We all are aware of Sajja Niwas Garden or Gulab Bagh. But do you know that there is a museum inside a Mahal known as Navlakha Mahal in Gulab Bagh? Let us have an insight of what Navlakha Mahal is.
About Navlakha Mahal
Navlakha Mahal is situated in the heart of Gulab Bagh, which was established in the 19th century. This is a place of pilgrimage for Arya Samaj followers. Maharishi Dayanand, a remarkable sage, and reformer who brought Vedic learning to India, was a profound scholar of Vedas and scriptures and a perfect Yogi. Maharishi Dayanand came to Udaipur on August 10th, 1882. He visited the City of Lakes on the request of Maharana Sajjan Singh, the 72nd ruler of the Mewar Kingdom. The Navlakha Mahal was once the royal guest house of the Maharana.
Source: tripadvisor
Maharishi remained in the city for almost six and a half months and stayed in Navlakha Mahal. In this holy Navlakha Mahal, Maharishi Dayanand accomplished the writing of his greatest manuscript, Satyarth Prakash. This Satyarth Prakash was his protocol for human life. He wrote it for the welfare of mankind and also for conveying divine knowledge to the people.
Source: Rajasthan Tourism
Inside Navlakha Mahal Museum
Forgotten for years, this palace was in a decaying state when Shrimad Dayanand Satyarth Prakash Nyas (trust) began renovating it.
Source: Rajasthan Tourism
Musical fountains have been installed in the inner chowk of the palace, that dance to the tunes of hymns in his praise. Here, once Maharishi spoke on spiritual and religious topics daily to the people of the city and to the Maharaja.
Source: The Arya Samaj
There is also a yajnashala where yajnas, including mass yajnas accompanied by the chanting of Vedic hymns and vedkathas, are performed every day in the morning and evening.
The 1st floor of the palace contains a picture gallery where 67 oil paintings portray Maharishi’s life, from birth to his spiritual enlightenment.
A 14-angled and 14-story ‘Satyarth Prakash Stambh’ or tower is also installed at the writing chamber of Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
A hall in one side of the courtyard houses a Vedic library and reading room. All 23 translations of Satyarth Prakash–including Sanskrit, French, German, Swahili, Arabic, and Chinese are available inside it. Revolving glass cases display Satyarth Prakash and the important Vedic texts.
Source: The Arya Samaj
The Shrimad Dayanand Satyarth Prakash trust also operates a ‘Ved Prachar’ vehicle to spread Vedic knowledge among the people. The vehicle is equipped with a multimedia projector, books and other materials used for promoting the preaching of Maharishi Dayanand.
Udaipur is a beautiful and picturesque city; having a backdrop of the Aravali Ranges and so many lakes in the city. Apart from this, the city is lush green and offers a lot of places to hang out. Family outings or a kids’ day out, Udaipur has a lot of Gardens and Parks to celebrate a day. Here, we are listing the major gardens and parks in Udaipur.
Saheliyon Ki Bari (Garden of Maidens)
Source: mygola.com
The Garden of Maidens, better known as Saheliyon ki Bari this is one of the major and large gardens in Udaipur. It is a famous tourist spot as well. Built by Rana Sangram Singh during 1710 to 1734, it has many beautiful fountains, a famous lotus pool, and marble elephants that define the royal architecture of that era. As per the legend, the king presented this garden to his queen. The queen with her 48 maidens used to come here for a walk and for having a leisure time.
Gulab Bagh (Sajjan Niwas Garden)
Source: Udaipurblog
One of the largest gardens in Udaipur, Gulab Bagh spreads over 100 acres of land. It gets its name because of countless varieties of roses that it had. It was built by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1850’s and hence it is also known as Sajjan Niwas Garden. It is a beautiful place away from the bustle of the city. The area is lush green and experiences cool temperatures. It previously had a zoo as well, which is not functional.
Rajiv Gandhi Park
Source: My Udaipur City
An addition to the parks in Udaipur, Rajiv Gandhi Park. It was built in memory of Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi; this garden was inaugurated on 8th may 2008. It is situated overlooking Fatehsagar Lake, near the end of Rani Road. It is a well-maintained garden with children’s park and a food court. There is a nominal entrance fee for this park.
