Udaipur
Udaipur also known as the city of lakes and Venice of east is an ancient city in the state of Rajasthan. Udaipur is famous for its lakes, palaces and its History. In 2009, Udaipur was rated the top city in the World’s Best Awards by Travel + Leisure. Tourist attractions include City palace, Jag Mandir, Monsoon Palace, Fateh Sagar Lake and many more.
Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II ,the final capital of the erstwhile Mewar kingdom. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh II came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot and it would be well protected. Udai Singh II established a residence there. In 1568 the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Chittor, and Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence, which became the city of Udaipur.
The intricately carved dome over one of the 4 entrances to the Ranakpur Jain Temple. Each of the 4 entrances was different with a noticable style and degree of detail as different patrons and artists put their own stamp on the design over its decades of construction. The temple is a fabuous site, well worth the visit, a couple hours drive from Udaipur. Built in the 14th or 15th century, this temple was built by 3 generations. Done in marble, with domes and entranes at each of the 4 cardinal directions, it supposedly sports 144 towers and 1444 columns, all intricately carved and unique. The detail is fabulous. What was perhaps the most interesting to me however was not its architecture, but its pristine condition and cleanliness. I have seen other sites of beautiful carvings and construction that awed, but unlike those, this is not a crumbling archeological site or recreated museum - it is a living, active temple. The carvings were as crisp as 500 years ago, the care in the temple as strong. It was like seeing the Anthens Acropolis while it was still in use.
