Udaipur
julio
Known as “City of Lakes” and the “Venice of the East,” Udaipur is an impressive palace-filled city encompassed by the articicial lakes of Fateh Sagar, Pichola, Swaroop Sagar & Saheliyon-Ki-Baari lakes. Boat rides are offered on the lakes as part of the palace tours and it is a picturesque jaunt along the shores and floating white marble walls of lake palaces and hotels. The City Palace contains relics and the intricate peacock mosaics of the Mewar rulers as well as the local history of the family and surroundings. The Mewar Dynasty had an affinity for all things crystal, as you can see in the Crystal Palace as well as the honoring of their family deity around jewel-encrusted pillows and havans (fire pits). The palaces were thick with Indian tourists and the halls were quite thin so maneuvering around the droves of visitors proved to be challenging and an exercise in patience.
We visited an iconic local temple just outside the palace which has been in worship since the 1600's called Jagdish. The temple is dedicated to a form of Vishnu know as lord Jagannath (the lord of the universe). Not only was the temple physically beautiful but the feeling inside was one of the sweetest we have encountered. Devotees sat endlessly singing praises to the deity with the sweetest countenance and genuine devotion we sat for hours and joined them hypnotized by the sweetness in the room.
We were enthusiastically instructed to attend a local festival across the lake called shilpagram by a hotel worker and we decided to see how it was. It turns out shilpagram is a massive handicraft market, festival and cultural festival all in one and tens of thousands were in attendance. There were goods, foods, dances and people from every corner of India displaying the wares of their region with vivid color and zeal. It was a feast for the senses and we walked away with hearts and bags chock full from the spectacular array of people, merchandise and experiences. We did create quite a commotion being the only Westerners at the festival and posed for many photographs and enjoyed the common querys of what country? and You like India?
christina
Being here is stunning - set within the lakes and seeing all the palaces I was struck by the majestic and intricate grandeur and of course I feel like I'm getting my first taste of how geographically diverse this country is (as I read about). Visiting the tourist sites was awesome but I think what I took away the most is the amount of people and the way things are done in relationship to the tourists. There were SO many tourists there that from the moment we walked into the City Palace we were in a throng of people. This continued for the entire visit and was the true testament to staying centered and letting go of control. The mobbed line to go through one door in the palace was 20 minutes long - I've never been anywhere where things are done this way. In most places that are busy (like the Alhambra) they have timed entry and limits on how many people - this did not seem to be the case so the whole experience was en masse - but wow, what an experience that was. It was amazing to see and feel totally safe in that large group of people - not what I expected when you're right up against a stranger like that. The idea of personal space is very different here and I'm getting used to it. The art and architecture of the palaces were stunning - I especially liked having chai out on the little island in the middle of the lake - the summer palace - so beautiful.
Aside from visiting the tourist track, our hotel manager tipped us off to a wonderful event at the edge of town that was happening called the Shilpagram Festival - WOW. We were so lucky to get this tip because it truly was unforgettable. Turns out that this is a cultural fair where in addition to programming they also have a huge market where artisans and traders from all over Rajasthan come to teach and sell their crafts. I wish we could have gone earlier for more time, but I was able to purchase beautiful bags and scarfs directly from the people who make them - it was amazing. If you are in town during that time in (December 21-31) I strongly recommend you go.