Nehru Garden
Source: PixelDo
This beautiful island park, located in the middle of Fatehsagar Lake was inaugurated in 1967. This oval-shaped island covers an area of 41 acres and has a beautiful garden with a lily pond along with pyramid shaped water fountain which resembles Brindavan Garden of Mysore. The garden is accessible through a boat ride only.
Sajjangarh Biological Park
Source: UdaipurTimes
Opened in the year 2015, this zoological park is developed over an area of 36 hectares, with a budget of 21.70 Crore rupees. It includes different varieties of birds and animals, which have been brought from different parts of the world. You can have a detailed knowledge of the Biological Park, Here.
Guru Gobind Singh Park
Situated opposite to the periphery of the Fatehsagar Lake, Guru Gobind Singh Park is one of the oldest parks in Udaipur. Lately, an open gym was constructed in the park premises for public use. There are various swings, amusement, and recreational activities for the kids at the park. People of every age come to this park all round the day and experience beauty amidst the greenery.
Manikya Lal Verma Garden (Doodh Talai Garden)
Source: Wikiwand
When you drive uphill to Karni Mata stairs, the Doodh Talai Garden starts. The garden was once a beautiful one and held various school picnics; was also a spot for family outings as well. There are various slides and swings for kids. The garden is huge and has various fountains in the course of the lush green pathways. Not just this, you can spot a large variety of flora there. Neatly manicured gardens are its beauty spot and attract a lot of people.
Pratap Park
Source: Howling Pixel
The latest addition to the list of parks in Udaipur is the Pratap Park, inaugurated in February 2017. It is located on the southern boundaries of Lake Pichola. The Pratap Park has become a new favorite spot for the youth of Udaipur and has a huge sculpture reading “I LOVE UDAIPUR” which is the main attraction of the park. Also, it has an open gymnasium.
Sanjay Garden
Source: HolidayIQ
It was built in the memory of late politician Sanjay Gandhi. The park is a spot of amusement for the local people living in that area. It gives an amazing view of the Lake Fatehsagar and you can spot some birds and ducks from the back side of this park as well. It had a fountain in the middle of the park which is non-functional right now.
Moti Magri
Source: TripAdvisor
Moti Magri is located atop a hill near the Lake Fatehsagar and was constructed in the memory of Maharana Pratap. A bronze statue of Maharana Pratap and his horse Chetak is erected in the middle of the garden. The road to the main garden crosses several other small gardens built in the memory of various warriors and Rajput kings. It is a beautiful garden and has a nominal entry ticket to it.
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Park (Musical Fountain Garden)
Source: Swan Tours
Ideal for a family outing, the musical fountain garden was inaugurated in the year 2004. The place is quite peaceful and you can spend a lot of quality time with nature here. The gardens are well-manicured and a lot of people drop by this place to spend a nice evening, watching the sunset.
Vibhuti Park
Located at the hot-spot of Udaipur city, the Fatehsagar Paal is the Vibhuti Park. Studded with lots of fountains, grass, and trees, this park is an ideal place for diving into nature. There is no entry ticket to this place, it was inaugurated in the year 2014. Not many people are aware of this place is often found bare or uninhabited.
Wolkem Garden
Image Courtesy: Fouzia Mirza
One of the gardens in Udaipur is the Wolkem Garden which has gardens constructed in steps. The park is huge and has many amusement and recreational activities for the kids. The garden also has a lot of fountains and well-maintained lawns. The place is an ideal location for hosting school picnics and family outings.
Listed above are the major gardens and parks in Udaipur, in addition to these, there are various other small parks and gardens which add to the beauty of the city.
If you think any other park or garden must be added to this list, do share so that we can update the list.
The privilege of having the largest fish aquarium in India is something to take pride in. Yes, we are talking about the Fish Aquarium, ‘UNDER THE SUN’, situated close to Vibhuti Park. Located at a hot-spot in Udaipur- the Lake Fatehsagar Paal. Under The Sun is the largest public aquarium gallery in terms of gallons of water, numbers, and species of fish in the entire Nation. Inaugurated on 21st October 2017 by the home minister of Rajasthan, Gulab Chand Ji Kataria, the place has approximately 180 species of fish both from marine and fresh water. Photography is permitted inside the fish aquarium which makes it even more exciting as visitors can carry memories with them.
