Udaipur

The jewel of Mewar is Udaipur, the City of Lakes. Some have dubbed it the Venice of the East. In his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, Colonel James Tod described the valley of Udaipur as "the most diversified and most romantic spot on the sub-continent of India." The city of Udaipur was founded in 1567, when, having grown weary of repeated attacks on the old Mewar capital of Chittaur—Chittaur is the historic name of the area, and Chittaurgarh literally means "the fort of Chittaur"—Maharana Udai Singh asked a holy sage to suggest a safe place for his new capital. The man assured Udai Singh that his new base would never be conquered if he established it on the banks of Lake Pichola, and thus was born Singh's namesake, Udaipur.

Despite being one of Rajasthan's largest cities, with a population of over a half-million people, modern Udaipur still feels like a small town; its weather is balmy year-round except for the summertime heat between April and July, and the locals are friendly. Udaipur's city center is the old city, a labyrinth of winding streets, which borders Lake Pichola's eastern side. Five main gates lead into Udaipur's old city: Hathi Pol (Elephant Gate) to the north; Kishan Gate to the south; Delhi Gate to the northeast; Chand Pol (Moon Gate) to the west; and Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) to the east.

Anchoring Udaipur's old city are the famed City Palace and Lake Palace; the latter is in the middle of Lake Pichola, and is now a Taj hotel. The old city itself is built on tiny hillocks and raised areas, so its lanes are full of twists and turns, leaving plenty of charming little niches to be discovered. Many lanes converge on the Jagdish Temple area, near the northeastern corner of Lake Pichola. The major landmarks in the new section are Chetak Circle, Sukhadia Circle, and Sahelion Ki Bari gardens.

The Mewar region is famous for its silver jewelry, wooden folk toys, miniature paintings, tribal arts, molela (terra-cotta work), appliqué, and embroidery. The landscape around Udaipur is dotted with crafts villages; the unique creations of the villages are sold in the city itself. Udaipur is also one of Rajasthan's great centers of contemporary art, as well as of miniature paintings. Mewar gastronomy features diljani (mini sugar balls) and imarti (pretzel-shaped pastries dipped in sugary syrup), dal baati churma, chaach (buttermilk with masala), various makhi (corn) products, and the guava.

Udaipur is also known for its spirit of voluntarism: it has one of the largest numbers of non-government organizations (NGOs) in India. Many of these groups are grappling with crucial environmental issues, such as drought and deforestation, and social issues, including the displacement of tribes and bride dowries.