Day 6, Monday - Chittaurgarh
and Udaipur
Arrive at 07.30 hrs, Chittaurgarh and Udaipur, the capitals
of the Sisodia Maharanas, enjoy pre-eminence among the Rajput clans
of Rajasthan. Spend the day sight seeing at Udaipur. Lunch is at
Lake Palace, the beautiful island palace built as a summer resort
by the royal family, and now converted into one of the world's finest
hotels. The train departs again at 20.00 hrs, and dinner will be
served on board.
Maharana Udai Singh, laid the foundation for a new
kingdom-Udaipur-situated by Lake Pichola, where the impressive City
Palace was lavished with aesthetic and imaginative works of art,
and the art of miniature painting was encouraged. Subsequently,
the princes built the seemingly floating Island Palace, the royal
summer retreat, offering a spectacular view of the lake and surrounding
mountains. Besides the Lake Palace, there are other such retreats
that have been converted into modern hotels, one of them, Shiv Niwas,
being run by the current head of the family.
A graceful, valorous
race, the Sisodias and their city bring alive the excitement of
a medieval kingdom as it once was, and with a little imagination,
can still almost be.
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