The aquarium is a 125-meter-long gallery which hosts a number of small as well as large aquariums with various fish.
Variety of fish:
The species of fish have been brought from around the world viz. South America, Brazil, Senegal, Japan, Africa, Malaysia, Congo, Indonesia, America, China, and marine fish are from the Indian Ocean. They also have some of the rare species of fish like Mormyrus Rume, Alligator Gars, Marine Water Stingray, Senegal Dragons, Puffer Fish, Archer Fish and other sea creatures like – Sea Urchins, Sea Anemone, Fire Belly Newts, Indonesian Mud Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Albino frogs, Fresh Water Scampi and more.
There is a marine section where you can see a variety of amazing and unique brackish water fish. This section has 5 Marine Water Aquariums. In which fish like Clownfish, Brown Banded Bombay Shark, Blue-Eyed Yellow Tang, Blue Tang, Sea anemones, Sea Urchins, Hermit Crabs, StarFish, Fox Face Rabbit Fish, Trigger Fish, Two-Spotted Damsel, Blue Damsel, Mono Angel, Emperor Angel Fish, Turbo Snail can be seen.
Management and Structure of the Aquarium:
As you enter the aquarium, a mild music is playing and you come across a beautiful architecture. UIT Udaipur has spent Rs. 2 crores in the construction of the aquarium which is evident, and another 3 crores have been spent on the interiors of the gallery which is even more evident. The whole inside of the place is covered with insulating material and not much light enters the premises, to give the aquatic life their natural habitat.
The aquarium gallery is built and is being managed by the team of Manshapurn Karni Mata Ropeway, headed by Mr. Kailash Khandelwal. Anjali Azad Dubey, known for her green designs at her firm “Pratham Interiors” gave creative consultancy for the interiors of the aqua gallery. The consultancy for procurement, wellbeing, and maintenance of fish is provided by wildlife expert Mr. Aashish Mahesh Baagla who is based in Mumbai.
Opportunities at the Fish Aquarium:
It has good opportunities for the students of the Fisheries college of Udaipur as they can learn about various international breeds of fish and other aquatic animals. Mr. Aashish Mahesh Baagla has trained the students of the Fisheries college, who look after the aquariums under his guidance.
The aquarium poses as a major tourist spot as it drives not only local people but also tourists from the entire globe. As per the management stats, it has a monthly foot-fall of around 50,000 people.
Other attractions at the Under The Sun Fish Aquarium, Udaipur:
World’s First Aqua Trick Art Museum by World Renowned Artist Mr. AP Sreethar
India’s First Aqua Live Virtual Reality Experiences- for feeling sea life in an immersive 360-degree environment. It is an Award Winning oceanic VR Experiences deployed through state of the art and latest VR Gadgetry
Interaction with fish at the Touch Pool where you can feed as well as touch the fish
The OMG Tank- the only fish tank in India where you can get inside and experience life underwater, without getting wet.
A cafeteria for your munching needs
Free high-speed Wi-fi
Tickets at ‘Under The Sun’ fish aquarium Udaipur:
For the Aquarium
Adults: Rs. 118 (inclusive of GST)
Children (Below 15 yrs): Rs. 47 (inclusive of GST)
Foreigners: Rs. 236 (inclusive of GST)
Virtual Reality Experience: Rs. 118 (inclusive of GST)
Trick Art Museum: Rs. 100 (inclusive of GST)
Timings of the Aquarium: 8 am till 11 pm
Address: Fatehsagar Lake Paal, adjacent Vibhuti Park, Udaipur
During the last five days of the month of Magh, Baneshwar Dham, where the three sacred rivers, Som, Mahi, and Jhakad meet, attracts a huge number of tribal’s not only from Rajasthan but also neighbors states such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. It is believed that the fair is about 500 years old; located at a distance of about 123 km from Udaipur, 45 km from Dungarpur and 53 km from Banswara and perched on the top of a hill is the highly revered temple of Lord Shiv. Leaving the main road, one has to go Sabla and then reach Baneshwar. The temple is situated near the delta of the rivers Mahi and Som. It was named Baneshwar after the Vagdi Language word ‘Ben’ for Delta and ‘Ishwar’ for Lord.
