54 years back, Her Royal Majesty, visited India just after independence in January 1961. She alongside Prince Philip landed at the Delhi airport and was greeted by the Indian President Mr. Rajendra Prasad and Premier Pandit Nehru. After her visit to Delhi, Jaipur and, Agra, she visited the Maharani of Udaipur. In Udaipur, The Queen of England was introduced to the members of Darbar who were dressed in traditional Rajasthani Paridhan including jewelry and iconic Safa Pagdi. The Queen and Duke also visited Shiv Niwas, the water palace.

A video coverage of the Queen’s visit to India was documented by British Pathé.

About British Pathé

In olden times, people used to rely on theaters for all the news of the world.

” Pathé News was a producer of newsreels and documentaries from 1910 until 1970 in the United Kingdom. Its founder, Charles Pathé, was a pioneer of moving pictures in the silent era. The Pathé News archive is known today as British Pathé”

-Wikipedia

British Pathé is considered as “one of the finest newsreel archives” in the world. It has a genuine collection of over 85,000 newsreel of historical and cultural importance.

The British Pathé YouTube channel consists of some bizarre, delightful and historical events from all around the world. From Fashion shows to war documentaries and from deaths of prominent personalities to some of the greatest inventions, it contains everything to keep you hooked. You might also come across some things first of their kind in their collection of documentaries.

The documentary featuring Queen’s visit is in three parts in which you can see how beautifully India and its monuments are captured. In the Reel- 2 of the documentary, Udaipur is featured and one can very well see how journalists, from all over the world, gathered in order to capture every moment. Moreover, local people can be seen in large numbers, sitting and waiting to catch one glimpse of the Queen.

Furthermore, while reading this, you might be wondering about the big, white statue of “The Queen” currently placed in The Saraswati Library, Gulab Bagh, so FYI, the statue is of Queen Victoria. She was entitled Empress of India on 1 May 1876. Queen Elizabeth II is Great-Great Granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The statue was removed immediately after Independence when a riot took place. It was then replaced by the statue of Gandhi Ji.

Here is the video featuring Queen’s visit to Udaipur:

Todgarh is a beautiful village located in the Aravalis, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. It is 3281 feet above the sea level and is famous for colonial buildings, serpentine roads, alluring waterfalls of the British era.

History of Todgarh:

During his period as a Political Agent for some areas of Rajputana, he performed every task with utmost dedication and efficiency resolving mutual disputes between people and earned a lot of respect through his work in the Merwara region, so much so that the then Maharana of Udaipur renamed Barsawada as ‘Todgarh’, which is still in use and known to most of the people by this name.

Here are some of the places you must visit for a memorable trip:

1. Todgarh-Raoli Wildlife Sanctuary:

Places to visit at Todgarh — Source – Wikipedia

It is one of the most underrated yet pristine wildlife sanctuaries of Rajasthan. It holds great potential for eco-tourism as well as nature lovers. The sanctuary is spread over Rajsamand, Pali, and Ajmer districts with an area of 495 km sq. filled with deciduous trees and grasslands. Some of the major wildlife includes leopard, sloth bear, Indian gazelle, blue bull, Indian wolf, etc. with a wide variety of birds too.

2. Dudhaleshwar Temple:

This ancient temple named after Lord Shiva is located right in the middle of the Todgarh-Raoli Wildlife Sanctuary and houses a perennial source of spring water. The place is surrounded by banyan and tamarind trees and caretakers of the temple say that the place is frequented by leopards and bears at night. This is a must visit whenever you are exploring the sanctuary.

3. Katar Ghati:

There’s a road on the way to Dudhaleshwar Temple from Todgarh, made by British engineers in the form of a serpent. This stretch of the road is 4 km long and is an ancient engineering marvel.

4. Ghoram Ghat Railway Track:

On the railway track between Kamlighat and Fulad Station is a beautiful region comprising of U-turns with a scenic view of waterfalls, tunnels, and bridges. The train passing through this area is a sight to witness. This is approximately 12 km from Todgarh and 25 km from the National Highway.

5. Bheelberi:

Bheelberi waterfall is 55 meter in height and can be seen in full flow during the rainy season. Long-billed vultures and several migratory birds can be sighted here during this time. This is probably the highest waterfall of Rajasthan. This waterfall is accessible through a 4 km car journey.

6. Pragya Shikhar:

Pragya Shikhar is a temple built by the Jain community and it was built in 2005. It was constructed using black granite in the memory of Jain Acharya Tulsi and was inaugurated by the then President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

7. Victorian era Church and School:

This Church is almost 150 years old and is one of the oldest Churches of Rajasthan. It was made during the British era and later allotted with funds for renovation by the Congress. There is also a jail that has now been converted to a school where children of the hamlet come to study. Quite an ironic place to study isn’t it!?

How to reach Todgarh?

Todgarh is a 3-hour journey via a bus or car on NH-8 crossing Nathdwara, Rajsamand, and Devigarh further taking a left turn at Puthiya Kheda, approximately 20 km from Kamlighat. It is 6 km inside from the main NH-8.

This small town has one or two small resorts but makes sure you have a confirmed booking before you leave.

Have you been to Todgarh yet?

Tell us about your journey with your comments below.