City Palace Udaipur is a palace complex situated in the city of Udaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was built over a period of nearly 400 years, with contributions from several rulers of the Mewar dynasty.
Its construction began in 1553, started by Maharana Udai Singh II of the Sisodia Rajput family as he shifted his capital from the erstwhile Chittor to the newfound city of Udaipur. The palace is located on the east bank of Lake Pichola and has several palaces built within its complex.
City palace Udaipur architecture
The Magic of Architecture The glamor of the Rajputana district of Udaipur in Rajasthan is associated with their Palaces and fort around the lakes and gardens. The majestic white City Palace is the best one of them, you can not resist.
Situated in the central part of Udaipur, City Palace was originally constructed by king Maharana Udai Singh of the Sisodia Rajput clan and completed in its present form by the contribution of many Maharana rulers of Udaipur.
The City Palace is built of granite and marble, towering over the lake on a hill surrounded by castled walls. It gives you a rare opportunity to visit the plethora of remarkable buildings of immense beauty, gardens, and fountains in a blend of Medieval European and Chinese architects, all under one roof.
City palace Udaipur History
the city palace Entry starts in the complex through the ‘Hati Pol’, or the ‘Elephant Gate’ from the main road. Here you will receive a welcoming visit to the God Jagdish Temple (1651A.D), dedicated to Lord Vishnu, this is the biggest and most beautiful temple of Udaipur. From here the ‘Bara Pol’ the ‘Great gate’ (1600A.D) on the northern end leads to the first courtyard, which joins Tripolia (1725 A.D).
Between the two gates of the Tripolia are eight carved marble arches or ‘Toranas’ under which the Maharanas at that time were weighed with an equal value of gold and silver which was donated to the poor.
The Suraj Gokhada, the balcony of the sun, is exactly the same place where today umbrellas are installed and then the rulers of Mewar used to give their public appearance to boost the confidence of their people in times of difficulty.
A magical piece of art is that area popularly known as the Peacock Courtyard for its magnificent colored glass and mirror mosaics of peacocks and other birds, Maharana Karan Singh II built it during 1620-1628 as a new court and after two hundred years Maharana Sajjan Singh added the peacocks.
Another artistic creation is a gallery, called the Chini Chitrashala, famous for its Chinese and Dutch ornamental tiles, the latter of which has the depiction of Biblical scenes including the flight to Egypt.
City Palace Udaipur Museum
If you are really interested to sneak into the warrior mentality of the Maharanas, go to the museum which consisted of the main part of the palace preserved as a museum.
Here you will find a display of a huge collection of weapons of a diverse range including the lethal two-pronged sword. The museum further leads the way to the Rajya Angan, the royal courtyard through the way of the Ganesh Deori, the door of Lord Ganesh.
Entry fee to the City Palace Museum
The entry fee to the City Palace Museum is Rs. 250 for Adults (Above 18 yrs age) and Rs. 100 for Children (5 to 18 yrs age). There is no entry fee for children below 5 years of age. The camera fee is Rs. 250. For students coming in groups,
Art Depictions of City Palace Udaipur
The palace court presents its visitors with highly aesthetical and artistic patterns. Its rooms are decorated marvelously with mirror tiles and paintings. There is an unmatchable collection of glass and mirror work in Manak Mahal ‘the Ruby Palace’ and a rich collection of miniature paintings. in Krishna Vilas.
A fascinating work of mirrors can be seen on Moti Mahal, also called the pearl palace. The Surya Chopar or the sun square portrays a huge ornamental sun referring to the Suryawansi dynasty of the Mewar.
Some beautiful paintings in the Zenana Mahal ‘the ladies’ chamber and an art gallery of Mewar paintings in ‘Laxmi Vilas Chowk’ are worthy to be explored.
The weather in Udaipur Rajasthan
Udaipur has a very hot climate and rainfall is scarce in the summer season. Sometimes the temperature reaches the height of 47 degrees with the occasional blow of dust winds. It has somehow desert climate.
The ideal time for tourists is winter during which the temperature goes from a maximum of 28.3 degrees C to a minimum of 11.6 degrees C. It is from September till March.
City Palace Udaipur timings
City Palace Timings are from 9:30 am in the morning to 5:30 pm in the evening.
City Palace Udaipur ticket Price
the entry fee to the City Palace Udaipur is Rs. 30 for Adults and Rs. 15 for children. Rs. 200 is charged for Still Camera and Rs. 500 is charged for Video Camera
How to Reach City Palace Udaipur
Air: Daily flight Airlines connects Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Aurangabad, Mumbai, and Delhi. Dabok Airport is 21 Km away from the city and reachable by Taxi in 35-45 minutes.
Rail: Direct trains from Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Chittaur, Jodhpur and Ahmedabad are available and the Railway Station is about 4 Km from the city center.
Road: Connected by National Highway No. 8 and has a major road link between Mumbai and Delhi. Buses of Road Transport Corporation and private companies can be accessed from all major parts of the country.
My self Dev Satish. I’m an Author and Founder of tourism-rajasthan.com. I’m from Rajasthan and If I talk about my Education then I’m Law Graduate. I love doing work that makes me happy, that’s why I love traveling. you will find Rajasthan travel ideas & tips on this blog.
Amazing blog post ❤️