Image Courtesy: Rahul Soni
The beliefs and rituals of the Bhil tribes
Performing rituals for Moksha
The tribals consider Baneshwar, the ‘trisangam’ of the river as the most sacred place for immersing the ashes of their dead as are Kashi, Prayag, Haridwar, Pushkar etc. They believe in doing ‘tarpan’ of the ashes that results in their ‘moksha’. Right from the morning on Purnima, thousands of tribal coming from different directions gather at the ‘sangam’. The ashes of men are wrapped in white cloth while those of women in red color one and then kept in earthen pots. With the help of their ‘guru’ the tribes perform elaborated rituals on the bank of the rivers. Then with their family, they enter the water and begin wailing. They stand in water and pay the last homage to the dead ones who left them during the previous year. After a cleaning bath, they put on fresh clothes and worship gods and goddesses then it is the turn of those pilgrims who do not bring any ashes to have a holy bath, recite mantras and perform rituals.
The legend of the Shivling at Baneshwar Dham
It is time now for the visitors to go to temples. After climbing up a long flight of steps, they reach the Baneshwar Shiv temple. According to a legend related to this temple, once a cow used to go near the Shivlingam and offer her milk to it. It had no milk when it returned home in the evening. Naturally, it made its master very curious to know the reason for all this. One day he followed the cow and seeing it near the Shivlingam got him infuriated. The frightened cow began to run away and in the process, the 20 cm high Lingam was hit by its hind leg and broke into five pieces. Since this then, this ‘Khandit Lingam’ is being worshipped.
Puja is performed twice during the day. Darshan starts at 4:30 am when the ‘Lingam’ is washed with water and ‘kesar’ is offered. In the evening there is bhasma-aarti with five flames. Darshan is open up to 11:00 pm. Devotes can offer flower, fruits, ghee, coconut etc. On this holy spot was built a beautiful temple by Aashkaranji, the Maharawal of Dungarpur in 1453. A Bhil Meena was appointed as the priest of the temple. A big fair began to be held here. And without any consideration of caste and creed, everyone was allowed to worship here. Pilgrims visit the Radha – Krishna’s Hari Mandir, and also the Brahma Mandir, Panchmukhi Mandir, Gayatri Mandir, Shabri Mandir, Raja Bali Temple, Bhagwan Nishkalank Mandir, Ram Jharikha Asharam, Valmiki Mandir, Hanuman Mandir etc.
The happenings at the fair
On the occasion of the big far, the Peethadheeshwar of Sabla who is a descendant of the saint Mavji comes to Baneshwar in a procession in a palanquin with pomp and show covering a distance of about 5 km. Thousands of devotees join the yatra. Also, brought from Maninda Math at Sabla to Baneshwar Dham is the 16 cm silver idol of Mavji on horseback in a palanquin.
Image Courtesy: Rahul Soni
First of all, the Mahant takes a dip in the water at Baneshwar Dham. This makes the water holy, it is believed. Then it is time for pilgrims to have a bath. Devotees get a chance to have the ‘darshan’ of the Mahant in Krishna Mandir for five days. The new devotees are initiated and they wear ‘Kanthi’ on the neck. Rasleela is performed for devotees. With great enthusiasm are sung and heard bhajans about the legends associated with Mavji and his teachings. So also, about Mavji and Mehudi who are believed to be Lord Krishna and Meera Bai. A big number of saints and Mahatmas of different sects also put up their camps in the fair for the benefit of their devotees.
The exhibition at Baneshwar
Visitors to the huge fair not only avail this opportunity to perform rites and have ‘darshan’ of temples and saints but also enjoy themselves. They take advantage of the exhibitions about government beneficial schemes of the govt, awareness programs of the health depts. etc. Many of them take part in various games and sports organized by Tribal Area Development agency culture programs, magic shows, and aerobatic shows and swings etc are some other attractions. Shopaholics get a big chance to shop from a big range of articles including plastic items, cosmetic items, bangles, shoes, clothes, artificial jewelry, trinkets, sickle, scythes, axe-heads etc. Also, on sale are weapons such as spears and swords. As archery has a long tradition, there is a big demand for bows and arrows made of bamboo.
