the
Blue Moon Kinara Hotel.
Day 2 was a full-fledged
long drive that took us through the green valleys and thick vegetation only to
pass tiny hamlets and odd villages on the way to the formidable fort of
Kumbalgarh. The first stop over was the Ek Lingji Temple which is a temple
complex housing 108 temples made of sandstone and marbles. This was followed by
a quick dekko at the Saas Bahu or Nagda temple aptly named over the significant
squabble between an egoistic mother and daughter in law who wished an odd
number of mighty temples in their name. The next part of our touristy sojourn
was the Haldi Ghati Musuem that recalls the dramatic life and times of Maharana
Pratap and his ancestors, the great Rajputana warrior and his famous battle of
Haldi Ghat against the mighty Akbar’s army. Our Nepali driver turned out to be a
bit of a sore thumb, losing his way so often that we ended up taking a rather
circuitous route to our next historic destination. We reached Kumbalgarh, the
birthplace and abode of the great Maharana only around 6 which meant a hurried
lunch of aloo puris and home made pickle before we undertook a walk up the fort’s
pathway to explore the inner sanctum of the king and queen, assembly halls,
temples, sentry positions, horse stables, kitchens, sanitation and bath
facilities, servant quarters, courtyards, watch towers and even the secret
pathways in and around the fort. Needless to say, it stirred a rare insight
into a lifestyle of days gone by of a forgotten era, whispered through the now
preserved relics of an entire chapter in history. Who knows how many sceptres
and ghouls walk these corridors and stairways, and what they make of the
transformed ‘modern’ world around them today. A sound and light show in the
evening pinpointed in a rather theatrical form of way, complete with voice over
the story of the heritage of Kumbalgarh and what makes it a symbol of bravery,
fortitude and Rajputana pride over the ages. Unfortunately, we had to get back
home in time for dinner and that meant a long drive through the dark winding
roads and jungle back to the city. 
The next day saw us
rising early to bike it to the nearby Fateh Sagar lake for a light breakfast of
poha, cream rolls and tea right by the lakeside. A complete round of the lake
encompassing a turn around Rani Road recharged the idle cells in the body
enough for the boys to warm up and sportingly race each other around the
circumference. The rest of the day was deliberately kept light with a walk
around the near by Reliance and Celebration Malls with the boys being boys and
trying their hand at the pool table, ice hockey, bowling and bike rides at the
game parlour within the mall. This was followed by a traditional Rajasthani
feast at Natraj Restaurant. At Rs.160, one would have thought it was a tad too
expensive but then the fare laid out at the table was befitting for the
appetite of a bear with assorted vegetables, puris, rice, dry appetizers like
pan fried pakodas, curry, dal, chaas and sweet savouries like custard. If not
the thali, the dal baati churma in itself was enough to satisfy the hunger
pangs of two, so rich and heavy was the taste and quantity! The only thing to
do after this much abdominal exertion was a peaceful afternoon siesta which we
immediately went on to do after reaching back to our rooms. So fulfilling was
our slumber that it was only 20 minutes to our train departure that we woke up
to a start to hurriedly pack up, wave goodbyes to our indulgent and gracious
hosts for the trip and drive down to the station to board our train.
The train journey
brought back the memories of everything we had accomplished in terms of touring
Udaipur through the last three days and one thing was for sure, no one would
forget this idyllic city in a hurry. The scenic views of nature, the ramifications
of ancient lore and the royal aura of the enchanting lake palaces was sure to
stay with us for a long long time, may be until our next visit.
PS. A dream location
for bird watchers, visit Udaipur during August to catch glimpses of a variety
of birds that seem to make it their address during this period of monsoon.
