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City
Palace in Udaipur, the majestic white royal building towers itself on a hill and
is surrounded by crenellated walls. Udaipur City Palace was completed in its
present form by the contribution of many rulers. Originally started by Udai
Singh, the later additions were so carefully planned and integrated with the
original building that it becomes difficult to believe that the building was not
conceived as a whole. The city palace of Udaipur stands along the shores of Lake
Pichola.
The City Palace consists of four main and several minor palaces. Part of the
complex is a Hawa Mahal. The Palace of Joy, Dilkhusha Mahal, is decorated with
frescoes and wall paintings. Moti Mahal, or Palace of Pearls, Sheesh Mahal, or
the palace of mirrors and glass, and Krishna Mahal are lavishly decorated with
colors and paintings. Mor Chowk is known for its unique peacock motif in mosaic.
Bada Mahal, the garden palace, is built on a 90 feet high natural rock
formation. The Chini chitrashala houses a rich collection of Chinese porcelain
and Laxmi Vilas Chowk is an art gallery, which houses a distinctive collection
of Mewar paintings. The Amar Vilas, the highest point with its hanging gardens,
towers and terraces, presents a majestic and panoramic view of the town and Lake
Pichola.
This
spectacular palace stands white and majestic set on a hill. The palace is
surmounted by balconies, towers and cupolas and there are fine views over the
lake and the city from the upper terraces. It is surrounded by walls for
battlements, at the entrance is a triple arched gate, called the Tripolia which
was built in 1725. The main part of the palace is now preserved as a museum. It
includes the Mor Chowk with it's beautiful mosiacs of peacocks. The Manak Mahal
has glass and mirror work, while Krishna Vilas has a remarkable collection of
miniatures. In the Bari Mahal, there is a pleasant central garden. Another
monuments which has it's own charm is the Suraj Gokhada (the balcony of the
sun). Here the Maharanas of Meware came before the people during troubled times
to restore confidence in them. The blue and white ceramics of Chini Chitrashala
are extremely fascinating. |