Image Courtesy: Rahul Soni
Mavji and the history
Baneshwar Dahm has become a sacred place as the great saint Mavji Maharaj did ‘tapsya’ in this region for a long time. He was born at Sabla village in Dungarpur district. He was the son of Keshar Bai and Dalamji. Since his early childhood, people began to revere him due to his saintly nature and miracles. He lefts home at the age of 12 and performed ‘tapasya’ for twelve years in the cave of Sunaiya hills near Sabla. Then he reappeared at Baneshwar and gave ‘darshan’ on Magh Shukla Ekadashi. In his memory is held the Baneshwar fair. Due to his divine deeds, he established himself as a great saint and came to be revered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. As the scriptures say the ‘rasleela’ of Lord Krishna and the ‘gopis’ at Vrindravan got interrupted. At the request of the ‘gopis’, the Lord promised that ‘ras’ would recommence when he would appear in the form Mavji at Baneshwar.
Mavji wrote several ‘granths’ that include Gyan Rathmala, Guru Shisya Samwad, Prem Tatra, Prem Gita, Shri Bhagwat Mahapurana, Sehaj Gura, Samras Amrit Sagar and Sudanand. All of them are replete with Govind Geets, Krishna Leela and ‘rasleelas’. He also wrote five chopda’s in 776 pages which describe the past, the present and the future. They are written in Devanagri script and the language is a mix of Hindi, Vagadi, and Gujarati. Some of these forecasts have already come true viz Hindus and Muslims would eat together, there would be inter-caste marriage and the low will become high and the high low. Mavji did a lot for social equality at a time when there was much discriminative. He allowed people of all communities to enter temples and do puja and perform ‘rasleela’. He favored widow marriage and he himself married a widow of Patidar Samaj.
In the fair is showcased the tribal culture of the region in its various aspects. One can watch or participate in dances like Gair and Ghumar that are peculiar to the region and games like Gida Dot, that is like hockey and archery. Indian and foreign tourists take the advantage of witnessing the rich folk culture and also love to participate in some activities.
Day by day the City of Lakes is developing and expanding its periphery as a tourist hub. Famous for its lakes, havelis and luxe hotels the city added one more tourist spot, the Wax Museum. Situated at Sajjangarh Road, the wax museum is a great attraction for tourists.
Interesting facts about the Udaipur Wax Museum
It is designed as well as inspired by the theme similar to that of the celebrity wax museum at Madame Tussauds, London
The Wax Museum, Udaipur is the fifth wax museum in India and one of its kind in Rajasthan
There are 15 statues in total at the Wax Museum, Udaipur
Earlier there were statues of Hollywood celebrity like Barrack Obama, Michael Jackson, Bruce Willis, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Arnold, Harry Potter, which are replaced by Indian Celebs as of now.
Right now, there are 15 statues, which all are of Indian celebrities like APJ Abdul Kalam, Kalpana Chawla, Mother Teresa, Sachin Pilot, Sachin Tendulkar, Amit Shah, Mahatma Gandhi, Amrita Devi Bishnoi, Maharana Pratap, Padmini, Meera Bai, PM Narendra Modi, LakshyaRaj Singh Mewar, Panna Dhai. There is a statue of Mr. Bean in addition to all these Indian Celebs.
The statues go for maintenance which takes around 6 months and after every two years, the statues are replaced with new ones.
The statues are procured from London
Each statue costs 15 lac Indian Rupees
All the wax statues are kept in an Air Conditioning room maintaining a constant temperature of 32 degrees
The Wax Museum, Udaipur has a horror house, 9D cinema, mirror maze other the wax statues
You can visit the official site of wax museum at Udaipur at Wax Museum Udaipur
Udaipur Wax Museum Tickets:
Wax Museum: Rs. 150
Horror Show: Rs. 100
9 D Cinema: Rs. 150
Mirror Maze: Rs. 80
Combo Pack: Rs. 300
Timings of the Udaipur Wax Museum: 9am to 9pm
The wax museum was inaugurated by Lakshya Raj Singh Mewar of Udaipur in 2016. The museum attracts not only Udaipurites but also a lot of Indian and International tourists. It is a great addition to the city and as photography is allowed, it serves as a superb selfie point for people to have their photographs clicked with celebrities.
Tell us your experience at the Udaipur Wax Museum, did you love it/got amazed by the statues?
