India 15 - Rajasthan (Chapter)

Rajasthan

SOUTHERN

R AJASTHAN

Rajasthan

Si GHTS

Rajasthan

UDA iPUR

several of the Battle of Haldighati (1576),

in which Mewar forces under Maharana

Pratap, one of the great Rajput heroes, gal-

lantly fought the army of Mughal emperor

Akbar to a stalemate. As you move through

the palace, highlights include the Baadi ̈

Mahal (1699), where a pretty central gar-

den gives fine views over the city. Kishan ̈

(Krishna) ̈ Vilas has a remarkable collec-

tion of miniatures from the time of Maha-

rana Bhim Singh (1778–1828). The story

goes that Bhim Singh’s daughter Krishna

Kumari drank a fatal cup of poison here to

solve the dilemma of rival princely suitors

from Jaipur and Jodhpur who were both

threatening to invade Mewar if she didn’t

marry them. The Surya ̈Choupad boasts a

huge, ornamental sun – the symbol of the

sun-descended Mewar dynasty – and opens

into Mor ̈Chowk (Peacock Courtyard) with

its lovely mosaics of peacocks, the favourite

Rajasthani bird. The south end of the muse-

um comprises the Zenana ̈Mahal, the royal

ladies’ quarters built in the 17th century. It

now contains a long picture gallery with lots

of royal hunting scenes. The Zenana Mahal’s

central courtyard, Laxmi ̈Chowk, contains a

beautiful white pavilion and a stable of how-

dahs, palanquins and other people carriers.

Crystal ̈Gallery ̈ GA ll ERY

(adult/child incl compulsory audio guide ₹500/300,

plus ₹25 City Palace ticket; h9am-7pm) The

Crystal Gallery houses rare crystal that

Maharana Sajjan Singh ordered from F&C

Osler & Co in England in 1877. The maha-

rana died before it arrived, and all the items

stayed forgotten and packed up in boxes for

110 years. The extraordinary, extravagant

collection includes crystal chairs, sofas, ta-

bles and even beds. Below, and included on

the same admission ticket – along with tea

or a soft drink in the Gallery Restaurant – is

the grand Durbar ̈Hall, one of India’s largest

and most lavish royal reception halls, with

some of the country’s biggest chandeliers.

Tickets are available at Badi Pol, at Chan-

dra Chowk Gate or at the Crystal Gallery

entrance.

Government ̈Museum ̈ MUSEUM

(indian/foreigner ₹5/50; h9.45am-5.15pm Tue-Sun)

Right beside the entrance to the City Palace

Museum, this small, quirky museum has a

splendid collection of jewel-like miniature

paintings of the Mewar school and a tur-

ban that belonged to Shah Jahan, creator of

the Taj Mahal. Stranger exhibits include a

stuffed monkey holding a lamp.

Jagdish ̈Temple ̈ HiNDU TEMPlE

(h5.30am-2pm & 4-10pm) Entered by a steep,

elephant-flanked flight of steps 150m north

of the City Palace’s Badi Pol entrance, this

busy Indo-Aryan temple was built by Maha-

rana Jagat Singh in 1651. The wonderfully

carved main structure enshrines a black

stone image of Vishnu as Jagannath, Lord

of the Universe; there’s a brass image of the

Garuda (Vishnu’s man-bird vehicle) in a

shrine facing the main structure.

Bagore-ki-Haveli ̈ NOTABlE BU il DiNG

(admission ₹30; h10am-5pm) This gracious

18th-century haveli, set on the water’s edge

in the Gangaur Ghat area, was built by a Me-

war prime minister and has been carefully

restored. There are 138 rooms set around

courtyards on three levels, some arranged

to evoke the period during which the house

was inhabited, and others housing cultural

displays, including – intriguingly enough –

the world’s biggest turban. The haveli also

houses an interesting art gallery, featuring

contemporary and folk art, and an eclectic

selection of world-famous monuments lov-

ingly carved out of polystyrene.

Sajjan ̈Garh ̈(Monsoon ̈Palace) ̈ PA lACE

Perched on top of a distant mountain like a

fairy-tale castle, this melancholy, neglected

late 19th-century palace was constructed by

Maharana Sajjan Singh. Originally an astro-

nomical centre, it became a monsoon palace

and hunting lodge. Now government owned,

it’s in a sadly dilapidated state. However,

visitors stream up here for the marvellous

views, particularly at sunset. It’s 5km west

ANIMAL ̈AID ̈UNLIMITED ̈

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200 street animals a day (mainly dogs,

donkeys and cows) and answers more

than 3000 emergency rescue calls a

year. The refuge welcomes volunteers

and visitors: make contact in advance

to fix a time between 9am and 5pm

any day. It’s in Badi village, 7km north-

west of Udaipur: a round trip by auto-

rickshaw, including waiting time, costs

around ₹250. Call Animal Aid Unlimited

if you see an injured or ill street animal

in Udaipur.