SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN 221 Kota Bundi Chittorgarh Udaipur Kumbalgarh Ranakpur Mt Abu
© Lonely Planet Publications 220 lonelyplanet.com 221 Southern Rajasthan Southern Rajasthan holds arguably Rajasthan’s most enchanting city, Udaipur, a milk-white confection meandering around several lakes. The city is the ultimate in Rajput fantasy with its cream-coloured havelis (traditional mansions) and palaces, one of which, floating in Pichola Lake, is among the world’s most famous hotels, the Lake Palace. In the south of the region are Rajasthan’s two finest forts, Chittorgarh (Chittor), sprawl- ing over an enormous hilltop plateau, and remote Kumbalgarh, perched at 1100m, with breathtaking views over the dense Aravalli Hills fading into a pale blue horizon. Here, too, are two Jain temple complexes where artistic virtuosity reached dizzy peaks. Ranakpur, deep in an Aravalli valley, has a hall of 1444 pillars, each one different; Dilwara, on a hilltop near Mt Abu, sports marble carving so delicate that it’s almost transparent. Mt Abu is Ra- jasthan’s only hill station; a cool holiday destination for locals, it’s still largely undiscovered by foreign tourists. If you’re keen to get off the well-beaten track, Bundi, though definitely discovered, is an enchanting town, painted Brahmin blue and overlooked by a palace; nearby Kota holds another fine palace. Jhalawar, meanwhile, is really off the trail, with its mighty, forgotten fort and nearby city of temples. Serene Jaisamand, a vast blue-reflecting hill-ringed expanse, is Asia’s biggest artificial lake. The region offers some exhilarating activities too. You can trek or ride the beautiful countryside near Udaipur, Mt Abu or Kumbalgarh, cycle about Bundi, or take a boat trip down the crocodile habitats of the Chambal River.
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