Photos By: Siddharth Nagar & Wax Museum Management
Source: devendra shrimali and udaipurbirdfestival.com
All over the world, Udaipur is famous for its lustrous lakes, verdant hills, national parks, sanctuaries, forts, royal palaces, ‘havelis’ and temples. A lesser known feature is its varied wildlife. Udaipur and its neighborhood are home to a huge variety of avian species.
Source: udaipurbirdfestival.com
Organized with the aim of creating public awareness about the need for protection of wildlife and at the same time promoting tourism is the city, the three-day long Udaipur Bird festival opened with a bang on Dec 23rd. The third edition of the annual event began with the opening of the Golden Park by Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria. Located on the bank of Lake Pichola, the park is named Golden Park as at the sunset the reflection of sun rays in the water turns everything golden. The spot adds another beautiful sunset point in the city to such places at Sajjangarh, Fatehsagar, and Karni Mata Mandir. This theme-based park is to have yellow flowers and plants.
The park being developed with a grant of 46 lacs by UIT Udaipur in an area of about two hectares is to have several attractions for visitors like safe Selfie points, ‘Tabla’ shaped ‘Muddas’ to sit on, three beautiful chattris, walking track, adventure point, cafeteria and a portion with dense forest. There would be a herbal park with a variety of about 25 varieties of herbs. Visitors and bird lovers would be delighted to watch about 150 species of resident and migratory birds. In the next phase dummies of animals, especially of those that are extinct or in great danger are also to be put up so as to give the young generation an idea of an evolution of the animal world. Near Kamal Talai, would be demonstrated how panthers eat, drink, rest and hunt. Three rooms are also to be built.
On the first day of the fair, began a photography and stamp exhibition on birds in the Information Centre.
Source: udaipurbirdfestival.com
On display is the treasure of knowledge about the daily routine, migration etc of birds in the form of stamps and paintings in the big gallery. There are 126 photographs of about 120 bird species taken by 40 photographers. Also, on display are color artistic photographs of terrestrial and water birds both residents and migratory birds of countries such as Mongolia, Siberia, and of European countries. Photographs show flying owls, geese, myna sitting on cows, Saras, flying cranes; a peacock sitting with the background of rising moon, ‘baaz’ hunting its prey, flamingo searching food in water etc. are some of the big attractions. Being highly appreciated are over 5000 stamps out of 4 lac collected by Pushpa Khamesra of Udaipur.
These range from the ones issued between 1871 and 2017. Also, the lively photographs of the life cycle of four butterflies by bird expert Mukesh Panwar of Dungarpur and Neha Manohar of Udaipur.
Source: udaipurbirdfestival.com
In the seminar of Udaipur Bird festival on the second day, the participants who are bird experts from India and abroad were on their opinion that sincere and concerted efforts were needed for the protection of birds.
They presented detailed and authentic information about endangered birds species and the condition of wetlands in the world. Asad Rehmani, former Director, Bombay Natural History Society talked about specialties of incredible birds of India. He said that the biodiversity of India was the best in the world. Mukhya Vanjeev Pratipalak, G.V Reddy talked about the ecosystem services of birds and said that if we can save the environment, there would be no need to filter water. He talked about keeping water unpolluted through natural techniques. Bird specialist K.P.S Gopi Sachdev talked about 15 species of cranes that he said cranes were two hundred fifty million years old. He expressed deep concern about the fast declining number of species in Asia.
The living pictures of the business of birds in the country by Rajat Bhargava of BNHS shocked the audience. A detailed presentation of the bird festival was also made. According to Manoj Kulshresta, state coordinator Rajasthan Water Birds Census Programme, out of 11,000 species of birds in the world, 1400 were found in India. He said that one Bargular bird eats 3 insects in one minute and 18 species of this bird come to Udaipur that eat up 15000 insects in a dip. If we can save this one species we would not need much pesticides.
Source: udaipurbirdfestival.com
Bird Race that has been introduced for the first time turned out to be a big attraction. Bird watchers from Udaipur and other places participated in it enthusiastically and tried to watch birds from a distance without disturbing them. The first prize was won by team King Vulture led by Pradeep Sukhwas that spotted 170 bird species. Led by Pratap Singh Chundawat the hornbill team saw 113 species. 160 species were found by Indian Pitta Team led by Vinai Dave. Falcon Team that was led by Anil Rodgers spotted 132 species. Team Garud led by Shailendra Tiwari found 147 species while 150 species were spotted by Raptor Team led by S. Sardania.
