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The city of Lakes, Udaipur is dotted around with many famous destinations and has turned out to be one of the most popular tourist destinations. With beautiful places, temples, lakes and landscapes, Udaipur is loaded with rich culture and beauty all around, but it isn’t just about the views, you can easily savour the flavourful delicacies and enjoy the Rajasthani culture screaming from every street. Apart from its rich heritage, Udaipur offers majestic stories about every destination and one of the most visited and magnificent complexes of all time is the City Palace.
City Palace is one of the major tourist spots of Udaipur that proudly overlooks Lake Pichola. This complex was built 400 years ago and is the largest complex in Rajasthan. The palace was home to the then-legends Maharanas. The City palace serves as a brilliant architectural marvel to Udaipur which is a unique blend of Mughal, Medieval, Chinese and European styles. With numerous paintings and intricate carvings, every corner of the gigantic city place has something to tell. Check out these amazing facts before paying a visit to this beautiful palace.
The Vacant Chair
The palace has a vacant chair which belonged to the ruler of Mewar, Maharana Fateh Singh Ji. It is believed that the ruler once got an invitation to attend the Grand Delhi Durbar held in honour of King George 5 and he somehow refused as he didn’t want to bow or sit below the British. The seat of Maharan remained vacant and that same chair is preserved within the city palace.
Steep Stairs and Short Heightened Doors
This multi-floor palace has narrow stairs and various entry points connecting the floors. The access of the door is small and only one person can pass through the pathway at a time. It is believed that the thought behind making the stairs and pathways narrow was that multiple people couldn’t enter the palace during the attacks. The enemies would’ve to bow their heads and be forced to slow down to pass through the chambers.
Divan-e-Aam
This beautiful mor chowk was considered as a meeting place of the king. Here, every special meeting was held to discuss important matters, while the king used to sit at a beautifully decorated balcony above all and ministers would sit across from him. The area is a fancy complex which is famous for its mirror work. A beautiful peacock is entirely made of small mirrors and the rooms are filled with stunning masterpieces. Every part of Mor Chowk has unique detailing.
The Golden Sun
Inside the palace, you will witness a special golden sun which is not just any decorative piece but was considered as auspicious. The king used to start his day by looking at the sun every morning for good luck. But now a similar bronze-plated sun is placed at the front door for tourists to witness its auspicious views.
The False Door
While you’re busy exploring the city palace, you might come across a door which looks the same as any other door. As you try to open the door, your guide will reveal a surprise about this illusional door installed on purpose. It is believed that the king used this door to entertain his guests. This hidden detailing of the door, which is nothing, but the cleverly painted wall is another factor which makes this palace a must-visit.
Beautiful Rooms and Jharokas
The beautiful rooms are tucked cosily with colourful jharokas. The floor with this beautiful setup has a courtyard where one side has beautifully appealing windows with jharokas (colourful glasses) and stunning rooms. It is believed that one of the rooms belonged to the king. That very room was constructed by drawing inspiration from the sheesh mahal in Amer since the entire floor is covered with mirrors.
Fully Grown Trees On 4th Floor
During your visit to the top floor/terrace, be ready to witness the fully grown trees. The clever construction skills serve as a testament to the amazing planning and preservation of beauty and nature. The trees you would witness in the Amar Vilas or the 4th floor are growing on the hill and not the palace as the hill wasn’t demolished during the construction. The scenario creates a beautiful rooftop oasis while serving respect to nature.
Silver Gallery
While you’re busy exploring the palace, this silver gallery is a treasure trove of silver. The gallery is loaded with shiny silver kitchenware all the objects used by the royal family. From carts and spoons to water pots and toothpicks, you’ll find everything preserved there but two of the main things which will definitely catch your attention will be the silver chariot placed near the entrance and the royal crib placed near the exit. The chariots were used to carry idols during the festivals and the royal cribs were made for the royal babies to start their life in a luxurious way. The silver artwork is a major part of the palace.