The valedictory function was held on Dec 25, when the ‘experience of field visited’ were presented. Also, emphasized was the need for protecting wetlands. Bird photographers were advised to shoot birds in their natural habitat without disturbing them. Prizes were given away to winners of various competitions.
Rajsamand Lake is an epitome of didactic work done by the princely states for the well concern and revampment of society and economy, which could be easily traced by its sun gold essence of gleaming ethics and serenity. This is a massive lake with well built Ghats. It is one of the largest artificial lakes of medieval period. It is a place of small gust of pleasure, where sun shades the waters the lake, precisely pedestrianized and stuffed with beautiful arrays of silver linings is bestowed to the town Rajsamand. The lake contours about 1.75miles wide, 4 miles long and 60 feet deep, having coordinates 25°4’14″N 73°53’15″E.
The fabulous site of this tarn was the result of a dam constructed across the river Gomati, Kelwa and Tali was debuted by Maharana Raj Singh I in the years 1662-1676 with elaborated structures of Jharokas and jettings. The catchment area of the lake is approximately 508 square kilometers.
Why was it Constructed?
The major reason for construction of Lake Rajsamand was to overcome the problem of drought and to render employment for victims of a widespread drought and famine in the year 1661, and to provide canal irrigation to local farmers. It is among the oldest relief works done in Rajasthan. The digging of this foundation began on January 1, 1662. Construction of the actual dam began on January 14, 1676. Mukund Jaggatnath was one of the main architects. It was built in Indo –Persian style and materials used for the construction were stone, rubble and masonry. RiverGomti is the main supplier of water to Rajsamand Lake.
Architecture & Design:
On the bank of the Dam three mandaps were constructed out of white marble, each mandap has three chokies. The first mandap has very interesting scenes where a newly wed girl is departing from her husband’s house. The villagers are seen in sad postures. It is shown that the husband is dragging the wife; the camel of the camel cart is also seen in a sad posture. The second mandap has a scene of animal fighting. The fight of Elephant with Horse is depicted.
On the southern end of this lake their lies a large embankment 183 m. long and 12 m. high, known as Nauchowki or the nine pavilions. It is believed that the dam measures nine hundred ninety nine feet in length and ninety-nine feet in breadth. Every step measures nine inches and there are nine white marble cenotaphs build on the dam. Each of these cenotaphs is nine feet in height and is at nine degree angle from each other. This embankment has marble terraces and stone steps touching the lake and is dotted with five toranas or weighing arches and chhatris (cenotaphs). The colonnaded pavilions are decorated with depictions of the sun, chariots, gods, birds and dancing girls, exquisite carvings that are claimed to be unique in India. It is overviewed by the Dwarikadhish temple and from the Kumbhalgarh Fort the vista it glitters with gushing water is as captivative as scarlet is. This place is also considered to be the one where Maharana Raj Singh and his descendents organized the event of Tuladan: they were weighed in jewels and gold, the cash value of which was distributed among Brahmans for the construction of temples and tanks for the welfare of the people. The history of Mewar is also inscribed here in 107 stanzas, on its 21 marble stones known as ‘Raj Prasasti‘ an epic by Ranchhor Bhatt. It has also been acclaimed as one of the longest etchings in India. The epigraph has given lot of historical, commercial, civil, educational, weighing system etc. to carve out the history and to bring the different shores of historical facts together. The Rajsamand was also the scene of a desperate battle in the late 17th century between Mewar and the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The Mugals destroyed the torans and ruined all the carvings on the mandap. During World War II, Rajsamand Lake was used as a seaplane base by Imperial Airways for about six years.
There was no provision for sluice gates, at the time of construction of the lake. Irrigation water was supplied by means of a lift irrigation system. The first sluice gate canal was built by the British people, it is 8 km long, and after independence in the 1960s, an ambitious second one was added, which was 35 km long.
Preposterously, in the year 2000, the lake came into the verge of its existence it was just a barren land of rocks and weeds and residents used the Nand Sagar Lake located about 15 km upstream as a substitute then fortunately on the passage of time the monsoon refilled it. Now the Lake Rajsamand has been used for irrigation and its canal network services are used to provide water to 42 villages covering an area of 7,284 hectares. The villages viz.: Peepli, Mohi, Kuwariya, Bhava, Rupakheda etc. are the regular connectors of this water.
The charm exuded by the unparalleled beauty of the Rajsamand Lake is infectious and the tourists are attracted to this place. It has genuine beauty of its own, especially when women clad in hues of yellow, green, purple accommodate the lake on the festive of Gangaur and Teej. The provocative thing of this place is its purity of water, the shimmering and dancing rays of sunbeams of the settling god and the colour changing water beckons the tourists to its charm by over whelming their hearts.
Powerful kings and their beautiful queens, ruling huge empires, their breathtaking stories, magnificent castles that echo with the glory of their triumph, majestic lifestyle and inspiring victories, all these things always cast their spell on me. And I am sure that years back, while listening to your grandparents at your sleep time, these have enchanted you also.
Today, on occasion of world tourism day, I decided to have closer look of Mewar kingdom when my friends planned a trip to Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur.
As the enchanting sights of the fort, temple and adjoining places completely soaked me, I am hereby sharing my copious memories and experience of the day with all of you, the memories of which are still fresh in my mind.
The first destination of our journey was Kumbhalgarh. Standing at the large entrance leading to the fort, I was completely mesmerized, completely fantasized. Secured against the backdrop of towering mountains of the Aravali ranges, guarded by seven massive gates, seven defending walls and with numerous watchtowers, this mountain fortress has witnessed many battles, is strong founded and so is unbeatable till date. Built on a hilltop of 1100 meters above sea level it is stated to have the second longest wall in the world, with a perimeter of about 36 km, the first being “the Great Wall of China”.
Also called Kumbhalmer, the fortress is inter-weave with the rich history of Mewar rulers. It is the birth place of Maharana Pratap, the great king and warrior of Mewar. It derived its name from Maharana Khumbha who designed and built this unconquerable fort in the 15th century which was further enlarged through 19th century. The second most important and elaborated fort of Rajasthan after Chittorgarh, it was occupied by the royal family till 19th century, but now is open for general public as a museum.
The location of Kumbhalgarh has always given an added advantage to it. Being easily accessible from Udaipur, Ajmer and Jodhpur, it highly attracts and is visited by tourists all over the globe. Situated in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, it is towards the north-west of Udaipur, 82 km by road from the city.
The huge complex offering ancient remnants to explore was worth watching, comprising over 360 Jain and Hindu temples, numerous gardens and palaces, making it more beautiful and magnificent.
The most spectacular place of the fort resides near the clouds, “Badal Mahal”. It is the beautiful palace with fantastic bright contrasting color combinations of green, turquoise and white to the rough, raw and earthy fortress, making the view pleasant. The place, as per its name, gives the pleasure of being wandering in the world of clouds.
The day was quite moderate in temperature. Sunny after a rainy season, the temperature was of the weather was comfortable. During summers, the temperature reaches up to 25-42°C and varies from shivering 2°C to maximum 22°C during winters. The pleasant time to visit Kumbhalgarh is between the months of September to March. During monsoon the humidity may disturb your mood.
The exciting trip hasn’t completed yet. While I’m on my way to Ranakpur, and posting the article for all the UdaipurBlog readers, I will have to currently end this part and gear up for the next destination. Take a look at the pictures of the magnificent place, and I will catch up soon with the other part.
Hey friends. First and foremost I would like to extend my warm greetings on the occasion of our tradition and cultural day: Hariyali Amavasya.
As you all might know this year it is being celebrated the 30th and 31st of July, where the 31st will be restricted for the women only. This year saw a great crowd and joy in the fair, as well as the drizzle added to the energy and worked as a stressbuster, and kept the name Hariyali worth its sake. The crowd was huge, the excitement unmatched, all stalls were ready and loaded either with eatables, toys, fancy items, women’s items, etc. People were here with the traditional pupadis or the instrument horning them all the way, and not to forget, the day’s special Malpuas.
For those who were present at the event, and want to feel the same fun again, and also, who unfortunately missed the fair, here I bring you a photostory with some of my best clicks, for the first day at the Hariyali Amavasya fair. Let the pictures speak for themselves.:)
Tickets at ‘Under The Sun’ fish aquarium Udaipur:
