SOUTHERN 221 Kota Bundi Kumbalgarh Ranakpur Mt Abu

( p265 ) ( p259 ), ( p259 ), ( p228 ), by Mt Abu ( p223 ), a Chittorgarh Kota Bundi (traditional mansions) and palaces, one of which, floating in Pichola palaces, one of which, floating in Pichola (traditional mansions) and ( p240 ), an ice-cream Kumbalgarh Kumbalgarh havelis ( p261 ) Udaipur Ranakpur cake of a city, with dreamy lakes overlooked lakes overlooked cake of a city, with dreamy by shadowy hills ( p236 ) and remote taking a leisurely boat cruise boat cruise taking Chambal River a leisurely carvingat in the Jain temples and whose architectural magnificence reflect magnificence reflect whose architectural nobler times by a blue-painted small town, overlooked ramshackle fort palace and a magical at Mess about on the river in Indulge mind-blowing Examine the exquisite, Kick back in endearing the vast forts Explore of busy

„ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS „

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

220 © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN 222 0 60 km SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN 0 40 miles OTENRJSHN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN To To Beawar To To (39km) (46km) (95km) (135km)

Pali BUNDI M A D H Y A BHILWARA 12 Shivpuri P R A D E S H Jahazpur Bharodia Asind KOTA To Deogarh Shapura Bundi National (230km) Chambal 14 Wildlife Bhilwara Talera Sanctuary BARAN

Narlai Kota Jalor RAJSAMAND Bassi Mandalgarh Sorsan Baran Ghanerao Wildlife Grassland Sanctuary Bijolia Kumbalgarh Rajsamand River Parvan Sorsan Bassi Menal Ranakpur Lake CHITTORGARH Nagri Chambal Kelwara Rajsamand Baroli River Kankroli Bijaipur Darrah SIROHI Kumbalgarh Chittorgarh Bhainsrodgarh Wildlife Wildlife Nathdwara Sanctuary Sanctuary Pratap Sirohi Sagar Gagron Guna Jhalawar C Guru Shikhar h Gandhi a (1722m) Ahar Mangarwar ndrab Achalgarh Nagda C Sagar Jhalrapatan Kakuni Mt Abu h a Aklera Udaipur Udai p er

Mt Abu Wildlife p a haga Sagar n Sanctuary Riv Dalhanpur H Manohar Abu Road UDAIPUR i JHALAWAR Thana l River Jagat Bambora l Ahu Phalasia s 8 Jaisamand Lake Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary Kolvi River Rajgarh Sitamata Mandsaur Palanpur Wildlife Jakham Rishabdeo Sanctuary Dhariyawad Dhamotar Som River G U J A R A T River Baneshwar M A D H Y A Unjha BANSWARA P R A D E S H DUNGARPUR Mahesana Shajapur lonelyplanet.com Galiakot Banswara Himatnagar Bhopal Ratlam Mahi 8 Ujjain Gandhinagar 3 To (39km) sacked three 1303and1568, timesbetween with bloodshedandvastdoses of valour. the historyof thesouth,which issplattered ing Chittorgarh andUdaipur)hasdominated The kingdomof (thearea encompass- History lonelyplanet.com write thatnovel (asRudyard Kiplingdid, ina town remains theperfect placetorelax and increasingly popularwith travellers, the mounted it’sbecoming onacrag.Though fortress rising fromamighty las andloggias palace–faded-parchmenta fantastical cupo- a temple turn,Bundiisdominated atevery by Brahmin-blue lakes, houses, hills,bazaars and A captivating smalltownwithnarrowlanesof % ofstate Jhalawarcreated asrecently as 1838. after theMewar region, withtheremote royal andBundi,weresuch asKota formedlong tion and suffering. were ifthatmeantdepriva- paramount, even them, honour,heritage andindependence emperors.the once-influentialMughal For Hindu princeswhorefused tointermarry with domination of anykind,theywere theonly over 1400years. defyingforeign Staunchly world, reigning inunbroken successionfor tobeoneofnasty isbelieved theoldestin repeated intheirpalaces andforts.Theirdy- thesymbolof thesun the sun,andyou’llsee clan,claimdescentfrom ous SisodiaRajput the Mewar rulers. British signedanalliancepledgingtoprotect gles endedintheearly19thcenturywhen had itsshare of powerstrug- battles.These ers fromtryingtheirluck,andUdaipuralso Chittorgarh.posed Butthisdidn’tstopinvad- Aravalli Hills,wasfarlessvulnerablethanex- new capital in Udaipur. up Chittorgarh his asabadjobandestablish Maharaja decidedtogive II,wisely UdaiSingh pyres. Mewar’s After thethirdattack, ruler, throwing themselves intotheflamesof huge committed While themendiedinbattle,women reliably choosing deathbefore dishonour. rior caste thatformerlyruledwestern ) (aHinduwar-the impossibly nobleRajputs each carnage, defeat endinginimmense with BUNDI Other princely states in southern Rajasthan, Other princelystatesinsouthernRajasthan, The rulers of theMewar region, theillustri- Udaipur, shielded bythickforests andthe Chittorgarh, Mewar’s was formercapital, 0747 /pop100,000 jauhar SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Bundi SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN (collective self-sacrifice), (collective self-sacrifice), 4-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pmSun)Opposite theHaveliBraj Ayurvedic Hospital Ayurvedic is also useful. brother’s website, www.kiplingsbundi.com, is aterrific sourceof touristinformation;his Mehta, attheHaveli Braj ( Bhushanjee p228 ), south of Mukesh town,nearthebusstand. a conventional government inthe hospital there’s Hospital, Along withtheAyurvedic 12. Hwy is about 2kmsouth of town,acrossNational (southeast) endof town,and thetrainstation isattheKota many points.Thebusstand town,andthepalaceisvisiblefrom through the citygates, there are onlytwomainroads thebazaar.through Onceyoupassthrough easy tofindyourwaythepalaceonfoot Bundi issmallandeasilynavigable, andit’s Orientation Independence in 1947. incorporated of intothestate after Rajasthan itsindependenceuntilitwas it maintained times,but of duringMughal the rise Kota Jehangir. dwindledwith Bundi’s importance at theinstigationof emperor theMughal stateeldest son,wasmadeintoaseparate by Mohammed of Ghori. atAjmerpushed southfromtheirstronghold ofcapital theirnewkingdom,after being the MinaandBhil tribesandclaimingitas this area inthe12thcentury,wresting itfrom from thesacred fires of MtAbu, conquered The Hadoti whoclaimdescent Chauhans, History an early night. downfor towncloses skies asthisstill-sleepy of tothe themexitingthepalaceandtaking ofthe extraordinarysight streaming clouds p232 ), alongwithlegionsof bats;duskheralds theboxedthe famousBundimurals(see text, streets quiet music andfireworks, Bundi’s blazethrough Utsav ( p224 ), aculturalfestival complete with soon, whileOctober toNovember Bundi sees ( p224 ), celebratingthearrivalof themon- ofa glimpse thecheerful festival of Kajli reward might youwith August orSeptember crowds really descendinearnest.Avisit fragile lakeside before icing-sugarhouse) the Information Bundi’s crumbling storybook palace houses Bundi’s crumblingstorybookpalacehouses In 1624 Kota, thelandgrantofIn 1624Kota, theruler’s ( % 2443708; h 9am-1pm &

223 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Cyber Dream them are free. andmanyof ailments, fromupsettummies toarthritis, of plant-based remedies. There are medicinesforallsorts natural hospitalprescribes Bhushanjee, thischaritable 224 increasing numberofplaces tocheckyour email. as Chandrawati. known oftheriver batheinasacred part stalls,whilepilgrims itincludeslivestocktradingandcolourful Rajasthan, villagersfrom across nearJhalrapatan.Attracting on thebanksofholyChandrabhagaRiver month ofKartika bathe alongwiththeidol. through thevillageonhorsebackanddousedinriver. isthoughtholiestatthistime,somanypeople Theriver Festivities Rivers. isparaded includeacrobaticandculturalprogrammes,asilverimageofMavji Som andJakham iscelebratedbythousandsofBhilpeople,thefairsitelyingat confluenceoftheMahi, (worshipped asMavji) ChandrabhagaFair celebrate aprosperousharvest. whoconvergeonthevillageto thousandsofvillagersfromthedistrict, festival attracts thiscolourful tourists, godGhansBheru.Whilealmostunknowntomost ofBundi,thefestival honourstheHindu about 10kmnortheast Ghans BheruFestival Dussehra Bundi Utsav TeejKajli Summer Festival Mewar Festival ently eachday. days,thegoddessdressed differ- processionlastsforseven wreaths forthegoddess;inNathdwaraGangaur theminto andmake poppiesfromthefieldsduring girlscollect In Bundi,KotaandJhalawar,unmarried fromvillagetovillage, accompaniedbysinginganddancing. aloft carried entire month,withanimageofGauri foran oftheMtAburegion celebrateGangaur tribes womenprayforgoodhusbands. TheGarasia and unmarried Wivesprayfortheirspouses, (). gion. Essentiallyafestival forwomen,it’sdedicatedtothegoddessGauri Gangaur BaneshwarFair p358 ) are alsocelebrated withaplomb. festivalsThere’s inthesouth,whilestatewide aflurryofcolourful andnationwidefestivals (see FESTIVALS INSOUTHERNRAJASTHAN magicandfireworks. sion, classicalraga(free compostion)performances, (see overRavana victory ’s p48 ). andsetalight.Thefestival20m high,are–anIndia-widecelebrationcelebrates thestoryof filledwithcrackers obtained attheShivNiwasPalace Hotel( p253 ). (RoyalLadies’Palace) attheCityPalace.tion heldintheZenana Mahal Tickets, costingRs4000perperson,canbe you’llgetthechancetorubshoulderswithnobilityatacocktailanddinnerrecep- Afterwards, of goodoverevil. signifyingthetriumph Dahan, ing anancientreligious ceremony, the royalfamilylightsahugesacred fire, Holika perform- horseprocession,aband,localnobilityintraditionalattire and,ofcourse,theroyalfamily.After evening attheCityPalace TheUdaipur royalfamilyhostsanelaboratefunction beginning ofspring. tocelebrateHoli,withan and set afloat on the lake inboats. There areand setafloatonthelake alsofree culturalprogrammes. inprocession couple’,are carried andShiva,representing the‘perfect IdolsofGauri GhatonPicholaGangaur Lake. Peoplespring. dressed intraditionalcostumessinganddancealivelyprocessionthatgoesthroughthetownto andare birthday. mergedwiththefestival ofJanmastami,Krishna’s perform, chance toseelocalartists thegoddessTeejbearing Park. Thecelebrationsare agood toAzad throughthestreets fromNawalSagarlake iscarried onthe3rddayofmonthBhadra. Apalanquin(acovered litter) somewhat differently inBundi.Here it’sobserved and fireworks. Lake of theyear;festival includesclassicalandtraditionalfolk-music programmes,aswellboatracesonNakki OTENRJSHN • ud ••Bundi SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN (Udaipur;Feb-Mar) Udaipuristheplacetobeforthisjoyfulfestival, whichmarkstheendofwinterand (Bundi; Aug-Sep) The traditional Rajasthani festival ofTeej, ThetraditionalRajasthani (Bundi;Aug-Sep) theonsetofmonsoon,iscelebrated marking (Mt Abu; Mar-Apr) Gangaur, celebrated across Rajasthan, hassomeinteresting adaptationsinthisre- celebratedacrossRajasthan, Gangaur, (MtAbu;Mar-Apr) (Kota;Oct-Nov) Kotaistheplacetobeatendofthisfestival, when enormouseffigies,somearound (Kota;Oct-Nov) (perhrRs60; (Bundi; Oct-Nov) This cultural festival showcases the colourful traditionsoftheregion withaproces- Thisculturalfestival showcasesthecolourful (Bundi;Oct-Nov) (Udaipur; Mar-Apr) Udaipur’s colourful take on Gangaur, thisfestival alsowelcomestheonsetof onGangaur, take Udaipur’scolourful (Udaipur;Mar-Apr) (Baneshwar, p264 bothLordShivaandVishnu ; Jan-Feb) honouring event, Thislargetribal (Mt Abu; Apr-May) MtAburegisters thecoolesttemperatures inthestateatthisscorchingtime (MtAbu;Apr-May) (Jhalrapatan, (Jhalrapatan, p234 placeonthe last dayoftheHindu ; Nov-Dec)Thishugecattlefairtakes (Bharodia; Oct-Nov) Held on the day after Diwali(see Heldonthedayafter (Bharodia;Oct-Nov) p360 ) inthevillageofBharodia, h 9am-9pm) Oneofthe service ATMservice machineacceptsinternational cards. Shri Balaji.com Shri SBBJ ATM change money,about300m southofthe palace. Pandey Forex h 9am-9pm) An alternativetoCyber Dream. (outside Chogan Gate) Thisfrequently out-of- (outsideChoganGate) ( h (Nahar ka Chuhata; perhrRs60; ka (Nahar 9am-4pm Mon-Fri) Agood placeto 9am-4pm Mon-Fri) lonelyplanet.com mp here. map Youcangetafree NearRaniji-ki-Baori. 5pm Mon-Fri) UD PALACE BUNDI Sights office Tourist lonelyplanet.com reservoirs carved out of solid rockandthe carved reservoirs Inside therampartsarecially atsunset. huge fort issofar beguilingly uncommercialised. the the walkupto fort,towardthemoff), tion andresident monkeys (pickupastickon to ramblearound.Withitsovergrown vegeta- Taragarh Built in1354,theramshackle,vine-strewn TARAGARH image of 18th-century Bundi itself. while backinthemaincourtyardthere’s an but stillfeaturing somebeautifulinlaidglass, istheSheesh Mahal,the right badlydamaged the of tree playingtheflute after stealing theclothes images, of includingadetail himsittingupa ful paintings.There are somegreat Krishna courtyard are roomscovered several inbeauti- walk uphilltotheentrance. Above thegarden theElephantGatecentury, exitthrough and inthe18th UmedSingh palace builtbyRao admissionfree; (Umed Mahal; Krishnas. and shapesanddecorated withpeacocks into petal wonderful Chinese-inspired ceiling,divided Bundi’sveryhouses bestmurals,includinga Mahal time,theBadal (CloudPalace)same royalprocession.Datingfromthe immense was builtin1607andmuralshere includean for each monthof theyear. ThePhool Mahal paintings of Krishna–onewell-preserved of Bundi’sfinestmurals:oneroomfeatures some (palace), builtin1644,which houses (built in1607),visittheChhatraMahal it ‘theworkof goblinsratherthan of men’. of thatKiplingcalled aplacesofairytale–esque around theticket office toilluminate yourtour to thepublic,andknowledgeable guideshang up andlefttothebats,entirety isnowopen the bazaar’snorthwestern end.Previously shut murals.It’sreachedturquoise-and-gold from hals h ace An extraordinary,decayingedifice,the The viewsfromthe topare magical,espe- To get toyetmore muralsatthe Entering thehuge through ElephantGate

7am-5pm) (Indians/foreigners Rs10/50,camera/video50/100; (palaces)which have fabulous, fading gopis (Star Fort; admissionfree) (Star Fort;

is actually a series of isactuallyaseries smaller ( (milkmaids).Thebackroomto % SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Bundi SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN 2443697; Lanka Gate Rd; Gate 2443697; Lanka h isarewarding place 7am-6pm) h , asmall Chitrasala 10am- ma- pal-

Bundi’s oldestShiva temples, isthe16th- a varietyof birdlife after agood monsoon, and winter months. On thelake’s southern with pretty lotusflowers duringthemonsoon or autorickshaw. rent town) throughout atmanyguesthouses and bestvisited bybike (bikes are available for (p228). Bhushanjee Braj mapatHaveliyou canpickupaself-guided There are more than200temples here, and and NagarSagarKund,isparticularly vibrant. market (vegetable) the oldcity.Justoutsidewalls, It’s great toamblearoundthebazaars of OTHER ATTRACTIONS another imposing tank. Dhabhai Kund including kingfishers andhummingbirds.The century tank rain. with ple toVaruna, theVedic godoften associated the monsoonispoor. Atitscentre isatem- lake of side theChoganGate tothe old city. Kund the largest of itskindanywhere. The Nathavatji, it’soneof Singh, wife Raja of Rao avatars of LordVishnu. Built in1699byRani includingthe decorated withsinuouscarvings, ki-Baori in thetowncentre. Themost impressive, theboxedwells; see text on p260 ), someright Bundi hasaround60beautiful BAORIS &WATER TANKS lake. Sagar and Taragarh fromthesouthsideof Nawal rickshaw to the top. the palace. It’salsopossibletotake anauto- Mahal, building 200mfrom asmalldisused stonerampjustbeforeup thesteep theDudha east alongtheinsideof therampartsandleft the pathupbehindCh up thehillsidetoitsenormousgateway. Take artillery. the a trench alongsideitprovided shelter for upon which ismounted afamouscannon; thelargestBhim Burj, of thegreat bastions, picturesque lake flanked byhillsand strewn Opposite the Visible fromthefortissquare artificial There are splendid viewsof thepalace Taragarh isreached roadleading byasteep Bundi’s otherattractionsare outof town isapairof matching step-wells justout- (Queen’s Step-Well), and (Queen’s is46mdeep Nawal Sagar , south of the Raniji-ki-Baori, is , southof theRaniji-ki-Baori, Bhora-ji-ka-Kund , between Raniji-ki-Baori Raniji-ki-Baori , between Jait Sagar Abhaynath Temple , which tends todryupif , tothenorth,isa itrasala, thenhead itrasala, , which attracts baori , oneof Nagar Sagar Nagar Sagar s (step-

225 Raniji- sabzi SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN which is set ingardens. Particularlywhich isset stunning Sagar, itisagood placefor a picnic. road thatrunsalong thenorthsideof theJait and boars here). Nexttoawater onthe tank, hunting lodge (oncethere were , deer opening up. the gateway, andtiphimforthetroubleof is locked, knockonthecaretaker’s hutnear Ifthegate isthatof SalSingh. tacular Chattar –themostspec- terrific, intricate carvings 66 rarely visited royalcenotaphs, somewith of thelake, theneglected and wrote partof gardens where RudyardKiplingoncestayed small summerpalacesurroundedbyterraced shore, thestately 226 BUNDI South of townisthe (500m) Abhaynath Temple Kund (500m); To Bhora-ji-ka- Jaipur (235km) Ajmer (160km); Hindoli (22km); To BorkhandiVillage(7km); SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION aeiKtonGetHue.A1 Haveli UmaMeghPayingGuest Haveli KatkounGuestHouse.. House...... Badi Haveli...... Sukh Mahal...... Raniji-ki-Baori...... Nagar SagarKund...... Dhabhai Kund...... Chitrasala...... Tourist Office...... Shri Balaji.com...... SBBJ ATM...... Government Hospital...... Ayurvedic Hospital...... Haveli BrajBhushanjee...... Sabzi (Vegetable)Market..... Pandey Forex...... Cyber Dream...... (see18) OTENRJSHN • ud ••Bundi SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Shikar Burj Shikar 21 Nawal Sagar Housing Colony Sukh Mahal Sukh Board Kim 16 Housing Colony 13 15 Board isasmallformerroyal . Ontheopposite side 18 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 14 84-Pillared Cenotaph 84-Pillared 23 22 Cenotaph A1 B1 B1 C1 B2 B3 B2 B3 B1 B3 B2 B3 B2 C3 B2 3 1

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4 Ch , uri 20 B aza ar Rd Jait Sagar 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 26 is Village Around 7kmwest of Bundiisrural cave temple andawaterfall at AboutDiwali itself. 20km northare aShiva Bheru festival ( p224 ), heldon thedayafter Bharodia Ghans towitnessthe spectacular head 10kmnortheasttothesmall village of around Diwalitime(October toNovember), which hasvariouspotteries. Ifyou’re inBundi Akoda Bundi. Cycle6kmnorthof Bundi toreach hltp fort. hilltop Meera 12 Gate 600 years ago. the sonof themahara itwasbuilttohonour when litupatnight, To TrainStation(600m); C3 C3 B1 B2 A1 B2 B1 B2 C3 Hindoli There are somelovely bike excursions from Collectorate Garardha (31km) , amerchant’s village, and . Twenty-twokilometres towards Jaipur 25 , hometoahuge lake andaruined Cenotaph (100m); To 84-Pillared Kota (34km) Cinema 2 District Club 17 Area Hilly Circuit House ja’s ayah(nurse) about 0.2miles 300m 0 0 Ground Parade lonelyplanet.com National Park(140km) To Ranthambhore Rameshwar Thikarda Borkhandi Station Police . ,

150-200; is consistently voted oneof thebestbudget 250, withoutbathroomRs150) in a jeep costsaroundRs in ajeep 600 return. ( p228 trip ) formore information.Ahalf-day Havelilocal guide;contact Braj Bhushanjee hunting scenes.It’sbesttocomehere witha of amanridinghuge bird,aswellsome flanking theriver. There’s acuriousdepiction tobeabout15,000yearsings, believed old, Garardha Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels floors arranged aroundahushed, open-air attractive roomswithair-coolers andtiled and printingworks, RoyalRetreat hasfour compound, and once thepalace’sdyeing sRs150-350, dRs300-500) yahoo.com; arrange upbeatjaunts across town. beers aren’tsine (though available) andcan up fabulousvegetarian home-cooked cui- mother–daughter combination, who cook byanenergetictle bitrundown.It’sstaffed antique-adorned choice despite beingalit- options intown,andisanatmospheric, (dishes aroundRs30) are available. small garden.Goodhome-cooked meals for thecheaper roomsdownstairs nexttoa glass windows.Mosttravellers, plump though, rooms sportinglakeseven viewsandstained- occupies alovely lakeside spot,withsomeof its old manandhisassorted younger relations. It Meghwahanji Haveli, isoverseen byakindly 200-year-old scruffy in themodest,slightly View Lake BUDGET and currently no top-end choices. mainly budget, withsomemidrange options book inadvance. Accommodationintownis ifyoucalland from thetrainorbusstation town. Many willprovide afree pick-up service family run,andmake thebestplacestoeatin areBundi’s guesthouses largely charming and Sleeping &Eating can usuallydropinwithout an appointment. ments. Many remedies are forfree, andyou remedies treat- andoffers variousAyurvedic prescribesBhushanjee, naturalplant-based 6pm Mon-Sat,9am-1pmSun) The Activities About 33kmsouthof Bundi,atthevillage of Royal Retreat RN Haveli Ayurvedic Hospital Ayurvedic

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% 2444426; royalretreatbundi@ This guesthouse, set set Thisguesthouse, 2443708; SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Bundi SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN Inthepalace h 9am-1pm &4- couple, theKasera hasarooftop restaurant Popular andoperated byacharming young for dinners.candlelight .com; 1CivilLines;rRs250-800) empty for 80years. The spaciousrooms hotel ina16th-century Heritage smarter Viewopened thissecond, r Rs500-1800; Paradise Kasera MIDRANGE is on offer. free pick-upfromthebusandtrain stations of thelivelier eatingoptionsintown,and home-cooked makingitone food(andbeer), The populargardenrestaurant provides tasty open ontoacommunalbalconywithviews. acalm,leafygarden.Theroomsupstairsoff spotlessrooms free placehas six comfortable, Major andhisgentle Singh family, rRs350-850) [email protected]; another overlooking the mosque). take theroomwithpalace-view balconyor and 11niceroomsinanold that’s perfectly placedforgazingatthepalace, excursions can Sightseeing be arranged. away fromtheoldcity,pastbusstand. isnotthebestasit’sThe location,however, arranged aroundalarge, peacefulcourtyard. murals –someroomshave ceilings–all high old colonialbuildinghasvariableroomswith Niwas hasroyalassociations.Thegraceful 30 to 35). a goodlittlerooftop restaurant (dishes Rs small inadelightful rooms, set in themainbazaar. Itoffers smallbudget nearChoganGatesmall-scale guesthouse from Kasera Heritage Viewwatches over this Rd; dRs300,withoutbathroom250) (dishes Rs 35to70) taurant views. Ithasanexcellentlakeside gardenres- paintings andalcoves andsomewithlake brothers, andhasarange of roomswithwall isrunbyfriendly this peacefulguesthouse r Rs200-500) the only guests. Bundi vibe,particularlyifyouhappentobe and canfeel ratherdisconnected fromthe and beer. it’slackadaisicallystaffed However, goodfood courtyard. Therestaurant serves Haveli Katkoun GuestHouse Katkoun Haveli Paying GuestHouse Kasera Paying GuestHouse UmaMegh Haveli Kasera Heritage View Heritage Kasera Niwas Ishwari Agoodoptionwithlowprices, a

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SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ki-Baori. A rickshaw to the train station costs Arickshawki-Baori. to thetrainstation Taxis canbehired nearRaniji- atthestand Getting Around travel by bus. were running,makingitmore practicalto city. Atthetimeof research, services nouseful isabout 2kmsouthofThe trainstation theold TRAIN and Shivpuri hours, (Rs125,eight two daily). 10 daily),Menal (Rs24,twohours, fourdaily), hours, 10daily),Keshraipatan (Rs16,1½hours, atthesouthernend stand of town. to UdaipurfromBundi;enquire atthebus three daily).Aprivate busalsoruns sleeper hourly) andPushkar (Rs90,five hours, hours, three daily),Jaipur (Rs90,five hours, 10 hours, three daily),Bikaner(Rs190,10 hours,155, eight twodaily),Jodhpur(Rs160, (Rs 95,fourhours, fourdaily),Udaipur(Rs (Rs 22,onehour,halfhourly),Chittorgarh run toAjmer (Rs80,fourhours, hourly),Kota to bevery slowlyimproving. Express buses rattlers, theroadtoUdaipurseems although Bus journeystoandfromBundiare bone- BUS Getting There&Away the same basic experience. lowerrates butoffers round thebackhasslightly Haveli Itsattached Badi camel safaris. hotel will arrange cycleandwalkingtours, andeven isavailable. andtrainstation the busstand Staff and solarhot-water heating.Free pick-upfrom eco-aware,itself withrainwater conservation cious, andtheplacehasrecently triedtomake expensive (mainsfromaroundRs200),are deli- vegetarian relatively mealsandsnacks,though with antiquefurniture andminiatures. The modern, beautifullymuralledanddecorated have viewsandare oldandatmosphericor unrivalled range of accommodation:rooms place withsplendidrooftop views.There’s an former primeministers). It’sanenchanting family(descendantsofBhushanjee Bundi’s characterful rooms,directed bythehelpfulBraj year-old bundi.com; rRs800-2650; fabulous rooftop withcityand palace views. spreads andsparklingchandeliers. There’s a features coloured glass,murals,pretty bed- have smartlytiledbathroomsandthedécor 228 Haveli BrajBhushanjee Haveli There are toBijolia(Rs24,1½ alsobuses OTENRJSHN • oa ••Kota SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN haveli hasawarren of 24appealing, a

) ( Thisrambling250- % 2442322; www.kiplings and hasthedubiousdistinctionof being with blacksmoke belching fromtwohuge moreover, hasledtoincreased pollution, above safe Growingindustrialisation, levels. revealed of thatlevels radioactivitywere way plant madeheadlinesin1992whenitwas largest fertiliser plants.Thenearbynuclear ducing chemicals) andhometooneof Asia’s industrialcentreRajasthan’s (mainlypro- fering opportunitiesforscenic boat trips. the ChambalRiver thetown,of- runsthrough andlovelyan excellentmuseum murals,and street. palacewith ithasaspectacular However, both fromlocalsandeach other–onthe isty: foreign touristsstillattractcuriousstares – towns,andsohasremainedRajasthan untour- Busy, clamorous lacksthecharmKota of many % KOTA at the guesthouses. can alsohire motorbikes locally–askaround and at area. Theyare available atmanyguesthouses 50 perhourfor an autorickshaw. expecttopayaroundRs For localsightseeing, costsaroundRs250return.and Rameshwar cost aroundRs90/150;andatripouttoAkoda city/outsidecitytourshould Rs 40;ahalf-day name. Thefoundation stoneof thefort was Koteya, aBhil whogave chieftain the cityhis the Hadoti Chauhandefeat andbeheading of Building of the citybeganin1264following History set aflame ( p224 ). massive are effigies builtthen spectacularly festival,during theDussehra during which or November, check whetheryou’re intown Palace. inOctober IfyouhappentohitKota City mous –check themoutinthemarvellous The miniature paintingsof are Kota alsofa- where forsale. you’ll findawideselection for one,headtoanyof thetown’sbazaars, you’redesigns. Incase inthemoodtoshop of colours, manywithdelicate golden-thread are madeof cottonorsilkinanassortment Kaithoon. Known as which are woven inthenearbyvillage of provide much-needed breaths of fresh air. Fortunately, leafyparksandanartificiallake chimneys ontheopposite sideof theriver. Kota serves asanarmyheadquarters serves Kota Bicycles are anidealwaytoget aroundthis Kota is well known for its beautiful saris, iswellknownforitsbeautifulsaris, Kota 0744 /pop695,899 Atlas Cycles Atlas (Azad Park; perhr/dayRs5/25) (Azad kota doria lonelyplanet.com saris, they saris, . You lonelyplanet.com Sat) Centrally located. postoffice Main form 1of the railway station. ATMs nexttoHotel Phul Plaza,andon plat- There are numerousATMs, includingHDFC Information Barrage arethe Kota to the south. middle; andChambalGardens,the fortand of otherhotelsare andthebusstand inthe north; theRTDC Hotel Chambal,anumber Chambal River. liestothe Thetrainstation isstrungoutalongtheeastbankofKota the a flourishingcentre of art and culture. and palaces,each contributingtomakingKota rulers haveSubsequent alladdedtothefort integrated after intoRajasthan Independence. remainedKota untilitwas state aseparate emperorJehangir.ruler of bytheMughal Kota asonofSingh, therulerof Bundi,wasmade Madho well intothe17thcentury,whenRao lost his head. laid, rathergruesomely,onthevery spothe Orientation (50km) Pratap Sagar To Rana 1 3 2 KOTA Kota didn’treachKota itspresent sizeuntil Chambal Gardens 6 Chhattar BilasGardens...... (see5) HDFC ATM...... (see11) Tourist ReceptionCentre...... State BankofIndia...... Shiv ShaktiEnterprises...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Main PostOffice...... Museum...... (see8) Maharao MadhoSingh Jagmandir...... City Palace&Fort...... Brij VilasPalaceMuseum...... Boat Hire...... Art Gallery...... (see7) State BankofBikaner&Jaipur.. Naya Darwaza (New Gate) Barrage Bhainsrodgarh (50km) AC Ba Kota To Baroli(45km); rra tg e R ( d h SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Kota SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN 10.30am-1.30pm &2-6pm Mon- 8 12 R

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15 Jh a la w a r R r d 2 1 Jhalrapatan (94km) Bus Stand(300m); 4 Sanctuary (50km); Kaithoon (12km); 7 Jhalawar (87km); 10 Darrah Wildlife To Gumanpura Stadium 11 including Madho Mahal, Mahal, Singh Raj grounds of the RTDC grounds oftheRTDC Hotel Chambal. 5pm Mon-Sat,closed2nd&4thSatofmonth)Inthe cheques (Amexonly)and currency. Changes travellerschequesand currency. 10pm) Offers internet 10pm) Offers access. Maharao Madho SinghMuseum Madho Maharao Jhala Haveli. Inside,too,istheexcellent Mahal,Bada Chhatra Mahal andtheruined the through asschools. Entryisfromthesouthside used all located here. Someof its buildingsare now soldiers were offices andvariousstate senal, and centre of power;thetreasury, courts,ar- wastheformerresidenceThe palaceitself of thelargest such complexes inRajasthan. the Barrage, overlooking theKota Beside theriver, PALACECITY &FORT Sights &Activities centre reception Tourist BankofIndia State &Jaipur BankofBikaner State Shiv ShaktiEnterprises C ham

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Station Rd Army Base 14 (ChawniCircle)Changestravellers (504km) To Palkiya Haveli...... Venue...... (see 11) Sukhdham Kothi...... Hotel Navrang...... (see11) Brijraj BhawanPalaceHotel.... TRANSPORT SHOPPING EATING SLEEPING Bus Stand...... Kota DoriaBazaars...... Snack Stalls...... Umed BhawanPalace...... Hotel PhulPlaza...... ( (perhrRs50;

h ( % Sur Sagar 9am-5pm) (New Gate). 2327695; (Industrial Estate) (Industrial (

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229 B2 B3 B2 C1 C1 B3 C2 B2 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Lakshmi (Vishnu’s consort) at Lakshmi his feet. such asVishnureclining with onaserpent andJhalawar), fragments (mainly fromBaroli 12th-century stone idolsandothersculptural ature paintings,andsomeinteresting 9th-to inapalace. Ithasacollectionofhoused mini- museum Near Kishore Sagar,thissmall BRIJ VILASPALACE MUSEUM to the public. side of thelake. is closed Thepalace,sadly, tomockthefranticstreets oneitherseems of that themaharanisof it’sasight Kota, palace of Jagmandir. Builtin1740byone palm trees, istheenchanting littletangerine middle of thelake, onasmallislandamid lake ception centre isthepicturesque artificial theCityPalace andthetouristre-Between JAGMANDIR away of exterior murals. deterioration of thefort,includingfading which tobecontributingthe isbelieved trial complexacrosstheriver, pollutionfrom less-inspiring viewsof themonstrous indus- views over theoldcityandChambal dens are nomore, butthere are someexcellent lot of itisfallingintodisrepair, and thegar- double gates and25towers. Unfortunately, a withthree-levelRajasthan, fortifications,six The fortrampartsare someof in thehighest magnificent itmusthave initsheyday. been ing therest of thecomplextoappreciate how you canwander at leisure. but trytolookaroundonyourownsothat which Kota is renowned. ings, particularlythehuntingscenesfor upstairs roomsdancewithexquisite paint- rate theelegant, small-scaleapartments.The miniatures deco- best-preserved Rajasthan’s beautiful mirrorwork,whileupstairs someof is anelegantdurbar(royalcourt)hallwith of thepalacedates from1624.Downstairs ingenious, beautifulweapons.Theoldestpart ture, anold-fashioned ice-cream maker and for arespectable existence –silver Raj furni- necessary elephants. You’llfindallthestuff tered agateway through toppedbyrampant complex’s huge centralcourtyardandisen- 4.30pm Sat-Thu) foreigner Rs10/100,camera/video50/100; 230 After visiting the museum it’sworthexplor-After visitingthemuseum The curatormayoffer totake youaround, Kishore Sagar Kishore OTENRJSHN • oa ••Kota SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN

(admission Rs3; . It’s on the right-hand sideof. It’sontheright-hand the , constructed in1346.Inthe h 10am-5pm Sat-Thu) government h isalso 10am-

this option is a clean, no-nonsense business this optionisaclean,no-nonsense AC Rs600/800; with elephants. carved but impressive royalcenotaphs interspersed Chhattar BilasGardens hunting. through virtuallyexterminatedcrocodiles hadbeen along theriver, bythemid-20thcenturythese wobbly suspensionbridge. Oncecommonall a centrepiece, which youcanwalkover ona als (thin-snouted, fish-eating crocodiles)as fort, withamurkypondstocked withgavi- Gardens of greenery amidtheindustry.The thatprovideful gardensinKota asplash There peace- are well-maintained, several GARDENS from Boats start Chambal Gardens. a 1½hourtripandRs50for3½-hourtrip. so besure youdon’tfallin.ItcostsRs25for of opportunitiestospotbirdsand crocodiles– oneitherside,andlots cliffs tion andcraggy near thetown,it’sbeautiful,withlushvegeta- River A lovely hiatusfromthecityisaChambal BOAT TRIPS by local artists. mission free; with ACRs800/1000; ing awiderange of dishes. There’s agoodvegetarian restaurant, serv- suites. Roomsatthefront are abit noisy. hotel withordinaryroomsandoverpriced Plaza Phul Hotel BUDGET office. post onthefootpathoutsidemain snack stalls can grazeonofferings fromtheearly-evening come armed with repellent. can beaproblematsomehotelsso inKota, more atmospherictownof Bundi.Mosquitoes most travellers prefer themselves inthe tobase for adiscount).Understandably, however, end hotels (where it’salways worthasking fortop- but thecity’sreasonably wellserved Budget islacklustre, accommodationinKota Sleeping &Eating Hotel Navrang Hotel A few hotels have goodrestaurants, oryou Next tothetouristreception centre are the Next doorisasmall,modern boat trip are on theriverbank southof the h a 10am-5pm Mon-Sat) . Onceyouescapetheindustry )

( NextdoortoHotel Navrang, % Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels

a ( % 2329351; s/dfromRs375/475,with ) , acollectionof overgrown Better thantheexterior Better 2323294; s/dfromRs500/600, exhibitingworks art gallery art Chambal (ad-

fortable andoverfortable 100years oldandwasonce in the same familyfor200years.in thesame It’saplant- from Rs2400/2900) Venue (dishes Rs35to60),openfrom11am few first. There’s alsoagoodveg restaurant, character thanothers, sotrytolookata ern internal courtyard.Somehave more andarrangedcomfortable aroundamod- suggests, theNavrang’s roomsare wornbut lonelyplanet.com and intimacyof Kothiorthe Sukhdham Edwardianandlacksthesparkleis stuffily Rd,thisgraciouspalacegardens off Station rather than grand. only), which, unlike mostpalaces,ishomy lawn andanintimate diningroom(forguests There are gardens,acroquet well-maintained MaryQueen thisforasnoozein1911. chose as 4,are huge, ceilings. withdizzyinglyhigh onto riverside terraces. Somerooms,such Residency, andhasattractive roomsopening IndiaCompany,this wasoncetheBritish East part of thepalace. Builtin1830bytheBritish Brijraj wholives Singh, withhisfamilyin named after thecurrent maharaja of Kota, the ChambalRiver, thischarismatic hotel is Rs 1700/2350) is very tothe close City Palace. helpful, andthefoodisexcellent.The appealing rooms.Thefamilyischarming and filled oasiswithimpressive muralsandsix a Haveli Palkiya MIDRANGE &TOPEND furniture, andsomeopen onto terraces. run place. Theinvitingroomshave antique inprettyset gardensandisafriendly,family- the homeof theBritishResident’s surgeon. It’s 1200) 11pm. to Umed BhawanPalace Kothi Sukhdham Brijraj BhawanPalace Hotel Brijraj ohu 15 1 3daily 11 195 Udaipur 170 Jodhpur 6 Jaipur 130 5 6 95 Chittorgarh 6 Bundi 22 half-hourly 6 290 Bikaner Ajmer 105 ¾ half-hourly 3 Destination Fare12 BUSSES FROMKOTA daily daily (Rs) daily Duration half-hourly 6 (hr) Frequency ) Thisisanexquisite Sukhdham Kothiisatmospheric, com- Sukhdham On an elevated site high above site Onanelevated high ( % SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Kota SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN Surroundedbysprawling 2387497; Mokha Para; s/dRs900/1100; 2387497; Mokha

( % 2320081; sRs560-920,d680-

( % haveli

( % 2325262; s/ddeluxe that has been thathasbeen 2450529; s/dfrom haveli 1AC, six hours). for Udaipur(Rs473/656/1145in3AC/2AC/ daily 3AC/2AC/1AC, fourtofive hours) andthe trains runtoJaipur (Rs408/562/965in 3AC/2AC/1AC, daily 12¼hours). Seven 9.05pm and9.55pm(Rs981/1390/2443in which at departKota services, Rajdani hours). ToMumbai,there are twodaily 630/883/1547 in3AC/2AC/1AC, 6¼to10 115), andfourdailytrainstoDelhi(Rs at 7.45am,arrivinginAgra at1.35pm(Rs There’s a daily traintoAgra which leaves there are plentyof from. trainstochoose isonthemainMumbai–DelhilinesoKota TRAIN half-hour. every leaveBuses forJhalawar(Rs45,twohours) 11 hours) andMtAbu (Rs290,12hours). thetable, (see above ). There are plentyof express busconnections BUS Getting There&Away 600 to 2600. being woven upstairs. Pricesrange fromRs exquisite pieces,whichsells youcansee oppositelice station, Taileyan Mandirwhich, Kaithoon; and bestquality. shaw), where you’llfindthewidestselection Rs4bybus,100returnKota, inarick- source innearbyKaithoon (12kmsouthof oryoucanhuntthemdownattheirsaris), awiderangesell of Rd aroundRampura DoriaBazaars The Kota Shopping and billiard room. andsportsarestaurant,comfortable, bar Brijraj Bhawan Palace. Still,it’sfancyand There are forDelhi(Rs280, alsobuses h 10am-7pm) Hamid Bihari , inKaithoon near thepo- kota doria , 2963,departsat1.10am

(Kota Saree Wala, (gold-woven

231 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN If all else fails, ask at the Kota fails,askattheKota If allelse fantastically named, birdsoffantastically Sorsan include grasslands onitssturdylegs.Other, often the through stalking more commonlyseen the great –areluctant Indianbustard flier of resident andmigratorybirds,including ing themonsoonandattractagood variety grasslands arethese dur- rich withinsects the canal of Rivers, theChambalandParvan are for atrained accompanying guide. able toprovide youwith informationandcosts centre the to visitfromthelocalforest ranger, orcontact toget Youneed permission mid-September). during themonsoon(usuallyfromearlyJulyto issometimesclosed antelopes. Thesanctuary wildboars,deer, bears, sambars, leopardsand Once aroyalhuntingground,there are spotted 20/100; sq-km The thicklyforested, wildlybeautiful250- Sanctuaries Wildlife AROUND KOTA option (around Rs 20). tion. Cycle-rickshawsare, asalways,acheaper this journey;there’s aprepay placeatthesta- (Rs 4).AnautorickshawshouldcostRs30for andbusstand linkthetrainstation Minibuses Getting Around 232 About 45kmeastof flankingthemain Kota, Palace hassomeofthebest-preserved wallpaintingsinthestate. ofhuntingexpeditionsinKota’soncethicklywoodedsurrounds. KotaCitydetailed portrayal foliage andfauna. Their paintingsare densewoodland-packed unique,providing avividand examples. and azure anythingseenelsewhere. unlike BundiPalace hostssomewonderful inparticular orreligious.passionate, aswellbeingcourtly large petal-shapedeyesandsmallnoses–forerunners ofBollywoodpin-ups. Themes are often When architecture appearsitisdepicted roundfaces, inloving detail.The willowywomensport andsceneslitby thesettingsun.both usuallyhave ofthickfoliage,cloudyskies abackground more distinctive. The schoolswere initiallysimilar,butdeveloped different markedly styles,though miniature painting. forms –withtheMughals’concernnaturalism.See p61 formore onthedevelopment of legacy. The stylecombinedthedominantfeatures offolkpainting–intense colourandbold patrons,andtheirinfluencefinanceshave leftanexquisite artistic beingkeen Hada finestminiatureSome ofRajasthan’s workwasproducedaroundBundiandKota,theruling THE MINI-MASTERPIECES OFKOTA &BUNDI District Forest Office Forest District Sorsan grasslands OTENRJSHN • rudKt ••AroundKota SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN In Kotayou’llnoticethepainters’ thelocal penchantforhuntingscenes,anddepicting The paintingsoftheBundischoolare notablefortheirbluehues,withapalette ofturquoise All theregions producepaintingsofindividualcharacter, buthere ofRajasthan theyare even

h ( % Darrah WildlifeSanctuary Darrah 10am-5pm) 0744-2327695) is about 50km from Kota. isabout50kmfromKota. . Covering 35 sqkm, , where theyshould be

( % 0744-2321263)

tourist reception reception tourist (Indian/foreigner Rs (Indian/foreigner Rs in Kota. inKota. these parks from Kota foraroundRs5per parksfromKota these pochards, commonteals and pintails. as bar-headed andgreylag common geese, nearby canalandlakes attractwaterfowl, such OctoberandMarch.at Sorsan between The ers, androsypastors, larks,starlings winter Flocks of migrants,such aswarblers, flycatch- chats, drongos,shrikes, robins andweavers. mynahs, orioles,quails,partridges, bulbuls, i Kota. in are displayedintheBrijVilas Palace Museum Shiva. three-headed ruined temple a tothesoutheast, contains (ghata), one of which lookslike anupturned pot and Brahma. Insideitare five Shiva – figures includingadancingShiva, Vishnu templesone of here, thebest-preserved with and afinelycarved Temple mains. Themainedificeisthe byMuslimarmies,butmuch re-vandalised area, many of 9th-centurytemples were these on theChambalRiver. inapeacefulrural Set dam Sagar,thesecond Pratap way toRana is at 45kmsouthwestof onthe Baroli, Kota One of oldest temple complexes Rajasthan’s details. for km. Ask atthetouristreception centre Baroli You canhire withadriver ajeep toreach Many of thesculptures fromthetemples , which features impressive columns hencethetemple name. sikhara (temple spire). It’s lonelyplanet.com Ghateshvara Ghateshvara Trimurti , a Jhalawar Fort building. change money,there’s an SBBJ ATM inthe the RTDC Hotel the RTDC Chandrawati. pto pump. petrol nearthefrom theGumanpurabusstand, leave Thebuses atBaroli. be droppedoff hours, hourly)–tell thedriver youwantto Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels filled with pilesof ledgers. Try,nevertheless, governmenthouses anddustyrooms offices cream-and-terracotta building,todayit in 1838.Arun-downandsprawlingSingh h In thetowncentre is Sights &Activities office Tourist Information and white poppies. when fieldsare carpeted withpicturesque pink of duringwinter,evidence which you’llsee the centre of anopium-producingregion, to ruleinhis own right. prince,andinreturnKota received Jhalawar treaty withtheBritishonbehalf of theyoung the charismatic regent of signeda Singh Kota. princely state created Singh, in1838byZalim confluence of two rivers. is Gagron,aforgotten forttoweringover the some beautifultemples, and10kmnortheast ancient walledCityof Temple which has Bells, kilometres the tothesouthisJhalrapatan, being thattheyare visited. Seven soseldom in thesurroundingarea, partof theirappeal few visitors buthassomecharming sights Jhalawar isaquiet,sprawlingtownthatsees % JHALAWAR (about Rs shaw fromBaroli 150 return). You canreach Bhainsrodgarh byautorick- at Kota’s permissiontovisit–enquiresuperb. Youneed inside, theviewsfromoutsideattopare ants of afeudal youcan’tgo family. Although Chambal River, it’sstilloccupiedbydescend- enemies. Perched onaridge overlooking the besieged14th-century fortthatwasnever by ispicturesqueNear Baroli Bhainsrodgarh, a Bhainsrodgarh nobanks inJhalawarwillcurrentlyThough There (Rs25,1½ are fromKota buses Jhalawar was once the capital ofJhalawar wasoncethecapital asmall Situated at 87km southof itstands Kota, 10am-5pm Mon-Sat) 07432 /pop48,049 tourist reception centre reception tourist ( % 230081; , builtbyMaharaja Madan Jhalawar Fort h 10am-5pm Mon-Sat)At SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Jhalawar SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN ( %

(admission free; 0744-2327695)

. corner fromtheHotel Dwarika. Toppedby rant’ iswritten in English. sign outsideisin , but‘gardenrestau- SouthIndian andveg dishes.The Chinese, friendly gardenrestaurant dishingup tasty 11pm) of hot water. deluxe andair-con roomshave theluxury exceptthattheall almostexactlythesame, of thebunch, thishotel hasroomsthatare 300/350, deluxe Rs400/450,withAC750/850) restaurantpassable (dishesRs15 to 40). ‘Deluxe’ roomsare overpriced, butthere’s a with bare roomsaroundaleafycourtyard. compound the touristoffice,thisisapleasant Rd; s/dRs300/350,withAC600/700) morning. early area andinthe canfeel atnight abitdeserted lers prefer might elsewhere sincethe tostay good viewsfromtheroof. Solo female travel- acter thantheotherhotels inJhalawar,with but cheap, andthebuildinghasmore char- down, 200-year-old clock toweristhissimple,extremely run- accommodation. ists, Jhalawarhaslimited anduninspiring Attracting onlyasmattering of tour- Sleeping &Eating adorn the walls. erectedlighthouses inthegreat of time’, sea including‘Booksareedifying mottoes, the the great 70,000books; oldbuildinghouses a College Library stage. the tions that allowed horses andcarriages onto including specialunderground construc- 1920s of theQuranandaleopard-skincoat.The weapons, oldpaintings,ahandwritten copy prising 8th-centurysculptures, goldcoins, Mon-Sat) government tutional fans.Nearbythere’s alsothesmall of pastglorycompete withwhirringinsti- at theAinaMahal room,where indications which stillhasfinemuralsandmirrors, and room, Khas to get alookinattheZenana used forParsiused theatre, withauniquedesign chhatri Rupali Dhani Dwarika Hotel Chandrawati Hotel RTDC Purvaj Hotel Purvaj Also interesting to visit isthe Set opposite Hotel Dwarika,thisisa Set Bhawan Natyashala , which hasacuriouscollectioncom- (cenotaph, literally (cenotaph, ‘umbrella’),

museum

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h ( (Hospital Rd;dishesRs15-40; %

10am-1pm &2-5pm) ( 231355; rRs150-450) %

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( % . Roomsare basic 512080; Jhalrapatan Alsohousing , roundthe h Government Government Nearthe Thebest 10am-5pm h

233 9am- SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN River. Thiswalledtown oncehadmore than onthebanksof theholyChandrabhaga Bells), road is Kota (CityofJhalrapatan Temple kilometres southofSeven Jhalawaronthe Jhalrapatan AROUND JHALAWAR should cost Rs 20. To travel anywhere intownbyautorickshaw hire askatyour hotel.taxi foryou;otherwise, ist office shouldbeable toarrange or jeep topayRs5perkilometre.Expect Thetour- of theroadsare inastate of bumpydisrepair. of town,it’sbesttohire Many ortaxi. ajeep If youplantovisitthehistoricsites outside Getting Around south of town. (Rs43,twohours). is1km Kota Thebusstand There are Jhalawarand regular between buses Getting There&Away restaurant. indoor offers veg tasty andnonveg foodinasmall 65; 234 JHALAWAR Anupam Restaurant &Café Anupam Restaurant h Gamri Lake To Kota (87km) OTENRJSHN • rudJaaa ••AroundJhalawar SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN 9am-11pm) Tourist Office...... (see 7) SBBJ ATM...... (see 4) Rupali Dhani...... RTDC HotelChandrawati...... Purvaj Hotel...... Hotel Dwarika...... Jhalawar Fort...... Government Museum...... EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION oenetCleeLbay.. B2 Government CollegeLibrary..... Anupam Restaurant&Café..... Bhawan Natyashala...... (see4) Post Office...... 12 Anotherdecentchoice, this

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R d 2 Clock Tower 5 Ki Lake Akhade 9 Mosque tains magnificentsculpturestains andoneof the spacious, high-ceilinged buildingthatcon- Temple best knownisthehuge 10th-century farfewer100 temples, although remain. The to Jhalrapatan (Rs 7,15minutes). Anauto- to Jhalrapatan some hidden-away erotic carvings. Ghats (steps) alongtheriverbank neighbour dens onthebanks of theChandrabhagaRiver. Temple chanting, peaceful7th-century town. the Fair ( p224 ), alively cattlefairthatconsumes should lookoutforthehuge Chandrabhaga visiting duringNovember orDecember,you example of architecture. Gupta Ifyouare elephants –and and-white marblefloor,andtwohuge stone aninlaidblack- statues, intricately carved paintedcolourful, brightly andrestored with also the12th-century There’sintricate, almostorganic carving. India. stupawithvery Ithas aglorious,high idolsof Surya(thesungod)inbest-preserved M angalpura Rd 12 6 There are regular fromJhalawar dailybuses About theen- 3kmoutsideJhalrapatan, 4 Mosque Intersection Nirbhaya is set inbeautiful,lush, well-kept isset gar-

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R d 7 atthecentre, a To BusStand(1km); Khanpur Rd lonelyplanet.com Dalhanpur (54km); Jhalrapatan (7km); Kakuni (65km); Kolvi Buddhist Caves (90km) Chandrabhaga To GagronFort , afine (9km) Surya – Fort Fort Don’t missatriptothespectacular Gagron Fort return. 100 rickshaw fromJhalawarwillcostaroundRs Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels short climb tothetop,where you’llfind sev- about 90kmsouth of Jhalawar. It’s onlya atop adesolate hillnear the townof life. bird filled thecompoundwithvegetation and its walls,andareforestation programmehas Theretance. are smalltemples within several Thana Manohar Kakuniof isthelarge Ganesh.Beyond the area, oneof which includesahuge idol 12th-century temples are scattered around River.township ontheParvan Ruined9th- to Dalhanpur, at thathavestatues fallenover. About 30kmfrom not todamage thefragmentsof pillars and pillars witheroticfigures.carved Take care ruins neartheChhapiRiver includesome southeast of Jhalawar,at roads are About rough). 54km(1½hours) isbestasthe out yourowntransport(ajeep further outof toreach townanddifficult with- The Jhalawarenvirons’otherattractionsare Other Attractions state. sorry Rs 150return, butbeware –theroadisina still comehere during Ramadan. was builtbyAkbar in1580andmanypilgrims constructed in1423.Thegate totheshrine Gagron opposite. to Changari,thelittlevillage ontheoutcrop Mughal emperor . jauhar hands manytimes,andwasthesite of ahuge in the8thcentury,changedwas established over fought and hasbeen forcenturies.It nent placeintheannalsof chivalry Rajput and Jaisalmer, thehuge fortoccupiesapromi- famous asthefortsatChittorgarh, Jodhpur notas moat.Though on thefourthisadeep surround thebuildingonthree sides,while Ahu Rivers andhasbig,bigviews,astherivers above theconfluenceof theKalisindh and Jhalawar, whileyou’re inthearea. high It’sset Near thefortwallsthere’s thesmallvillage of For thebestviewof head thefortitself, There are ancient An autorickshaw here shouldcostaround (admission free; andthe in 1443. Later, itwasconquered in1443.Later, by the , onceof great strategic impor- Kakuni shrine oftheSufisaintMittheshah shrine h sunrise-sunset) Buddhist caves , are theruinsof anold Dalhanpur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN •• Bundi To Chittorgarh (Chittor) ••BundiToChittorgarh SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN , 10kmfrom and , temple Gagron Gagron Fort of Fort stupas Kolvi ,

, on theChittorgarh road, is to explore, withitsleopards,antelopes, wild than the dingy Chittorgarh options. choices which aroundBassi, are farbetter bets There are acoupleof top-endaccommodation Udaipur. and collectionsinChittorgarhgracing museum many oldcoppercoinsandsculptures, now periods have found here, been alongwith remains fromtheMauryan totheGupta oldesttowns.Hindu andBuddhist Rajasthan’s day orso’snotice. witha tothesanctuary range safaris jeep boars andmanybirds;hotels here canar- the also There’s p236). liantly coloured Kavads, religious pieces(see whocreatefamous foritswoodcarvers, bril- Chittorgarh thetouristtrail,is andwelloff The townof aboutBassi, 30kmnortheastof Bassi ing ruinsafford good views. and thefortatKumbalgarh).Thevast,sprawl- (the others are thegreat fortof Chittorgarh fort of Mewar Kumbha tobebuiltbyRana the northwestof Menal, Delhi, andthere are afew ruinedpalaces.To was oncetheretreat of Prithviraj Chauhanof superbviews.Menalpavilion thataffords andadomed riod, withsomestrikingstatuary crumbling Shiva pe- temples builtintheGupta surrounded bylotsof small lingams. (phallicsymbol) andahigh carving Mahadeva three are Oneof leftstanding. them, invaders,stroyed byMughal andtodayonly tre with100temples. Mostof were these de- Menal, wasonceafamouspilgrimage cen- worth stoppingoff atalong the way. Chittorgarh, there are variousattractions If you’re travelling fromBundito bytaxi BUNDI TOCHITTORGARH(CHITTOR) deteriorating. and sculptures of neglected Buddha,nowsadly weatheredthe 5thcentury,andsomecontain SLEEPING &EATING markable caves are todate believed backto bat-filled chambers. meditation 35re- These path windspastlarge stupasandnumerous eral enormousfigures of Buddha. Anarrow Twenty kilometres southwestof Bassi, Bijolia Menal , 48kmfromBundi,isacomplexof , alarge town16kmnortheastof , is devoted toShiva,, isdevoted withdelicate Bassi WildlifeSanctuary Mandalgarh Nagri isthethird , oneof Hajaresvara Hajaresvara 235

SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN is a fantastically set 16th-centurypalace,ap- set is afantastically the town’s450-year-old fort(which wasnever of Itsfort isthegreatest manyRajputs. in Chittorgarh holdsaspecialplaceinthehearts % CHITTORGARH (CHITTOR) you canget areturn foraround taxi Rs 350. Chittorgarh toBijaipur(Rs 20,1½hours), or around Rs350.There are from alsobuses costs toBassi taxi Nagri ontheway.Ajeep (Rs15, 30minutes),to Bassi passingthrough Frequent travel buses dailyfromChittorgarh THERE &AWAYGETTING camp besidealake inthe wildlife sanctuary. a garden,oryoucanoptfortheswishtented ful spotwith16lovely roomsarranged around tograntwishes. It’sapeace- grounds andissaid tree known as aspotofneed luck,ask fordirections forthe defeated) amidverdant you andset hills.Incase Rs 1300) palace.com; s/dRs1700/1900,ste2000/2100,deluxe tents to theircooljungle property, Thanderiberi. such asthe nearbyBhil tribalvillage, oravisit toplacesofsafaris interest around Bijaipur, The friendlyowners canarrange horse orjeep Chittorgarh’sthrough Palace. Hotel Pratap shouldbemade food.Reservations Rajasthani courtyard, andanairyrestaurant serving tic andluxurious,there’re garden apleasant orjustlazearound.Roomsarefantasy roman- afairy-tale down withagoodbook,compose 18km southof It’sagreat Bassi. placetosettle and droppedintotheruralvillage of Bijaipur, parently plucked fromthewhimsyof Udaipur 1550/1850; 236 Castle Bijaipur Castle Bassi Fort Palace Bassi Fort can buythesemagical boxes atthesourceinBassi,orshops inUdaipur. always aslotwhere theaudiencecouldshowtheirappreciation bydepositingcoins. Today,you LakshmanaandSitaorKrishna.ally Rama, there Somewhere was nearthebottomofkavad the boxes. At theclimaxoftale,lastdooropenedtoreveal thesupreme deities–usu- thatwashandeddownthroughthegenerations. Asdynasty), askill thestoriesunfolded, sodid (aVedicfrom villagetochantingthetalesofMahabharata epicpoemofthe Bharata They were thetoolsofprofessional Bhatts,whotraditionallytravelled bards,knownasKavadia open outwards,eachonecovered pictures thatillustrate thegreat incolourful Indianepics. usually painted intraffic-stoppingreds oryellows–are made ofanumberhingeddoorsthat amazing foldingboxes knownas temples – frommangowood,theseportable Carved kavads. the ofBassiare andinparticular The famousfortheirbrightlypainted artisans woodcarvings, KAVADS 01472 /pop96,028 OTENRJSHN • htogr Citr (Chittor) ••Chittorgarh SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN This glorious meringue of a place is in Thisgloriousmeringueof aplaceisin as kalp vraksha, ) The adorable Castle Bijaipur TheadorableCastle

(www.castlebijaipur.com; s/dRs ( % 01472-225321; www.bassifort which is set in the inthe which isset and rode out from the fort to certain death, and rodeoutfromtheforttocertain martyrs’ robes The mendonnedthesaffron ad Udaipur. and ited Bundi onadaytrip,orasstopbetween around thefortandmakingbestvis- around Chittorgarh, scarringthelandscape ing numberof industriesare inand based grotty andnotof much interest. Anincreas- isquite thefort–townitself is tosee themselves onahuge funeral pyre. while thewomenandchildren immolated death before dishonour,performing realised theoddswere impossibleandchose a more powerfulenemy;each time,soldiers Three from timesChittorwasunderattack romanticism,chivalry andtragedy.Rajput andhasahistorythatepitomises Rajasthan tion of warriorsRajput diedfollowingthedeclara- womenand32,000 that some13,000 Rajput termined theoutcome;this timeit’sthought of dictates again, themedieval chivalry de- of layingclaimtosomenewterritory. Once besieged thefortagainwithage-old aim p240). Dishonour, and in disaster tiful Padmini, anadventure culminating it, apparently inordertocapture thebeau- the PathanKhilji, kingof Delhi,besieged first defeat camein1303,whenAla-ud-din dates backtothe8thcentury.Thefort’s of , Rawal Its fort,foundedbyBappa water gushedouttoformalarge reservoir. struckthegroundhereheroes, sohardthat which tells thatBhim, one of thePandava Chittor isfirst mentionedintheMahabharata, History In 1535 Bahadur Shah, of thesultan In 1535Bahadur , The onlyreal reason tocomeChittor jauhar . jauhar (see DeathBefore (see lonelyplanet.com jauhar . established his capital. In1616Jehangir hiscapital. established re- IIfledtoUdaipur,whereUdai Singh here- rode outtodie. Onthisoccasion,Maharaja jauhar, were overwhelming. Thewomenperformed Akbar tookthetown.Onceagain,odds years later, emperor in1568,whentheMughal lonelyplanet.com ing plain.Until1568thetownof Chittorwas abruptlyfromthesurround- hill thatrises on a28-sq-kmsite ontopof a180m-high fish-shaped,andstandsThe fortisroughly Orientation restored in 1905. were made toresettle, thefortwas though noattemptsturned ChittortotheRajputs; CHITTORGARH (CHITTOR) The final sacking ofThe finalsacking Chittorcamejust33 Udaipur (112km) To SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Temple...... Museum...... Museum...... (see 8) Meera Temple...... (see 11) Mahasati...... Kumbha ShyamTemple...... Kalika MataTemple...... Jain Temple...... Fateh PrakashPalace...... Chhatris...... Adhbudhnath ShivaTemple..... Tourist ReceptionCentre...... SBI ATM...... Main PostOffice...... Maharir CyberCafé...... Neelkanth MahadevJain A3 State BankofBikaner&Jaipur.. Jagat (20km); B earc h R and8000orange-robed warriors iver 5 4

State Hwy 2 24 To HotelPadmini(50m); Collectorate 22 Lower SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN •• Chittorgarh (Chittor) ••Chittorgarh SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN Town 1 Train Station Circle Ajmer (182km) 3 23 14 13 12 11 10 26 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 25 D2 C2 C2 C2 C3 D2 C2 C2 C3 A4 A2 A3 A2

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h ig hwiTml...... C2 Singa ChowriTemple...... oe rtpPlc...... A3 Hotel PratapPalace...... C1 Rattan SinghPalace...... Taxi Stand...... Bus Stand...... Vinayek...... Natraj Hotel...... C2 Treasury...... (see 12) Tower ofVictory...... Tower ofFame...... Sammidheshwar Temple...... Rana KumbhaPalace...... Padmini's Palace...... TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING

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d River Kota (158km);Bundi(165km) To Bijaipur(40km); Town Old 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 1.30pm &2-5pmMon-Sat)Nearthetrain station. h Less than1kmsouthofthe bus stand. Tourist reception centre reception Tourist postoffice Main CyberCafé Maharir town. in the postoffice. There isalso anSBI ATM Bikaner &Jaipur, northof ashort distance You canchange of moneyattheState Bank Information line. railway river andthe itfromthebusstand separates ters andsprawlstothewestof thehill.A modern town,knownasLowerTown,clat- withinthefortwalls,buttoday’scontained A2 B2 A2 A2 D2 C3 C2 C3 9am-10pm) Internet access.

B un di Rd 7 16 12 10 19 13 11 ( 17 18 1km 0.5miles 0 0 Rampol h 21 Lokhota 6 (Collectorate Circle;perhrRs25; (Collectorate 15 Bari Park Deer Gaumukh Reservoir 10am-1pm &2-6pmMon-Sat) Bhimlat 8 Tank ( % 14 20 241089; 9 Surajpol h 10am-

237 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Sat-Thu) (admission Rs3,free admissionMon; except forasmall, poorlylabelled tothepublic, died in1930).Closed Singh this KumbhaPalace,Located justbeyondRana Fateh Palace Prakash isnearby. carving, 1448 andadornedwithattractive intricate Bhandar). The office, andthetreasury building(NauLakha andarchaeologicalpalace isthemuseum in anow-blocked cellar. Across fromthe Padmini’s andaShiva stables ephant andhorse temple. this 15th-century arrive almostimmediately attheruinsof After entering andyou’ll thefort, turnright Rana KumbhaPalace licence). guide you get agovernment guide(theycarrya ing aroundRs200forafew hours. Make sure KumbhaPalace,tours, usuallyatRana charg- available foreitherwalkingorautorickshaw not walking–see opposite ) andguidesare inhalfaday(assumingyou’recan allbeseen parkatthesouthernend.Themainsitesdeer aces andaround130temples, andthere’s a ruinsofroad runsaroundthedeserted pal- Withinit,acircularits grandeurstillstand. ruin,butimpressivedeserted reminders of of the fort. a huge cementfactory)fromthewestern side the townandcountryside(and,unfortunately, empty plains.There are alsogoodviewsover Surajpol the eastern sideof thefortisknownas ontothedeath.Themaingateto fight on woundedbutwascarriedoutbyKallafatally gle againstAkbar. Jaimal hadalready been ofheroes the1568siege, fell duringthestrug- markthespotswhereThese Jaimal andKalla, andthirdgates. thesecond morials between entrance). back side, the gateways tothemaingate onthewestern ascent of more seven than1kmleadsthrough (Indian/foreigner Rs5/100; All Chittor’s attractionsare withinthe FORT Sights 238 Today, thefortof Chittor isvirtuallya On theclimbyoupasstwo palace OTENRJSHN • htogr Citr (Chittor) ••Chittorgarh SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN , it houses aschool forlocalchildren, ithouses , andoffers viewsacrossthe fantastic Rampol ismore modern(Maharaja Fateh sati is said tohave issaid taken place ( Singa Chowri TempleSinga Chowri pol palace means‘gate’; theformer h sunrise-sunset) , which includesel- h chhatris 10am-4.30pm . Azigzag , builtin museum , me- fort

(cow’s mouth) carved into (cow’s mouth)carved the cliffside. froma spring thatfeeds thetank takes itsnamefroma the fish.Thereservoir Continuing south,youreach Padmini’s Palace of isadeep thecliff Walk downbeyondthetemple andattheedge ReservoirGaumukh and restored in1427, is nearby. Sammidheshwar Temple har stones here –13,000womencommitted there are many repaired during the 19th century. side; itsdomewasdamaged and bylightning of thearea. Hindusculptures adorntheout- the 8thfloor,fromwhich there’s agoodview to narrow stairs (theinterior isalsocarved) storeys, andyoucanclimbthe157 carved Malwa 37minnineexquisitely in1440.Itrises memorate hisvictoryover Mahmud of Khilji 1458and1468tocom- Kumbha between symbol of Chittor,waserected byRana The glorious Tower ofVictory walls). fort’s (around 4000villagers stilllive withinthe by aJain merchant, thetowerisdedicated to and smallerthan the Towerof Victory.Built older (probably datingfromthe12th century) The 22m-high Tower ofFame reaching theTower of Fame. Mahadev Jainthe Neelkanth Temple before Adhbudhnath Shiva Temple, theSurajpol and park, Bhimlatroad, youpassthedeer Tank, Continuing aroundthering ing dignitaries. the groundsare asahelipadforvisit- used soldiers, today ing groundsforRajput though ofinclude sultans Malwa and of Gujarat. captured invaders were kept; formerprisoners Near Padmini’s Palace isasmallprisonwhere inAgraby Akbar andcannowbeseen Fort. bronze gates tothispavilion were carriedoff her.destroy Chittorinordertopossess The in thelake. convincedhimto Thisglimpse this pavilion, herreflection Ala-ud-dinsaw relatesvilion. Legend that,asPadmini in sat beside alarge lotuspoolwithacentralpa- Not farawayare train- theformermilitary tothetoweris Close close by in 1535. The intensely carved carved byin1535.Theintensely close Tower ofVictory Tower ofFame sati (suicide byimmolation) tank , builtinthe6thcentury where you canfeed Mahasati (Kirti Stambha) is (KirtiStambha) (Jaya Stambha), lonelyplanet.com Padmini’s Palace area where gaumukh jau- , narrow stairway leads through the seven sto- theseven leadsthrough narrow stairway locked, thegatekeeper mayopenthedoorfor isusually reys thestaircase tothetop;though naked figures of variousother 24 revered Jain teachers) andisdecorated with Adinath, thefirst Jain Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels ment. The hotel is owned byamarble mag- a gardenwithhorses andkids’ play equip- River,of Padmini townnear the Bearch has .com; s/dRs800/1000, withACRs1250/1500; in Bijaipur( p235 ) can be arranged. Village and visitstotheowners’ safaris castle den area there’s arestaurant withgoodfood. gar-and leafyoutlooks.Nexttoapleasant the more expensive roomshave window seats reasonable nothingspecial,and value,though the cheaperpopular placestostay, roomsare Rs 1800-2100; .com; s/dRs1150-1500,deluxe rRs1250-1600,superdeluxe andvisitingChittorona in Bassi day trip. stretches totopend,you’re far better staying off have bathrooms.Ifyourbudget miserable below average andmanyof thecheaper places are usually pointing; cleanlinessandservice Hotel inChittorare standards generally disap- hurling criminalsinto the abyss. for southern endisasmallopeningonceused is anothergate, the the 14thcentury.Atfort’snortherntip converted toatemple forthegoddessKali in aged duringthefirst of sack Chittorandthen TempleMata Temple compoundisthe in thissame the blessingsof Krishna. Thelarger temple dueto byanenemy,butsurvived poison sent Meerabai.with mystic-poetess She consumed in theornate Indo-Aryan styleandassociated Temple totheFatehClose PrakashPalace isthe Other Buildings down, isaninteresting place to explore. It overlooks asmalllake run and,although Singh. takes thenameof herhusband,Rattan abode of theChittorroyals, While Padmini’s Palace wasthesummer Rattan SinghPalace baksheesh. some Sleeping &Eating Hotel Padmini Hotel PratapPalace Hotel Across fromPadmini’s Palace isthe , builtduringthereign Kumbha of Rana (Temple of Varah). a , an8th-centurysuntemple dam- ) Deservedly oneof themost Deservedly

( % 241718; hotel_padmini@rediffmail Lokhota Bari Lokhota

( % tirthankar 243563; hpratap@hotmail SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN •• Chittorgarh (Chittor) ••Chittorgarh SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN tirthankars Kumbha Shyam , whileatthe winter palace winter (oneof the a ) Out Kalika Kalika Meera Meera . A

the bus and train stations shouldcost the busand trainstations Rs 30. have timeto lookaround.Arickshaw between clear thatyou’re and goingto visit thesights time). You’llhave andmake tohaggle, sure it’s go aroundthefort, andback(includingwaiting to around Rs200fromthebusortrain station park.Autorickshaws chargeout tothedeer notincludingthelong fort itself, southern loop and7kmaroundthe (less fromthebusstand) tothefort It’s about 6kmfromthetrainstation Getting Around were being of research, services scaled back. toAjmer,services BundiandDelhi:atthetime of fordetails other at 9am.Checkthestation 2965 Rs357) (sleeper at 7am. leaves Chittorat9.40pmandarrives inJaipur The No2966 TRAIN among otherplaces. three/2½ hours) andBundi(Rs95,five hours), hours), Udaipur(Rs50/70local/express, (Rs 125,five hours), Jaipur (Rs175,eight hours, twodaily),andregularly gotoAjmer Delhi (Rs350,14 serve Express buses BUS catch abusontoUdaipur,or vice versa. three thefortandthen orfourhours seeing catch the earlymorningtraintoChittor,spend If you’re comingfromBundi,it’spossibleto Getting There&Away for abargain Rs 20. vegetarianA simplebuttasty thaliisavailable Doublesarestation. Rs100or200withAC. by itspopularityand counter.sweets butenlivenedfood. It’sinagloomybasement, andSouthIndian dishes aswellChinese 11pm) while waitingforyourbus or train. adequate option ifyou’re countingtherupees tosmall,darkrooms–still,it’san you through who’llusherplace hascheery reception staff Rs 60-125,d90-250) asset. biggest thisisabout their fort,though the distant Some roomshave balconieslookingoutto nate, andthusislinedwithhisfavourite stone. For Udaipur(Rs38in2ndclass),theNo Natraj Hotel Retiring roomscanbefoundatthetrain Vinayek Vinayek serves upNorthIndianveg Vinayekserves

(Collectorate Circle;dishesRs15-60; (Collectorate (

% Udaipur–Jaipur SuperExpress 241009; Gandhi Rd;swithoutbathroom 241009; Gandhi Near the bus stand, this Nearthebusstand, leaves at5.40am,arriving h 239 7am-

SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Now the rains have finally returned and when mering bodyof waterdryupaltogether. might there were fears thatthismagnificent,shim- years ago,whenthe monsoonrainswere poor, ding cake–like building of themall.Afew Palace,lies theLake thecreamiest, mostwed- prettily onPichola atthecentre Lake, of which many asthemostromanticcityinIndia –sits honeysuckle hues, Udaipur –considered by A cupola-crownedcityof cream, and rose % UDAIPUR 240 nent of India The mostromanticspotontheconti- who ruledfromDelhi.However, the merges withmyth;thisisthestorytoldoffirstsackChittor. often alive andthushistoricalfact hasbeenkept bybardsandfolksongsinRajasthan, History DEATH BEFOREDISHONOUR he wanted tomeetPadmini. Knowinghisforceswere nomatchforthesultan’sarmies, the Pathan andhedecidedtoconfirmthemforhimself. ofDelhi, Ala-ud-din Khilji, king eventhe sturdywallsoffortress, asfarawayDelhi.The rumoursarousedthecuriosityof uncovered,(women’s quarters) wordhadspread ofherbeauty,andPadmini wasadmired farbeyond had managedtoresist theinvaders. in wait.The himtothegate,any cost.As Singhescorted Ala-ud-dingave Rattan anordertohisforceslying tobesure) inthemiddleofalotuspool. built (just able togaze uponherreflection inamirror,whileshesatwelloutofhisreach insideapavilion unarmed; onceinside,Ala-ud-dinwasnotpermitted tomeet Padmini inperson,but wasonly reluctantly agreed, butsetanumberofconditions. The sultanwasrequired toenter thefort ting great ladies of the court inpurdah ting great ladiesofthecourt agreed palanquins,befit- toAla-ud-din’sterms andsoonalongtrainof150beautifulcurtained Padmini herself. may have beeninvented bya16th-centurybard. women indeedcommitted of thehorrificact death. tocertain rode outofthefort watched. The menthendonnedsaffronrobes,smeared sacred ashesontheirforeheads and putontheirweddingsarisandthrew themselvesof thecourt intothefire astheir husbands of surrender. Instead, afuneralpyre waslitinanunderground tunnel.Padmini andalltheladies It wasclearthesultancouldnotbedefeated, couldn’tconsiderthedishonour buttheRajputs rescued theirleader. warriorsleapedoutofeachpalanquinandtheir wayintothesultan’scamp,fourarmedRajput The palanquinswereslowly outofthefort. Chittor’sTrojanHorse–assoontheyhadmade 0294 /pop389,317 OTENRJSHN • diu ••Udaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN By the turn of the 14th century, much of North Indiahadbeenconquered bytheMughalsBy theturnof14thcentury,muchNorth In 1303Ala-ud-dinamassedhisarmiesaroundChittorgarh Singhthat andsentwordtoRattan was The jewelofthekingdom Padmini, Singh’swife. Rattan Althoughshenever leftthezenana But thisglimpsewasenough.Ala-ud-dinmesmerisedandresolved topossessherat The court wasthrownintopanic,untilPadminiThe court cameupwithaplan.Shesentwordthatshe Although it’s clear that Ala-ud-din Khilji didlaysiegetoChittorin1303,andthattheRajput Although it’sclearthatAla-ud-dinKhilji slowlystarved. patientlywaitingastheRajputs The sultanwasfuriousandlaidsiegetothefort, Colonel James Tod, rana Antiquities of Rajasthan of Chittor was taken hostageandtheransomdemandedforhisreturn ofChittorwastaken was Annals & rana

(king) of Chittor, Rattan Singh, like many Rajput rulers, manyRajput Singh,like ofChittor,Rattan (king) (the custom of keeping womeninseclusion),trundled(the customofkeeping jauhar, or by motorbike. venture outsidethe cityonfootorhorseback, dotted withtinyvillages –soit’srewarding to by somedramatic countryside–foldedpeaks away adreamy afternoon. It’salso surrounded around thelake orfindarooftop to while the jumbledstreets of theoldcity,wander best ifyoustep fromthetouristepicentre into from aminiature painting.Udaipurisatits Palace), ona peakasifplucked perched high and overlooked bySajjan Garh(Monsoon dominated bythehuge lakeside CityPalace the ochre- andpurple-shaded Aravalli Hills, as pery, asinsubstantial icing sugar. pieceoffloat, agrandiose architectural frip- to the lake isfull,thepalaceonceagainseems it’salsorumoured thatthebeautifulPadmini The citysitsinavalleysurroundedby lonelyplanet.com rana

ature painting.Westof thecityisShilpgram dance, andhasarenowned school of mini- Annals &Antiquities of Rajasthan see puppetshows andwhirlingdancedisplays, see thebestofcase theregion’s arts.Here, youcan ( p247 ), avillage speciallyconstructed toshow- lonelyplanet.com was succeeded by his son, Pratap, whobravely byhis son,Pratap, was succeeded less vulnerablelocation than Chittor. ofsound: thenewcapital Mewar hadamuch tive Aravalli Hills,theoldman’sadvicewas surrounded byforests, lakes andtheprotec- onthatveryhis capital spot.Sincethesite is the maharaja whoadvised toestablish Lake, on ahillnearPicholaholy manmeditating onChittor,after comingacross a last assault site of someyears hisnewcapital before the According tolegend, IIfoundthe UdaiSingh Chittorgarh emperorAkbar. bytheMughal of IIfollowingthefinalsacking Udai Singh Udaipur wasfoundedin1568byMaharaja History despite the touristtrappings– still awaits. old city,where anutterly different world– tion. Ignore andhurryontothe it,though, when youarrive atthecity’strainorbussta- ing pollution,adiscouragingfirst impression accompany- sprawl, alongwiththeinevitable more than itsfairshare of urbanandindustrial And, like mostIndiancities,Udaipurhas menu. upastandard ocre restaurants serving competing forthebestviewandendlessmedi- ofmountains plasticwaste, ever-taller hotels rolled intoone. Thecitysuffers, too,from travel agent or(mostcommonly)allfour buildingisahotel,every shop,restaurant, nowadays rife withrampantcommercialism– Ghatis be trotted out,theoldcityaroundLal to town. version of thespringtimeGangaurfestival – heavy Mewar Festival ( p224 ) –Udaipur’sown to April,meanwhile,bringstheprocession- comes alive inariotof colour( p224 ). March tival of Holi,Udaipur-style, whenthetown toexperiencethefes- beluckyenough might Februarybetween andMarch, moreover, you paper andpuppetsgalore. Ifyou’re inUdaipur woven handmade textiles, woodcarvings, with miniature paintings,jewellery,brightly cians. Thecityisalsoagreat placetoshop, serenaded bysomeof bestmusi- thestate’s Udaipur isalsoacentre forarts,craftsand Although ColonelTod’sdescription(inAlthough Maharaja II diedin1572and UdaiSingh SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Udaipur SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN ) canstill per hrRs30; Mewar International Mewar iWay NBook Store BA Photo options: internet per hour. There are reasonably swift several Most placescharge Rs30and50 between nections cansometimesbeunbearably slow. con- Ghat,though particularly aroundLal You cansurfthe internet atplentyof places, ACCESSINTERNET arebooks about Rajasthan widely available. elsewhere in India. Novels, guidebooksand booksherethough canbemore expensive than to buynonfictionandfictionaboutIndia, andexchange books.It’sagoodplace purvey Numerous placesclustered Ghat aroundLal BOOKSHOPS plus.com. information, canbefoundatwww.udaipur A goodwebsite, withtouristandcultural Information sprawl ranges out beyond. east. Udaipur’saestheticallychallenging urban both justoutsidethecitywalltosouth- are andbusstand Lake. Thetrainstation of acitywall,isontheeastsideof Pichola The oldcity,boundedbythemeagre remains Orientation India. united dered itssovereignty andbecamepartof a the otherprincelystates,Udaipursurren- until 1947.AtIndependence,alongwithall invaders –protection up thatlasted right signed thatpledged toprotect Udaipurfrom the early19thcentury,whenatreaty was in camewithBritish intervention stability theMughals fought and Rajputs). trolled much of Indiaatvarioustimesand the Marathas (centralIndianpeoplewhocon- Udaipurthenhadtodealwith the Mughals, against After struggling underattack. stantly foreign invaders, theywere though even con- theyrefusedin Rajasthan, tobecontrolledby fiercely independent;unlike manyotherrulers Haldighati in1576.TheMewar rulers were of attheBattle andgallantlyfought attacks defended Mughal Udaipurfromsubsequent 30; h An endtoallthebloodybattlesandin- h 8am-11pm) (Map (Map p245 ; JagdishTemple Rd;perhrRs30; 9am-11pm) h 9.15am-11pm) (Map (Map p245 ; 35LalGhat;perhr Rs (Map (Map p245 ; 69DurgaSadan;

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23 Ahar 25 24 23 22 Sitamata Sanctuary(90km) C2 C3 lonelyplanet.com Chittorgarh (112km) To DHLWorldwide To Airport(25km); Devi Garh(28km); Country Inn(5km) Cenotaphs (2km); Bambora (45km); Museum (2km); Express (100m); Ahar (2km); To Pratap Circle) Formedical emergencies. advances. Changescashandgivescredit-cardof DelhiGate. to12.30pmSat)About200msoutheast2.30pm Mon-Fri, pital College&Hos- Ayurvedic MohanMalvai Madan hospital General SERVICES MEDICAL lonelyplanet.com Tourist reception centre reception Tourist bookshops. Udaipur listings,andcanbefound atmostuseful Udaipur airport. Thebimonthly operate andthe atboththetrainstation below, smallertouristinformationcounters Apart fromthe tourist reception centre listed TOURIST INFORMATION Post office that theposterestante officeisatShastri Circle). oftheoldcity(butnote to3pmSat)North 4pm Mon-Fri, postoffice Main DHL office Worldwide Express POST cheques andforeign currency. Complex; Cook Thomas LKP Forex Bank ofBaroda change money are: Jagdish Temple. Three of themanyplacesto post officeandaUTIATM (Map p242 ) near an HDFCATM (Map p245 ) nearthemain There are lotsof ATMs around,including MONEY and neurological disorders. was openedin1944andspecialisesjointpain,paralysis Thisgovernment-runhospital free coursesinAyurveda. h te world. the withinUdaipurandcanarrangeairfreight around service Mon-Sat) Situatedeastoftown.Hasafree collection fax 2412979;380AshokNagarRd; should cost betweenaroundRs250 and 500. guides fortoursofthe city; afour-toeight-hourtour brochures andinformation.Itcanalsoarrange official the busstand,thisplace dishesoutalimitedamountof venient position,nearSurajpol andlessthan1kmfrom 2nd &4thSatofmonth)Situatedinnotthemost con- Fateh Bldg; Memorial Mon-Sat) OutsidetheCityPalace Museum. Hotel. Changesnumerous currencies. h 10am-5pm) Prescribes natural medicines and conducts naturalmedicinesandconducts 10am-5pm) Prescribes 9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat) Next to the Rang NiwasPalace totheRang 9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat)Next (Map (Map p242 ; h magazine (Rs 10) contains lotsof magazine(Rs10)contains (Map (Map p242 ; (Map (Map p245 ; 10am-1.30pm &2-5pm)Changestravellers (Map (Map p245 ; % (Map (Map p242 ; (Map (Map p242 ; (Map (Map SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Udaipur SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN 2431900; AmbamataTemple Rd; h % h p242; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat,closed % 2423358; Lake Palace2423358; Lake Rd; (Map (Map p242 ; 10.30am-1pm &1.30-4.30pm % % 2419746; CityPalace ; Chetak Out andAboutin h (Off Map Map (Off p242 ; 2420671; 2528811; Chetak 9.30am-7.30pm % h 2411535; h 10am- 10am- % / hu’ trip hour’s hire awholeboatforaround Rs2000forthe area. Ifyou’re partof agroup, youcanalso nonguests have topayRs25enter this minute visittoJagmandir Island.Note that the lake, whilethelonger tripincludesa20- rideinvolves aquicktriparound half-hour when thelake The enough. water is high from theCityPalace Ghat), jetty (akaBansi per 1hrRs250/130; echo across the quiet waters. ofnoises thedhobi-wallahs (washerpeople) wheredhobi (laundry)ghats, theslip-slap waterfront tosomeinteresting bathingand the palace’snorth,youcanwanderalong gardenrunsdowntotheshore.a pleasant To along thelake’s eastbank.Southof thepalace, hyacinths. water occasionally, thewaters get choked upwith pealing optionforswimmingandwading); ofited sections theshore (makingitanunap- toresidecrocodiles, believed nearuninhab- Palace. Lake shipwreckedfoundations of theseemingly grazearoundtheexposed camels andbuffalo and Jagmandir, itstwomajor islands,and whenyoucanwalktoJagniwasdroughts, remains shallow anddriesupinsevere lake isnow4kmlongand3kmwide, but Village, which gave thelake itsname. The foundation of thecity,byfloodingPicholi by Maharaja II,followinghis UdaiSingh rippling mirrorlike surface. Itwasenlarged p242) (Map reflects thecoolgrey onits bluemountains large, and Limpid PICHOLA LAKE Sights reception tourist centre the contact note downtheirvehicle registration number), torickshaw drivers (inthelatter twocases, If youhave orau- troublewithhotels, taxi Dangers &Annoyances prices quoted toyouby other agencies. price, asmostwilltrytomatch orbetter the nitely worth shoppingaroundforthebest all promisingthebestdealsintown.It’sdefi- (concentrated inthetourist-ladenoldcity), Udaipur hasscores of smalltravel agencies TRAVEL AGENCIES Boat rides The CityPalace extends foralongstretch The lake isallegedly hometoahandfulof

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243 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN It’s said that the Mughal emperorShah thatthe Mughal JahanIt’s said changed very littlein thefourcenturiessince. his reign 1628 and1652,has between added tobyMaharaja Jagat during Singh was builtbyMaharaja Karan in1620, Singh The palaceonJagmandir Island (Map p242 ) Island Jagmandir area. this that nonguestshave topayRs 25toenter the islandfromCityPalace jetty–note dinner (see p255 ). Hotel launches crossto to experienceitsatmosphere over lunch or discouraged; nonguestscanonlycomeover visitors,a magicalplace. are Casual however, Niwas Palace andtheMonsoonPalace. Itis Bond movie, You mayalsoremember itfromthatclassic Udaipur ontheinternational touristmap. largelyand hasbeen responsible forputting restaurantstains, andaswimming pool, hotels, with gleamingcourtyards,foun- remains theultimate intheworld’sluxury during theconversion, greatly extended. It 1960s byMaharaja Bhagwat andwas, Singh was converted intothe in 1754.Oncetheroyalsummerpalace,it lent palacebuiltbyMaharaja Jagat II Singh in size,almostentirely covered bytheopu- of Jagniwas (Map p245 ) isabout1.5hectares The world-famous Palace Lake Hotel island Island Jagniwas 244 permanent valuethroughsacrifice’. given toanindividualwho‘ventures beyondthecall ofdutyandsetsanexampleinsociety MewarFoundationAwardsceremony. Theaward attheannualMaharaja Panna DhaiAwardis lineageoftheMewardynasty. crowned, ensuringtheunbroken She toldthenoblesandpeopleofMewarwhathadhappened,princewaspromptly cradle where herownsonslept.Banbirwhippedouthisswordandslaughtered thechild. When Banbirdemandedtoknowwhichchildwastheprince,Panna Dhaipointed totheprince’s intentions,Banbir’s wicked shehadplaced,asaprecaution, herChandanintheprince’sowncradle. the time,Panna wasalsobreastfeeding herowninfantson,Chandan.Havingalready suspected planning to kill thebabyboy. planning tokill throne –UdaiSinghhimself. Onenight,Banbirmanagedtobreak intotheprince’sbedroom, was determined toeliminate anyonethatstood inhisway,includingtheyoungheirto was assassinated byacharacter namedBanbir. andhe Banbirwanted controlofthekingdom, loyalty totheroyalfamilythatyoucouldpossiblyimagine. named In Udaipuraroyalservant Panna forthemostextraordinary Dhaihasbeenimmortalised THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OTENRJSHN • diu ••Udaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN The ofUdaipurhasensured current thememoryofPanna maharaja Dhailives onwithaspecial Soon after themurder,Panna atKumbalgarh. andfledtothefort Dhaihidtheprinceinabasket Udai Singh’sdevoted ofMewar,In 1535PrinceUdaiSinghIIwasjustababywhenhisfather,, maharaja , Lake Palace Hotel Palace Hotel Lake alongwiththeShiv dhai (wetnurse),Panna Dhai,was,however, ofhim.At onestep ahead in the island hasanimpressive by arowof enormousstoneelephants, the during the1857IndianUprising.Flanked sheltered here byMaharaja SarupSingh European womenandchildren were later leading arevolt againsthisfather, Jehangir. after here staying in1623and1624while inspiration fortheTaj Mahal fromthispalace derived(then PrinceKharrim) someof his the palace’s upper terraces. are fineviewsover thelake andthecity from retain asurprising uniformityof design.There various maharajas, itstillmanages though to smallerpalaces)built andextendedseparate by a conglomerationof structures (including11 II,thecity’sfounder, anditlaterSingh became Construction wasbegunbyMaharaja Udai ace, withafaçade244mlongand30.4m high. Palace las toweringover thelake, theimposing Surmounted bybalconies,towers andcupo- in royal employ. island’s onlyresidents, three gardeners still ers andneatcourtyards,alltended bythe filled withfragrantfrangipanitrees, flow- apart fromthis,there are gardenstowander, thehistoryofbuilding, detailing theisland; There’s asmall the lake tothecityanditsgoldenpalace. grey viewsacross bluestone,andfantastic PALACECITY &MUSEUMS (Map p245 largest) isRajasthan’s pal- museum here inthemain chhatri lonelyplanet.com carved from carved City you’ll come through the Baripol (Great the Baripol you’ll comethrough lonelyplanet.com ticket ishere office too,where guidescan silver distributed totheluckylocals.The hereweighed ingoldor andtheir weight timesmaharajasmemorate theseven were archesGate com- (1725).Totheleft,seven Gate; 1600)andthethree-arched Tripolia CENTRAL UDAIPUR Entering thepalacefromnorth,

SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION l e he us os. C2 Old &NewJheelGuestHouse.. Lake CornerSoniPayingGuest Panorama GuestHouse...... Nukkad GuestHouse...... Lehar PayingGuestHouse...... (see18) Lalghat GuestHouse...... Lake PalaceHotel...... Lake GhatGuestHouse...... House...... Kumbha Palace...... Kankarwa Haveli...... (see21) Jaiwana Haveli...... (see24) Jagat NiwasPalaceHotel...... Hotel UdaiNiwas...... (see18) Hotel RajPalace...... Hotel GangaurPalace...... Hotel BadiHaveli...... Hotel BabaPalace...... Fateh PrakashPalaceHotel...... Dream HeavenGuestHouse..... Amet Haveli...... Spice Box...... Queen Café...... (see31) Prem MusicalInstruments...... Naturopathy Hospital...... Lake PalaceHotel...... (see25) Krishna's MusicalInstruments.. Jagdish Temple...... Government Museum...... (see8) Crystal Gallery...... (see 16) City PalaceMuseum...... City PalaceJetty(BansiGhat).... City Palace...... Boat Rides...... (see7) Bagore-ki-Haveli...... Ayurvedic BodyShop...... (see30) Ashtang Yoga Ashram...... Ashoka Arts...... (see19) UTI ATM...... Thomas Cook...... (see6) Post Office...... (see 8) Mewar International...... iWay...... (see 17) BA PhotoNBookstore...... Brampol Rd Brampol SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Udaipur SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN Ambapol Pul 29 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 A2 C1 C2 B4 C2 C3 D3 C3 D4 C2 C2 D2 C4 B1 B2 C2 C2 D5 C2 C2 C3 C4 C4 C2 C1 C2 C2 D4 31 Ambapol

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SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN osre h grand the observe entrance. Mahal like anoversized near theZenana mousetrap, large -catching cage, which worked rather the centre of thissquare. Take note of the Chowk the views over the old city. Mahal Bhim Vilas of peacocks,thefavourite bird,while Rajasthani dynasty. sun –thesymbolof thesun-descended Mewar tiles. The and the The miniatures (nophotographyispermitted here). while Palace) there isexquisite glass-andmirrorwork, tiles andpaintings.Inthe areseum extravagantly decorated withmirrors, found hiscityhere. Here, theroomsof themu- where metthesage whotoldhimto Udai Singh Angan Rajya sword. two-pronged lethal sportingoldweapons,includingasection Downstairs fromtheentranceisanarmoury ing alarge, variedcollectionof artefacts. 50/30, camera/videoRs200; as the The mainpartof thepalaceisnowpreserved City Palace Museum 246 Palace thegalleryto ladies onceused More in beautifulpaintingscanbeseen The entrance to the museum leads up to the leadsuptothe The entrancetothemuseum venue, the contact ences orsocialgatherings. Ifyoufindyourselfinneedofjustsuchanimposingandexpansive (below). Gallery palace couldwatchinveiled seclusionwhatwashappeningbelow.Nowadays,it’stheCrystal The topfloorofthishigh-ceilingedhallissurroundedbyviewinggalleries,where ladiesofthe Fatehof Maharaja Singh.As itwasoriginally Hall. amarkofhonour toLordMinto, namedMinto be theoldestrulingdynastyinworld,spanning76generations. lot).The illustriousMewarrulerscomefromwhatisbelieved(a mostdistinguished-looking to ofMewar offormermaharajas chandeliers. portraits The wallsdisplayroyalweaponsandstriking undoubtedly oneofIndia’smostimpressive, vastandlavish,withsomeofthecountry’shugest used byIndia’srulersforofficialoccasions,suchasstate banquets, andtoholdmeetings. with arespectable amountofchandeliersandgilt overlay, thedurbarhallwasdressed toimpress, Usuallythegrandestroominplace,Many palacesinIndiahave adurbarhall(royalcourt). DURBAR GLITZ Zenana Mahal Zenana Moti Mahal OTENRJSHN • diu ••Udaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN The hallstillhasthecapacitytoholdhundreds ofpeopleandcaneven behired forconfer- theviceroyofIndia,duringreignThe foundationstonewaslaidin1909byLordMinto, The restored DurbarHallatthe Fateh Palace Prakash Hotel intheCityPalace complexis there’s afinecentralgardenwithgood Krishna Vilas Krishna ; there’s abeautifulwhite pavilion in City Palace Museum Chini Mahal Mor Chowk hasastrikingstripedfloor. Inthe Surya Chopar (Royal Courtyard), the very spot (RoyalCourtyard),thevery spot also has beautiful mirrorwork, alsohasbeautifulmirrorwork, hasaremarkable collectionof , which opensonto (Peacock Sq)holdsmosaics Durbar Hall iscovered inornamental Fateh Palace Prakash Hotel has a huge, ornamental hasahuge, ornamental h

Mp p4 autcid Rs adult/child p245; (Map 9.30am-4.30pm) Manak Mahal Mahal Manak (above ). , hous- Laxmi (Ruby (Ruby Bari Bari ( % Inside thecitypalacecomplex,there’s also area. this that itcostsRs25fornongueststoenter Jagmandir Palace. IslandandtheLake Note ( below fortripsoutto ), andtheboatwharves the (p256), Terrace ( Gallery Restaurant p255 View Gallery ), theCrystal Sunset the ( p253), Shiv NiwasandFateh PrakashPalace Hotels tered fromthesouth of Chowk,are Badi the chairs, sofas, beds.There’s andeven tables an dinary, extravagant collectionincludescrystal packed upinboxes for110years. The extraor- arrived, andalltheitemsforgotten stayed and England in1877.The maharaja diedbefore it Sajjan ordered Singh fromF&COsler &Coin & 3-8pm) Gallery In theFateh PrakashPalace Hotel, the Crystal Gallery fashions of the moustache. ing thepalace’srulers alongwiththechanging regal maharaja portraitsinprofile, document- monkeystuffed holdingalamp.There are also the Mewar school. Stranger exhibitsincludea collection of jewel-like miniature paintingsof Jagat andKumbalgarh.Italsohasasplendid 5th centuryonwards,includingpiecesfrom some wonderfulsculpture datingfromthe dating fromthe2ndto17thcenturies,and h a Gvrmn Museum Government government museum government Inside the separate palaceenclosure,Inside theseparate en- 2528019; www.hrhindia.com). 10am-4.30pm Sat-Thu)

Mp p4 autcid s 325/165; Rs adult/child p245; (Map houses rare houses thatMaharaja crystal . There are inscriptions

(Map (Map p245 ; admissionRs3; lonelyplanet.com h 10am-1pm Crystal a formerprimeministercare- andhasbeen edge intheGangaurGhatarea, wasbuiltby includes entrytothegrandDurbarHall ( oppo- daily.Admission also tea isserved a nicehigh (see fee intheGalleryRestaurant p255 ), where admission fee includesasoft drink,tea orcof- Theratherhefty tobebelieved. has tobeseen exquisite antiquejewel-studdedcarpetthat lonelyplanet.com (Pear Hill; Map p242 of), isastatue the FatehOverlooking Sagar,atop Moti Magri MOTI MAGRI the oldcitycostsRs 30 (one way). Park the eastbank.Inmiddleof thelake is drivestroyed thedam.Apleasant windsalong Maharaja Fateh after Singh heavy rainsde- Maharaja Jai butreconstructed Singh by of hills,itwasoriginallybuiltin1678by lovestruck locals.Overlooked byanumber is ringed byhillsandisapopularhangoutfor poor– which dries up ifthemonsoonhasbeen North of Pichola thislake Lake, (Map p242 ) – FATEH SAGAR dance performancesat7pm (see p256 ). forthefabulousRajasthani pheric setting rene. Theuppercourtyard makes anatmos- outofmonuments lovingly polysty- carved ofart, andaneclecticselection world-famous turban. The –theworld’sbiggestintriguingly enough others housingculturaldisplays,including– wasinhabited,during which and thehouse courtyards, somearranged toevoke theperiod fully restored. There are around 138roomsset admission Rs25; This gracious18th-century BAGORE-KI-HAVELI 11am hungry, between and noon. can donate tofeed money,which the isused temple’s steps are flanked byelephants.You in ashrinefrontof thetemple, andthe of theGaruda(man-bird vehicle of Vishnu) Lord of theUniverse; there’s abrassimage black stoneimage of KrishnaasJagannath, Maharaja Jagat in1651.Itenshrines a Singh ple Indo-Aryan carved this busy,fantastically Only 150mnorthof theCity Palace entrance, TEMPLE JAGDISH site ). Nophotography is permitted. art gallery,featuring contemporary andfolk

Mp p245; (Map , agardenisland.Anautorickshaw from h h haveli 5am-2pm &4-10.30pm) SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Udaipur SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN 10am-5.30pm) also houses aninteresting alsohouses , set onthewater’s , set haveli wasbuiltby

Mp p245; (Map Nehru tem- attendants who cameaspartof aprincess’s was laidoutfortheenjoymentof 48women garden 1710. Thissmall,quaintornamental visit isif you’re in townforthefestival here more Thebestreason sooutof to season. ofdeserted visitors andeven ona weekday towatch), itcanfeeltip ifyoustay though approach (you’llbeexpected to proffer a splendid groupsready toperformasyou be of quality).There thehighest are always not(crafts are theymight though onsale, tions bytraditionalperformers and artisans are though, theexcellentdemonstra- Best, Gujarat,Goa andMaharashtra.Rajasthan, huts withglittering mirrored interiors from ing. There are displaysof traditionalmud tryside, it’scontrived butremains interest- industy,rollingcoun- Gandhi in1989.Set Rs 10/50; Shilpgram A craftsvillage 3kmwestof Fateh Sagarlake, SHILPGRAM pool. lotus kiosks, marbleelephantsandadelightful may have themturnedon), topaysee (water shortagesfountains permitting;you dowry andhasbeautiful,well-maintained h ofHonour;Map oftheMaids (Garden p242 ; admissionRs5; In thenorthof thecity, SAHELIYON-KI-BARI one-hour performance at 6pm. out theday(dependingondemand),witha with children, through- are staged atintervals 30/50) puppets. Diverting point– struments, paintingsand–itshigh of dresses, turbans,dolls,masks, musicalin- of localfolkartsincludesadustycollection andpromotion dation forthepreservation Rs 20/35,camera/video10/50; small The interesting collectionexhibited bythis BHARTIYA LOKKALA MUSEUM 20/10/5/1. Rs entrycostsCar/rickshaw/motorcycle/bicycle Garden apleasant path tothetoppasses for more about thisnoble quadruped).The beloved Haldighati, (see horse,Chetak p258 whileridinghisquently defiedtheMughals Rajput heroMaharajaRajput whofre- Pratap, 9am-7pm) , agoodreason tovisitifyou’re travelling museum

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Mp p242; (Map p242 ; , wasinaugurated byRajiv puppet shows admission Rs25,camera/video % h 2529296; Indian/foreigner 9am-6pm) Saheliyon-ki-Bari Saheliyon-ki-Bari (Indian/foreigner Rs

h Japanese Rock andfoun- 7.30am-7pm) 247

. SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN (including waiting time). Autorickshaw returnset. tripscostRs150 the breathtaking views,particularlyatsun- Sanctuary. Themain reason tovisitisfor the hilltoenter theSajjan GarhWildlife 80/20 perperson/rickshaw atthefootof butneglect.You payRsnot much tosee the publicafter lengthyclosure, butthere’s lodge. Nowgovernment owned,it’sopento it becameamonsoonpalaceand hunting Originallyanastronomical centre,Singh. p242 ) wasconstructed byMaharaja Sajjan glected Map late-19th-century palace(Off like castle,this melancholy, afairy-tale ne- Perched range ontopof mountain adistant GARH(MONSOONPALACE)SAJJAN including waiting time. by autorickshaw shouldcostaroundRs80, days, make itworththetrip.Areturn trip sites, despite beingratherunkempt these Not manytouristsmake itouthere, butthe of Buddha. Photography isnotpermitted. there’s figure abeautiful10th-centurymetal andSome piecesdate backto1700BC, sculptures andotherarchaeological finds. including acollectionof earthenpottery, 5pm) and a of – anancientcity–theSisodias’capital to 1620.Nearbyyoucanvisittheremains Maharaja whoruledfrom1597 AmarSingh, isthatofand themoststrikingcenotaph 19 formermaharajas were cremated here, snowy domesbuiltover 350years. Around jas of Mewar, cityof formingaspectacular cenotaphs Map p242 ), are more than250restored About 2kmeastof Udaipur,at Ahar (Off AHAR Shilpgram costs Rs 100. 30-minute theoldcityand stop)between a return autorickshaw trip (includinga (admission Rs 100; food.Italsohasa and Chinese good veg andnonveg Indian,Continental open-airrestaurantsite, isapleasant serving h details. for (p243) centre attendance. Checkwiththetouristreception with hundreds uponhundreds of in artisans often spectacle, it’safantastic in December: 248 Some peoplewalkorcycleouttoShilpgram; Shilpi Restaurant 11.30am-10.30pm) housingsomeaccompanyingartefacts, OTENRJSHN • diu ••Udaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN museum (Off Map(Off p242 ) of themahara-

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(Off Map Map (Off p242 ; dishesRs50-112; p242 ; admission Rs5, . swimming pool h 10am-

torickshaw tothelake shouldcostRs100/200 there’s asmall the lake, soswimmers beware. Nearthelake picnic. Crocodilesapparently lurkinpartsof great placetoheadforsomerelaxation anda ka Talab from town,isthemammothartificiallake and a zoo. lawn, garden,pleasant Collection, hasarose (Map p242 ), neartheVintage &ClassicCar illuminated atnight. dle of Circle,northof Sukhadia thecity,is plays each evening. here permitting),whichfountain (drought toward theMonsoonPalace. There’s amusical over Pichola Jagmandir Lake, Islandandoff easy-to-reach spot,withdazzlingviews sunset 1961. in whisked ElizabethIItotheairport Queen convertible that1959, andtheCadillac a homelylittleMorrisMinorTraveller from 1934 Phantom in RollsRoyceused complete withpurdahsystem, thebeautiful splendid vehicles, includinga1938Cadillac garage intheformerstate aresion. Housed 22 h p242; (Map The maharajas’ OTHER ATTRACTIONS German-and-Indian-owned companythat German-and-Indian-owned ( touroperator asdoes safaris, villages. local hillsandwandering onfourlegsthrough (including lunch andwater) andtakes you excursion costsRs700/1300 A half-/full-day ners andexperiencedriders, around Udaipur. ommended ridingexcursions, for both begin- Kumbha Palace ( p252 ) arranges rec- highly HORSE RIDING ducts free courses in Ayurveda. 5pm) p242; (Map College&Hospital Ayurvedic MohanMalvai Madan AYURVEDA See p243 forinformationabout boatrides. one-way/return (witha one-hour wait). Activities % Almost 5kmbeyondShilpgram, 7.5kmwest The huge Sunset Point Pratap Country Inn( Pratap p252 ) also runshorse 9-11am &2-6pm) 09829042012; www.princesstrails.com) prescribes naturalmedicinesandcon- (Tiger Flanked Lake). byhills,it’sa % % 2431900; AmbamataTemple Rd; 2420979; Lake Palace2420979; Lake Rd;admissionRs100; fountain

Mp p4 amsin s 5) Rs admission p242; (Map Shiva andHanumantemple makes afascinatingdiver- Vintage & Classic Car Collection Collection &ClassicCar Vintage (Map p242 ) inthemid- Sajjan NiwasGardens lonelyplanet.com Princess Trails Princess , which isa isalovely, Octopussy, h . Anau- 10am- Badi

lonelyplanet.com experience –andit’s cheap too. be relaxing, aninvigorating butit’scertainly a roomof cleanliness.Itmay not uncertain in down vigorously by oneortwomasseurs may bethewrong word.You’llberubbed h PalaceBattiyanni Chotta&Lake Rd;30minmassageRs50; Naturopathy Hospital shampoos oils, moisturisers, and soaps. such as and hassomegoodproductsonsale, Rs 200; Ghat; head/full-bodymassageRs100/500,15minback The MASSAGE oughbred Marwari steeds. offers mostlymultidayexcursions onthor- You canalsoindulge inamassage atthe Hotels atthe itself. Forthesevenues, manager,HRHGroupof thesalesandmarketing youmust contact accommodate from30to500people. There withintheCityPalace are alsovariouscourtyards with itsfantasticcolonnadedterrace –here overlooking thelake there are venues thatcan formoreis perfect intimate gatherings. youcouldgoforevocative JagmandirIsland, Otherwise, PalacePrakash Hotel’s grandDurbarHall(seeGlitz, p246 ), whileitsSunsetView Terrace venues includethepoolside,lawnsandtopterrace. Forabigbash,there’s theFateh sible toarrangeyourevent atthebeautiful,opulentShivNiwasPalace Hotel (see p253 ), where tajhotels.com; PostBox 5, Udaipur313001,Rajasthan) contact thefoodandbeveragescontact manager atthe during thecoolermonthsbetweenNovember information, and March.Forpricesandfurther bearinmindthatthebestandmostpleasanttimetogetmarriedis least sixmonthsahead: clothes andontheconventions andetiquette surroundingsuchanevent. ceremony,a Hindu thehotel canadviseyouonwhere wedding tofindtraditionalRajasthani country ofresidence) tothehotel atleastamonthpriortoyourweddingdate. Ifyouoptfor by aChristianpriest,youmustsendCertificate ofNoImpediment(issuedbyachurchinyour Palace Hotel itself. ofwedding ceremonies are Mostkinds possible:ifyouintend tobemarried ofUdaipur.the maharaja the waters itself,there’s ofthelake theGangaurBoat,agracefuloldroyalbarge belonging to Lily Pond,whichstarred in sumptuous venues tochoosefromwithinthepalace:ifyou’re abitofBondfiend,thenthe jas, buttodayisaccessibletoanyonewhocanaffordtheratherheftyprices. There are several huge, elaborate wasoncetheexclusive weddingcake, summerresidence ofUdaipur’smahara- theplungeinthisdreamytake destination. become afavourite weddingvenue forforeigners –manyhave travelled thousandsofmilesto much better thanUdaipur,withits palaces already dressed inwhite fortheday.The cityhas Getting married?Ifyouwanttoplaytheultimate gameofprinceandprincess,youcouldn’tdo THE ULTIMATE SLICEOFWEDDINGCAKE ing before making achoice.ing before making more detailsonthewebsite. visitingallthevenues you’re Ifatallpossible,it’sworth consider- 8am-2pm Mon-Sat,8-11amSun) Ayurvedic BodyShop Ayurvedic The Palace Lake isn’ttheonlylocationoffering weddingstointrepid travellers. It’salsopos- Whatever yourweddingpreferences, you’re forthebigdayat reservations advisedtomake ofweddings,canbemadebystaffattheLake Arrangements forthese,andseveral othersorts Plump inthemiddleofPichola thegorgeous Lake, Palace Lake Hotel, itselfresembling a h 10.30am-9pm) SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Udaipur SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN City Palace offers Ayurvedic massages massages offers Ayurvedic

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, though ‘indulge’, though ( Octopussy, % % % 1600-332933; www.hrhindia.com; Udaipur313001,Rajasthan) 1600-332933; www.hrhindia.com; 5120802; 39Lal 2422700; cnr mayappealtoyou.Forthosewantinggethitchedon . Lake Palace Hotel .co.in; 38 LalGhat) Spice Box COOKING Ayurveda. See opposite for information oncourses in Courses travellers. fellow outrecommendationshotel orseek from soenquire toguesthouses, attached atyour edgeable guideforyou;others are loosely Sisarma) .mountainridge.in; scenery. Piers at and triballife insomebeautiful whiletaking rural villages waytosee onfootisafantastic thesurroundingcountrysideand Exploring TREKKING

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( % Mountain Ridge Mountain Ridge % 2528800; lakepalace.udaipur@ canorganise aknowl- 5100742; spicebox2001@yahoo ( % . Checkout 3291478; www

249 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN sizzle away the afternoon. fragrantwaytochopand isafantastic, compassing agrand14dishes –costsRs900 four-hour introductorycookinglesson–en- fers recommended lessons. painting lessons (Rs150fortwotothree ates inUdaipurwith avengeance, soifyou’re bargaining. worth pricesplummet–so it’swell the lowseason, will bemoreprisingly, these expensive. In ask foralake-facing notsur- room,though, betterhas even views.Alwaysmake sure to Ghat ontheothersideof thelake, which often the quieter andless-tourist-filled Hanuman ofoffering masses choice. optfor Otherwise, lake, theLal Ghat area iscrowdedwithplaces Jagdish Temple totheshores andclose of the the mostromanticUdaipuroption.Westof tothelakeshore close Staying isundoubtedly Sleeping information. more for (p243) centre thetouristreceptionKumbalgarh. Contact mission chargesinclveglunchRs330) Theresights. are also Hotel Kajri (Map p242 ) andtake inthemain 90, minimum5people) Five-hour Tours go tothelocalAnimal Aid hospital). ence, andpaymentisbydonation(proceeds around 8am.Theteacher has20years’ experi- yoga centre morningat every withyogaclasses House) YogaAshram Ashtang YOGA hours, including materials). Arts Ashoka PAINTING Instruments Musical range performances.Krishnaat and repairs instrumentsandcanar- those flute lessons(Rs100perhour).He alsosells % at Bablu MUSIC and theneat the results. ofin which youlearntocookaselection dishes cooking lessons(Rs400to500forfourhours), 250 The hotel roomcommission racket oper- Queen Café 2430599; 28 Gadia 2430599; 28Gadia Devra) OTENRJSHN • diu ••Udaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ,

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Mp p245; (Map alsoof- Krishna’s Krishna’s runs A hotmail.com; 33LalGhat;dmRs75,s/d250-350,swithout an accommodation search, asktobede- an accommodationsearch, bathroom Rs125,dwithout150-200; Lalghat GuestHouse Lal GhatArea offered. services centre alltheplacesand hasalistdetailing Thetouristreceptionto Rs300pernight. topayRs100 Expect Scheme in Rajasthan. Udaipur pioneered thePaying GuestHouse drivers. rickshaw what todoifyouhave troublewithhotels or Dangers &Annoyances( p243 ) forinfoon toJagdish stand shouldcostaboutRs30.See looking.Anautorickshaw fromthebus start posited atJagdish Temple, agoodplaceto the receipt attheendof your journey. they don’tget reimbursed untilyouhandover you tothehotel of theirchoice, butremember: Some unscrupulousdrivers willstilltrytotake outsidethetrainandbusstations. shaw stands prepaid autorick- thepolice-supervised use rapacious rickshaw drivers altogether, tryto his kindalternative offer. Toattempt tobypass firmlydecline burnt downorsuddenlyclosed, who insiststhatthehotel of yourchoice has togetunlucky enough anautorickshawdriver you need helpwith whereyou need togo fromhere, expensive. Incase Thehotwater isabit iffy. are fine. Roomswithalake vieware themost rooms are simpleandshare abathroom,but andprivate bathrooms;the cheaperseats basic,withwall paintings, window though yard. Thepricierroomsare atmospheric elaborate, faded GhatRd;rRs100-400) Gangaur self-caterers. for and mosquitonets,there’s asmallkitchen a lotmore character. Alltheroomshave fans the olderpartof thebuildinggenerally have windows andthickwalls(Rs350).Roomsin to theirtoprange room,which sportsarched beds) to-end dormbeds(withcurtained-off Accommodation ranges fromspruce,end- there’s abackterrace overlooking theghats. views andare aserene placetosunbathe,and choice. Therooftop areas have superblake a littlewornaroundtheedges, it’sstillasound first looking toopeninUdaipur,and,though bythelakemellow guesthouse wasoneof the BUDGET BUDGET Hotel Gangaur Palace Gangaur Hotel GhattobeginIf you’re headingforLal Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels haveli

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Mp p245; (Map Thiswhitewashed, % 2525301; lalghat@ % i 2422303; This ) r fromRs150-250) Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels bargain. Staff arebargain. niceand helpful,andthere’s Staff wall hangings–the cheapest roomsare areal painted white anddecorated withpuppetsand than theirpricerange wouldsuggest. They’re spotless roomsthat feel much more luxurious GanguarGhat,UdaiNiwashasexcellent, off newhotel occupyinganarrow space A bright GhatRd;rRs200-1000; .hoteludainiwas.com; Gangaur siderably more comfythan the others. room hasitsownlittlecourtyardand iscon- paintings andcoloured glass.Thevery best ally thecostlierones)are decorated withwall rooms inanoldbuilding,someof which (usu- matriarch, thisplacehasfive squeaky-clean GhatRd;dRs150-700) Gangaur Temple. Jagdish fromFollow thesignsforguesthouse cooked foodonoffer and anicerooftop. There’sfriendly familyhouse. terrific home- bathroom–inanextremelywith attached renting oneof 10simplerooms– some great viewfrom the rooftop. the homecookingisexcellent,andthere’s a little shabby.MrSonioffers Hindilessons, phere, theroomsthemselves are though a couple andisimbuedwithafamilyatmos- centred It’srunbyalovely guesthouse. elderly the CityPalace isthissimplecourtyard- bathroom fromRs100/140) % to 5pm,whocharges Rs50 to 100. there’s apalm reader workinghere from2pm Hotel UdaiNiwas Hotel Lehar Paying GuestHouse Nukkad GuestHouse Nukkad CornerSoniPaying GuestHouse Lake .swaraj.org/shikshantar) autorickshaws todohisbittowardsacleanerfuture fortheenvironmentallyhard-pressed city. himselfhasbeeninvestingon lotsofhotel inhigh-tech rooftops,andthemaharaja solar-powered future travellers. eco-conscious oftheircitybutalsotoattract You’llprobablynoticesolarpanels Slowly, Udaipurguesthouseproprietorsare realising thatitpaysto be green, notonlyforthe KEEPING UDAIPURGREEN your bath towels every day’ mantra of top-end hotelsyour bathtowelsevery issure day’mantraoftop-end tohelpalittlebit. autorickshawswhenandwhere instead youcan;andeven oftaking walking theold‘don’tchange up numerousplasticbagsenroute. Lookoutforrecycling pointsforplasticsyoudouse;consider refill mineralwater bottles;alsotrytocarryabagwithyouforyourshopping,ratherthanpicking minimum theamountofplasticyouconsume. Somehotels, forexample,offer filtered water to management. Checkouttheirwebsite forcurrent ratings. ‘green leaf’ratingforhotels, basedon14different criteria, includingenergy usageandwaste 2525712; 27NavghatRd;s/dfromRs140/180,without Much ofthenewgreen movement hasbeeninstigated by In order to do your bit towards keeping UdaipurthetreasureIn ordertodoyourbittowardskeeping itistoday,considercuttingtoa Staying attheNukkadmeans Staying

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) [email protected]; 39LalGhat;rRs400-1050; all are glass.Therooms decorated withstained rooms have views,others have balconies, and Lal Ghat;dRs600-800) elegant asa eyebrow. raised with lake views.The‘007’roomhasarches as some decorated withmirrorworkandsome beds, theroomsare plain,fresh andlarge, positive reports fromreaders. Boastingbig style, Poonamhas16rooms,allof which get fairly modernplacedecked outintraditional pick. your a varietyof roomsonoffer before youtake glass andalcoves, andsomehave views.See are furnishedwithwallpaintings,coloured offers clean, basicrooms;thecostlierones Haveliing aroundaleafycourtyard,theBadi Ghat Rd;rRs300-550) readers. from three get sides.BoththeJheels goodreviews lake. Room201isthebest,withwindowson breezy roomsandabrilliantpositionover the lake-facing has windows.NearbyNewJheel rooms toonewithasmallbalconyandthree and accommodationranges frombasicback isinanold GuestHouse Old Jheel are and NewJheel downbytheghat. right % choice. good encouraged, butforviewsalonethisisavery we’re unsure shouldbe ifbuildingso high rooftophotel claimsthehighest inUdaipur – a goodtravel agency andinternet café.The Lake GhatGuestHouse Lake Poonam Haveli Old &NewJheelGuestHouse Hotel BadiHaveli Hotel 2421352; 56 ;dRs250-800) 2421352; 56Gangaur Shikshantar Inanoldwhitewashed build-

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SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN lent placeisrunbyaDutch–Indian couple. Rs 500/600) [email protected]; HanumanGhat;rRs80-150) [email protected]; accommodation at theranch costs Rs 2200. much longer including trips.A24-hour safari countryside 7km from Udaipur,orarrange inbeautiful set cottages atKrishnaRanch, overnightcan alsostay inthehotel’s rural arefrom thebusortrainstations onoffer. You excursionshorse-riding ( p248 ). Free pick-ups Theowners recommendedtaurant. runhighly backed byalush lawn, andavery goodres- rooms (somewithbathroom,some without), Temple, KumbhaPalace hasninesimple Quietly tucked away,notfarfromJagdish r Rs100-400,ranchcottagesd1000-1200) Kumbha Palace Other Areas on apile of cushions. recommended –theperfect placetochill out Udaipur atitsbest,isfresh, andhighly tasty 20 to50),which overlooks thelake andshows rooftop restaurant (veg andnonveg dishesRs some have asplendidbalcony.Thefoodatthe to comeahalt.Someroomshave viewsand hangings andpaintings,thisisapopularplace ful of spick-and-spanroomsfeaturing wall popular.choice anddeservedly Withahand- 22 BhimPermashever Rd;rRs180-520) cooking lessonsare offered here (see p249 ). dishes Rs15to35)isexcellent,andfantastic Thehomecooking(vegpheric familyhouse. and unadornedroomsinahomyatmos- quiet hasjusttwocomfortable, family, Queen Bajrang Rd;rwithoutbathroomRs170-220) and there’s a relaxing rooftop. ings andeitheraprivate bathroomoraview, square. Thespotless roomshave wallpaint- overlookingand quietlyset, asmalllocal Another goodchoice that’ssmart,wellkept place to stay. ful of excellentchoices, isamore peaceful Hanuman Ghat,withitslocalvibeandhand- Directly Ghat, acrossthewater fromLal Hanuman GhatArea around Rs 60). on theroof, andagoodrestaurant (veg dishes ing plants;there are splendidviewsfromup are aroundasmallatriumfilledwithhang- set 252 Dream Heaven GuestHouse Heaven Dream &GuestHouse Queen Café Panorama GuestHouse Pratap CountryInn OTENRJSHN • diu ••Udaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN about7km southeastof Udaipur, Mp p245; (Map

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Rs 700-2500; wooden furniture andcushioned window are charming withcarved andevocative, good reports. Intwoconverted this wonderfulhotel consistently receives deluxe rRs1895,steRs4999; [email protected]; 23-25LalGhat;rwithACRs1350, tion eye-to-eyewith Jagdish Temple. they dohave great views)andanunusualloca- kling ifnotespeciallyexcitingrooms(though 1400-2600; babapalace.com; sRs750,d1200-1400,deluxe rwithACRs views from the rooftop. tinted windows,buttherethe slightly are vast ones) are madealittlebitfrustratingdueto Views fromtherooms(especiallycorner rooms decorated withblock-printed fabrics. rather impersonal placehasunfussy,well-kept r Rs700-2000; Jaiwana Haveli Lal GhatArea MIDRANGE arrangement. prior withtransport fromthetrainorbusstation, arranged fromhere. Thehotel offers free good-value thatcanbe horse-riding safaris tion oritsvery rooms,butthe standard pointisnotsomuch itsquietloca- selling country retreat atTitaradi Village. Itsbest shabby,secludedthis isaserene, though 19th-century palace in scenic gardens, Rang 19th-century palaceinscenic gardens,Rang Rs 1000-2300,s/dste2700/3300; Palace www.rangniwaspalace.com; Lake Rd;sRs770-1800,d nonguests). for a step-well, andthere’s agreat pool(Rs150 Mahendra Prakash.Therestaurant overlooks are thenameoffriendly staff thegame at furnished rooms,acheery atmosphere and Hotel Prakash Mahendra Lake Palace RoadArea there are home-cooked meals on request. pricier roomsoverlook Pichola and Lake, isn’talwaysspoton.The ity, buttheservice Whitewashed roomsgive asublimesimplic- nexttoJagat right set NiwasPalace Hotel. r Rs1450-2200) (p254). restaurant recommendedhotel alsohas ahighly rooftop splashoutononewithalake view.The seats; Rang Niwas Palace Hotel Rang Haveli Kankarwa BabaPalace Hotel Jagat NiwasPalace Hotel Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels ai as a Thisoption,inanold

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) SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN view intoJagdish Temple. TheWestern and with for tasty, fillingbreakfasts,for tasty, orforniceIndian of thisistheplacetocome afamilyhouse, Rd; dishesRs40-100; European thatattractstravellers indroves netism toEdelweiss, andsomethingrather ais hotels.com; dfromUS$475,stewithpoolUS$2200; Udaivilas’ sea-of-butter sculptured domesUdaivilas’ sea-of-butter anything special,butthecafé isworthvisiting options onthemenuaren’tChinese really perfectly turned scrambled eggs. tion foraspotof people-watching over those friendly family,italsomakes aterrific loca- dishes atothertimesof theday.Runbya dishes Rs30-90; (above ). Garden Savage ownersother savoury snacks.Thesame run specialmention)alongwith rolls alldeserve squidgy chocolate cake andstickycinnamon drink real coffee andeatcakes (theapplepie, chairsery. Youcansitinthecomfortable to open-frontedto thisbright, cubbyholebak- 80; Edelweiss Café LAL GHAT AREA partly filmed in Udaipur. Octopussy 7pm screenings of contemporary movies or the ultimate infinediningat top-end hotels. many withmesmerisinglake views,aswell as Udaipur hasscores of rooftop sun-kissed cafés, Eating two excellentrestaurants (see opposite ). equipped withprivate pools.Thehotel houses the glitzorgoldleaf,andsuites come even spareIt’s aluxuryboutiquehotel thatdoesn’t are arecent additiontotheUdaipurskyline. every sybaritic whim. will cater toyour pricey) andtheglidingstaff (ifinevitably thefoodisoutstanding fantasies, expect,areyou might theultimate Rajasthan of it,andtheydoitimpeccably.Rooms,as at reception): younameit,they’ve thought the trekking, thekite flying(kites are available pretty Garh.Thepool,thespa, much gotDevi a gorgeous 18th-centurypalace,andyou’ve 21st-century luxury,allparcelledupwithin 254 Many budget restaurants have nightly Udaivilas Sunrise Mayur Rooftop Café Rooftop Mayur h de rigueur OTENRJSHN • diu ••Udaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN 7.30am-7.30pm)

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(Map (Map p245 ; 155JagdishTemple angaur GhatRd;snacksRs20- % Set up high ontop uphigh Set 2433300; www.oberoi Open-airMayur place foralong,languidlunch. Unusuallyfor hasasuperblocation,andisgreattaurant h dishes comesinatjustbelowtheRs 50 mark. recommendedhighly –andeach of these coconut. Thechocolate too,come desserts, delicious varietiesincorporatingpumpkinand from,includingsome grant curriestochoose by itslovely owners, there are plentyof fra- With deliciousvegetarian cuisinecooked up day. fabulous lunch stoponabusysightseeing offers great cookinglessons( p249 ), makes a h Queen Café HANUMAN GHAT AREA and indulgent desserts. from whichtable, toenjoythelive music sitar worthwhile bookinginadvanceforagood recommended byquite afew travellers. It’s the fishdishesare fresh, wellcooked andcome dinner: is agoodbetforromanticevening thisrooftop restaurantpadded windowseats, With great viewsover thelake fromitswell- 23-25 LalGhat;mainsaroundRs120 of to headifyou’re of inneed agooddose ian thalis(Rs55).Thisisoneof theplaces for thelocationanditsgood-value vegetar- who arrive tochow down onitshuge portions locals, the brimfortwodecades withdevout filled to eat Gujaratithalis, thisplacehasbeen townforitsdeliciousall-you-can- throughout thalis fromRs50; o OTHER AREAS April. and October fromaround8pmbetween evening dishes onoffer.tandoori Musicians play every recommendedHighly are anyof theseveral pool andisespeciallyromanticintheevening. ioned alcoves aroundtheedge of therooftop of name( thesame p253 andcush- ) has tables ous terrace upinthehotel restaurant high set dishes – extremely tasty. North Indianfood–especiallythetandoori ground. Theambienceisbrilliant,andthe chairspark, withitswrought-iron anddusty Ghat andtheCityPalace. Itfeels like aFrench looking directly Palace, acrossattheLake Lal restaurants inUdaipur,itsitsatwater level, Ambrai Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel Jagat NiwasPalace Hotel di Kothi Udai Octopussy 8am-10pm) 12.30-3pm &7.30-10.30pm) Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels Natraj Lodge

(Map (Map p245 ; HanumanGhat;dishesRs90-170; Mp p245; (Map (Map (Map p245 ; dishesRs100-270) This guesthouse-café, which also This guesthouse-café, . h 10am-3pm &6.30-11pm)

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Mp p245; (Map h Theglori- % 9am-10pm) Famous 2420133; captivating in the evening, this formal restaurant thisformalrestaurant captivating intheevening, lonelyplanet.com the main reason to come here. the romanticambience, ratherthanthefood,is an extensive ortheregular buffet menu,though Youcantake yourpickfrom performed nightly. courtyard bythepool. Indianclassicalmusicis open-air butit’sbest outinthepleasant seating, in Shiv NiwasPalace Hotel ( p253 ) hasindoor Rs 400; Udaipur’s seeing sights. fairy-tale there’s agreat after barforacoldbeer aday are quickandcourteous,courtyard. Staff and flowers inalcoves andtables orinapleasant peacock-blue walls,andlaidoutwithbowlsof asitisina250-year-oldset It’sunusuallyatmospheric,spiced sauces. andpennetoppedwithIndian- spaghetti dishes,which featureunusual fusionpasta winning lineinsoups,nicefresh and salads, views frombackpackers, particularlyforits Savage Gardencontinuestoreceive rave re- streets (butwellsignposted) nearChandpol, 100-170; over and theChinese dishes. Italian for dinner,theIndianmenuisrecommended are fullthen andtheatmosphere isatitsbest; ter placefor dinnerthanforlunch, astables tablecloths It’sabet- andaburblingfish tank. burgers), isenhancedbywhitetasty Berry’s international optionsonthemenu(including rant withanimpressive brass doorandlotsof h it’s definitely worth the hunt. bet istocorneralocalandaskfordirections: to find,tucked awayinabackstreet. Your best only drawbackisthattheplaceratherhard vegetable dishes,allforadecentRs50.The dhal, roti,picklesandatleastfive different ofple, includesawhoppingselection rice, of cheap, fresh food.Theveg thali,forexam- Hotel Shiv NiwasPalace Hotel Savage Garden Berry’s Jagat NiwasPalace Hotel other’s company.Here are five ofthebest. slew ofplacesfittopopthequestionorsimplyindulgeinfood,viewsand,course,each yourbelovedIf you’re taking outforacandlelighttreat orlavishlunch,Udaipurhasawhole UDAIPUR’S TOPFIVEROMANTIC EATS Udai Mahal Savage Garden Udai Kothi Ambrai 9am-11pm) h h 6.30-10.30am, 12.30-2.30pm&7.30-10.30pm) (Map (Map p242 ; ChetakCircle;dishesRs50-270; ( opposite views. gardenwithwonderful ) Water-level 11am-10pm) Acalmandfairlyrefined restau- ( opposite terracewithpoolsideseating. ) Glamorousrooftop ( below ) SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••Udaipur SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN (Map (Map p245 ; 22InsideChandpol;dishesRs

( below fusiondishes. ) Lashingsofflair,deep-bluewalls,alcovesandunusualIndo-Western Tucked awayintheback- Haute cuisine Mp p245; (Map ( p253 livemusicanddeliciousfood. viewsofthelake, ) Rooftop insurroundingsofbygoneopulence. haveli dishes around dishes around with Most Most this isUdaipur’smostfamousdiningexperi- cream teas in town;theyinclude sandwiches meals: thereason tocomehere isforthebest the terrace inthesunshine. Ignore themain You caneatwithin DurbarHall orouton itself rant hasbeguiling viewsacrossPichola Lake. Palace Hotel ( p253 ), thiselegantlittlerestau- sure (admissionRs25),attheFateh Prakash % if you’re diningatnight in winter. sure towearsomething warmhere,Be though, anything. youneed less phonetobeleftincase waiter hanging around,youcanrequest acord- (maximum fourpeople).Ifyoudon’twanta holds lunch ordinnerforUS$75perperson tiny floatingpontoononPichola which Lake, something especiallyunusual,enquire aboutthe the CityJetty) –anddress issmartcasual.For canbetaken atthedeskon dine (reservations are –atleastadaybefore essential youwish to course dinnercomesinatRs3000.Reservations 2000 (includingboatcrossing),whileathree- Rs lunchThe sumptuousbuffet costsaweighty lers feeling thatit’soverpriced and overhyped. ence, butonethathasleftafew toomanytravel- 10.30pm) best, bothinlocation and cuisine. rything atUdaivilas,thisisopulenceits andNorthIndianfood.LikeRajasthani eve- treat,a candlelight specialisinginrefined h eaten onagondolainthemiddleof a lake. can alsoarrange apicnicbasket lunch, tobe for apicnicwithdifference, therestaurant high-ceilinged opulence. Ifyou’re inthemood fusioncuisinein andloosely Thai, Continental ( p253 delicious ) a1930s-styleplaceserving worth headingtoUdaivilas’SuryaMahal, h Gallery Restaurant Restaurant Gallery Palace Hotel Lake Udai Mahal Surya Mahal 2528019; 7-10pm) noon-10pm) Inthehotel of name ( thesame p253 ), UdaiMahal, alsoinUdaivilas,is h For abigromanticsplash,it’s

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255 7.30- SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN particularly miniature paintings inthe set –it’sperfectset gin-and-tonicterritory. The miniatures are painted oncloth, marble, Rd andcluster aroundJagdish Temple. The Palace style:shops lineLake Rajput–Mughal jewellery. antique of thingsfromclothlanterns toexquisite ofwith masses jumbles littleshops selling Udaipur offers gloriousshopping potential, Shopping (open all day). 60. Checkoutscreening timesatthebox office hit. Tickets forperformances costaboutRs you feel like inthelatest Bollywood taking one of anumberof cinemasinUdaipur,if ickshaw fromJagdish Temple costs Rs 30. to SaturdayfromAugustApril.Anautor- performances take placehere at7pmMonday folkdanceandmusic one-hour Rajasthani 11, AhmedabadRd;admissionRs60) than most dervishes. by talented performers whocanwhirlbetter Mewari, Bhil dances, andwestern Rajasthani dances,includingtraditionalRajasthani Bagore-ki- Haveli are staged mesmerising on this:againstthewonderfulbackdropof camera/video Rs10/50; Dharohar Entertainment performed night. every 7.30pm tonab forthelive atable musicthat’s todrinks,andget herestick closely justbefore food isoverpriced andnothingspecial,so Pichola thisis Lake, Rs 25; a top-end joint. you’dexpectofand theinflated drinkstariffs plush poolsidebarequippedwithsoft sofas Niwas Palace Hotel ( p253 ), thisisarelaxingly not allallownonguestsduringtheevening. places have predictably plushoptions,though upcoldKingfishers, whilethetop-end serving have mostguesthouses aroof terraceUdaipur: There are plentyof in goodplacesforabeer Drinking bination of scones,jam and cream. com- and biscuits,aswelltheall-important 256 Sunset View TerraceSunset View Paanera Bar The townisknown foritslocalcrafts, Cheetak Cinema Meera Kala Mandir Kala Meera OTENRJSHN • diu ••Udaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN h

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Mp p4 Ct Plc; admission Palace; City p245; (Map Mp p242; (Map h the 7pm) placetobeatsun- 11am-11pm) Don’tmiss out Rather touristy Rather % 2583176; Sector 2583176; Sector At theShiv Thisis the main post office, close to Chetak Circle, toChetak the mainpostoffice,close dvlpet work. development andtowardscommunity go totheartisans as clothes,cushioncovers andbags;profits tive andindividualfixed-price textiles such attrac- help ruralwomen.Thesmallshopsells Mandir, upin1969to anNGOset for Seva Ki; Baudi, Kasaron colouredbrightly spices. loose zaar, isthecentre of foranaromaticassault Colourful Mandi Market, asprawlingba- at Mochiwada, andmore silver atBattiyanni. are andfabrics.Traditionalshoes saris sold silver sells andgold,aswell Bazaar Bara spread outfromtheclocktower(Map p245 ). 50% of theopening asking price. price: asageneral rule,aimtopayaround probably quote youaninitiallyridiculous tobargainhowever, hard,asmostplaceswill prepared,perfect presents. Be forportable paintedful, brightly woodenHindugods, Palacealong Lake small,beauti- Rdalsosell papier-mâché are otherpopularbuys.Shops fabrics, marbleitems, woodenfigures and nable. Silver jewellery,carpets,block-printed (from Jaipur) designimagi- inevery forsale, and cloth-bound booksof handmadepaper to buythem.There are alsomanyleather- is knownasoneof thebestplacesinstate leaves,wood, paperandeven andUdaipur season; it’susuallycheapest to season; book online. ings wellinadvance duringthebusytourist flying within Rajasthan. prices. See p376 formore informationon kingfisher.com) and Business Centre, Madhuban) p242 ; (Map and Mumbai(US$138;daily). Jaipurweek), (US$90; dailyexceptSunday) that goto Jodhpur (US$75;three timesper (US$115). Theairlinealsohasdirect flights 1pm &2-5pmMon-Sat,10am-2pmSun) % There are daily AIR Getting There&Away dropping intotogauge handicraft prices. fixed-price government emporiumisworth Mon-Sat); It’s strongly advisable tomake book- It’s stronglyadvisable flight Rajasthali Sadhna Interesting andlesstourist-focused bazaars 2410999; www.indian-airlines.org; Delhi Gate; 2410999; www.indian-airlines.org; DelhiGate; Kingfisher Jagdish Temple

% (Map (Map p245 ; www.sevamandir.org; Kee Mangi

have forsimilar similarflights Chetak Circle 2561105; www.jetairways.com; BlueCircle2561105; www.jetairways.com; h

( % 10am-7pm) (Map (Map p245 ; Indian Airlines toll free 18001800101;www.fly (Map (Map p242 ; , which islocated near Thisistheoutlet h lonelyplanet.com flights toDelhi flights 10am-6.30pm) h

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If you use these buses, take anexpress buses, as these If youuse centres, aswelltoDelhiandAhmedabad. travelbuses fromUdaipurtootherregional Corporation Frequent BUS lonelyplanet.com at 6.10am.ThedailyNo2966 ing thenextmorningatNizamuddinstation departs UdaipurforDelhiat6.35pm,arriv- (Rs 210/591/853/1509sl/3AC/2AC/1AC/) The dailyNo2964 TRAIN p380. see driver, and tipsonhiringataxi one way.Foruseful you return fares ifyou’re even onlygoing petitive rate. willcharge Rememberthattaxis point)forthemostcom- is agoodstarting and Jodhpur,butshoparound(Rs5perkm rates toplacessuch asMtAbu, Chittorgarh Many drivers willshowyoualistof ‘official’ TAXI in ordinary/sleeper, six hours). ordinary, five hours) andJodhpur(Rs100/150 14hours),dinary/sleeper, MtAbu (Rs100in 16hours),sleeper, Delhi(Rs200/350inor- hours), Mumbai(Rs400/600inordinary/ 150/200/150 inordinary/AC/sleeper, six no deluxe, buses. one priceisgiven, there are onlyexpress, and arebuses listed below.Where inthetable only byexpress anddeluxe Destinations served tobookahead. express butyou’llneed buses, travellong-distance deluxe it’sbesttouse or rattlingandovercrowded.uncomfortable, For towns offthemainroute, andcanbevery time, makinginnumerabledetours tovarious take anincrediblythe ordinarybuses long Private buses operatePrivate toAhmedabad(Rs buses tAu 15 6 8 8 9 3/2½ 8 105 170 135/150 191/231 70/68 131/180 duration(hr) Approximate Mt Abu Kota Jodhpur Rs) Fare (express/deluxe, Jaipur Delhi 300/470 14 Chittorgarh 7 6 Bundi 155 Ajmer Ahmedabad 150 Agra 121/170 6 Destination BUSES FROMUDAIPUR

Rajasthan State Road Transport RoadTransport State Rajasthan (RSRTC; SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN •• North ofUdaipur ••North SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN Nizamuddin MewarExpress % 2484191; www.rsrtc.gov.in) Udaipur City

9pm) pr day. per cles/mopeds/motorcycles forRs30/150/350 has afascinatingancienttemple complex 22km andashort busridenorthof Udaipur– The interesting village of Eklingji –only Eklingji &Nagda NORTH OFUDAIPUR Heera CycleStore for exploringthesurroundingcountryside. 30 perday.Motorbikes, meanwhile,are great can arrange bikes torent, costingaroundRs to buzzaroundisbybike; manyguesthouses A cheap friendlyway andenvironmentally BICYCLE &MOTORCYCLE really want to go. vigilant thatyou’re beingtaken towhere you the hotel commissionmalarkey, sobeextra autorickshaw foradayof local sightseeing. ItcostsRs200tohireand trainstations. an are prepaid atthebus autorickshaw stands anywhere intownisaroundRs 30 to35.There a fare before fare off –thestandard setting areThese unmetered, soyoushould agree on AUTORICKSHAW cost atleastRs250;there’s noairport bus. The airportis25kmeastof will town.Ataxi TO/FROM THEAIRPORT Getting Around enquiries number is running inthenearfuture; tocheck, thetrain maybe 2.15am alongtheway.More services ataninconvenientat 7.10am,stoppingKota arrives atJaipur (Rs142/399/576sl/3AC/2AC) Jaipur Express Udaipur’s autorickshaw drivers are keen on , near Hotel Badi Haveli,, nearHotel Badi hires out bicy- leaves Udaipurat9.35pmand

Mp p245; (Map % 2527390. % 2523525; h 7.30am-

257 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN also some smalltemples submerged inthe rental shouldcostaroundRs30. There are There’s abike-hire shopinthevillage; aday’s temples byhiringabicycle in Eklingji. these a numberof eroticfigures. Youcanreach including ing somefine,intricate carvings, law’) datingfromthe9thcenturyand featur- name meaning‘mother-in-law–daughter-in- 500m awayare apairof marble idolof a15th-centuryblack- andcontains Mughals, very fine,despite damage atthehandsof the 11th-century at Nagda,are some10th-centurytemples. The Photography is not permitted. around Rs50to100engage theirservices. are available atthetemple; bankonpaying to thetemple Guides onMondayevening. haraja of paysaprivate visit Udaipurhimself asitcangetdevotees), very crowded;thema- the temple onMonday(anauspiciousdayfor you arrive atthewrongtimeof day.Avoid haveso youmight towaitanhourortwoif that openinghours change quite regularly, Shiva image of blackmarble. Note, though, pyramidal roof andfeatures afour-faced has anelaborately pillared hallunderalarge andmarble,thewalledcomplex sandstone rule of Maharaja Constructed from Raimal. present formdates fromthe15th-century its was originallybuiltinAD734,although 1.30pm &5-7.30pm) The attracting lotsof pilgrimsbutfew tourists. 258 Several kilometres furtheronfrom Eklingji, Several and thejourney,astheysay,isdestination. small villagesandtemples butit’sanadventure youhitonthewaymaynotbespectacular, – to continues onthrougharemote hillpass;seekoutlocalhelpalongthisroadtogetdirections Ubeshwarji p253 ), thenheadonwardstowardsthetinyvillageofDhar,fromwhichroadleadsto towards thevillageofSisarma(where guesthouseisbased;see theexcellentMountainRidge Dam to MadarVillage, fromwhichthere are twotracks,leadingto driver who’llbeabletostopatalltherightplaces. leisure. Ifyou’re trytofindawillingandknowledgeableautorickshaw onmotorbikes, notkeen temples. The bestwaytotravel sinceyoucanexplore thisisbymotorbike, like completely atyour sion torambleoutintotheruralareas, stoppingalongthewayatsmallvillagesandlittle-visited landscape –thatopenuptoimpressive viewsacrossthecountryside. afantasticexcur- Itmakes acrossanexpansiveAround Udaipurliehuge,ruggedhills–cutthroughbynarrowroadssnaking EXPLORING AROUNDUDAIPUR Shiva temple OTENRJSHN • ot fUapr ofUdaipur ••North SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Heading north, youcouldspendadayvisiting Heading north, Kailashwarji , eachwithsplendidviewsacrosstheexpanseofwater. Venturing westoutofUdaipur,head , arevered manypilgrims. Shivashrinethatattracts Leaving Ubeshwarji,theroad Jain temple ofAdbudji Jain temple tirthankar (admission free, , withits108smallshrines,

, a magnificent waterfall thatplunges50m,straightoutof , amagnificentwaterfall Saas-Bahu TemplesSaas-Bahu Shanti .About h 4-6.30am, 10.30am- remains (the Madar Lakes north of Udaipur,iswhere Maharaja Pratap This Haldighati 10pm. to minutes) hourfrom5am to Eklingjievery travelLocal buses fromUdaipur(Rs10,30 exposed. completely nearby lake; after apoormonsoonthey’re to protect itfromthe destructive of impulses the heretemple wasbrought fromMathura in1669 inthe The black-stoneKrishna image housed (followers of Vishnu orof hisincarnations). shrine hasspecialsignificance forVaishnavites few tourists;photographyisnot permitted. The other placethatdrawsmanypilgrims butsees Nathdwara, 48km northof Udaipur. It’san- 11.30am-noon, 3.30-4pm,4.30-5pm&6-6.30pm) (admission free, The 18th-centuryKrishna temple of % Nathdwara site is2kmsoutheastof the town. bus fromNathdwara(Rs12,30minutes); the Indian visitors butthehistoricsite attractsmany lot tosee, before collapsing anddying.There’s nota loyal steed carriedMaharaja tosafety Pratap badlywoundedandexhausted, this Although commemorates Chetak. thewarrior’shorse, 1576. Thesite ismarked byasmall forcesofdefied thesuperiorMughal Akbar in THERE&AWAYGETTING 02953 battlefield site battlefield site Little Madar Dam , around15kmfromthecity;head h . Haldighati canbereached by 5-5.30am, 7.15-7.45am, 9.15-9.45am, 5-5.30am, 7.15-7.45am,9.15-9.45am, (Rs 30; The JungleBook h or 8am-8pm) lonelyplanet.com Great Madar stands at at stands chhatri , 40km Sri Nathji Sri . The that

Rs 70/350/450) pichwai to travel anyfurther;accordingly,theSriNathji sign fromKrishna thattheimage didnotwant Nathdwara. Thepriestsrealised thatthiswasa ground uptotheaxlesasitwaspassingthrough the getaway vehicle, intothe awagon,sank rulerAurangzeb.Accordingtolegend, Mughal Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels are similarly erratic. the temple atNathdwara;the openinghours incarnation of Krishna),which issimilarto beautiful At Kankroli, 66km northof Udaipur,there’s a Kankroli & temple. the coming bycar,itcostsRs10to parkat to Nathdwara(Rs28,onehour). If you’re There are frequent fromUdaipur dailybuses THERE&AWAYGETTING appealing. less convenient plainerand thanGokul,though around 1kmfromthetemple, soit’smore A barandarestaurant are on site. quiet gardens,around4kmfromthetemple. insmall hotel issurprisinglygood.It’sset Corporation (RTDC) this establishment, TourismDevelopmentit’s aRajasthan 50/450/600, superdeluxe dRs800; Gokul Hotel RTDC SLEEPING &EATING for thelucrative tourist market. the painting, numerousinferior reproductions of ferent outfits.As withmanyotherschools of they usuallyshow SriNathji decked outindif- and intended tobehungbehind theidol– ages, were usually created onhandspunfabric screen im- paintings,withtheirratherstatic bright the townin17thcentury.These after theimage of to Krishna wasbrought Krishna gets upafter a siesta. gets very crowdedfrom3.30pmto4pmwhen aroundtheimage’sand closes dailyroutine. It popular pilgrimage site, andthetemple opens precise theday.It’savery timesthroughout prepared allat meals and puttingittosleep, washing it,dressing it,offering itspecially a delicate child, waking itupinthemorning, Temple wasbuilton the spot. RTDC Hotel Yatrika Mangla Yatrika Hotel RTDC Nathdwara isalsowellknownforits Attendants treat theblack-stoneimage like pichwai paintings,which were produced temple paintingsare created specifically TheYatrika Mangla isonly devoted toDwarkadhish (an devoted

( % 230917; LalBagh;dm/s/dRs a

( % ) Considering 231119; dm/s/d SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN •• North ofUdaipur ••North SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN remote fort,fulfillingromanticexpectations wooded chowsingha (four-horned leopards, deer), animals.Wildlife includes the besttimetosee Marchholes between andJune makes this leopards andwolves. Thescarcityof water foreigner Rs10/100; park. ItcostsRs25topark a car. first, of nearthestart theroadfromcar entrance, sodon’tforget tobuyyourticket to approach it.It’sasteepclimbuptothe from yourhotel tothefort,adramaticway is very peaceful. pound, which hassomeinteresting ruinsand aleisurelyworth taking walkinthelarge com- 19th centurybyMaharaja Fateh it’s Singh, and 700cannonbunkers. Renovated inthe 360 temples, aswellpalaces,gardens, horses torideabreast around andtheyenclose they’re insomeplacesforeight wideenough hang ontoitfor two days. its strongdefence andtheyonlymanaged to emperorAkbar andMughal tobreach then ittookthecombinedarmiesof Amber, only taken onceinitsentire history,andeven p244 ). Notsurprisingly,Kumbalgarhwas TheUltimate Sacrifice, (see from anassassin ger. Here, ababyprinceof Mewar washidden toretreat used sensibly, here intimesof dan- Mewar fortafter Chittorgarh, andtherulers, Aravalli Hills,isahighlight in itself. the fort, atripalongtwistingroadsthrough Thejourneytothe melt intobluedistance. an amazing1100m,fromwhere endlessviews the 15thcentury,isolated fortisperched at Kumbhain warlike era. BuiltbyRana Rajput and vividlysummoningupthechivalrous, (Indian/foreigner Rs5/100; About 84kmnorthof Udaipur, % Kumbalgarh Udaipur (Rs25, 2½ hours). interesting old inscriptions. alongwithseveral is 335mlongand13mhigh, alongthehugeset archesmental andbeautifullycarved (r1652–80).ThereSingh are numerousorna- by adamconstructed in1660byMaharaja Raj Nearby there’s alsothelarge, densely inKumbalgarh,youcantrekIf youstay Kumbalgarh wasthemostimportant There are frequent RSRTC from buses The fort’sthickwallsstretch some36km; 02954 Nearby isthelarge Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary WildlifeSanctuary Kumbalgarh h bund sunrise-sunset) h Rajsamand Lake Rajsamand 9am-6pm) (embankment), which , knownforits is a fantastic, isafantastic, Kumbalgarh

chhatris , created (Indian/ baoris 259

SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN also covers admission fees. tours atacostof Rs700perperson, which from the fort, has plain but pleasant modern from thefort,hasplainbutpleasant from the fort is this appealing, blissfully tranquil from thefort isthisappealing, blissfully tranquil Rs 3500/4000,stefrom 5000; nies and good views. bedspreads shared andwindowseats, balco- white roomsfeaturing curlyironbeds,bright 1400/2000) Udaipur. in chief wildlife warden( thedeputybe madeinadvancethrough Bookingsshould ated withinthesanctuary. butit’ssitu- a plainandbasicguesthouse GuestHouse Forest Thandiberi .shivikalakehotel.com) safaris. jeep All hotels canarrange three-hour horse or Kelwara toenter (askatyourhotel foradvice). a permitfromtheforest departmentinnearby sloth bears andvariousbirdspecies.Youneed 260 SLEEPING Aodhi Hotel Kumbhal Castle of goinggroceryshoppingtodayinyourbestevening wear. would dress toimpress intheirfinestoutfitsjusttogooutfortheday’ssupply–equivalent totransformtheeveryday water necessityofcollecting served intoasocialoccasion,andwomen themostcommonlyrepresentedDurga andMahishasura deities. The presence ofthesewells andstatuesofgodsgoddesses,withGanesh,Hanuman,many were adornedwithcarvings ofstep-wells, andtheirpivotalrole in dailylife,The properties spiritualandlife-giving meantthat configurations;androoms,corridors,galleriesplatformscutintothevariouslevels.in artistic reaching trailsalongcaravanroutes. The more elaborate ofalarger complexthatincludedaccommodationforwearytravellers,part constructed infar- attached totemples andshrines,enablingdevotees tobatheandpurifythemselves. Manyformed accessed viaaseriesofsteps. generally refers and lake/tank, toastructural come blurred, there are several otherterms usedtodescribethesewells,including have Althoughthedistinctions wealthy havingbuiltwellstogainkudosandgoodkarma. be- religious community. tothe ofconnection usuallymeansithassomesort when usedtodescribeawellofthiskind, mospheric, remote remains atKumbalgarhandinquiet,pastoralNarlai.The fort term are several dozen –butalsoatsmaller,more locationssuchaswithintheat- out-of-the-way find themlocated inthesouth,notonlymore famousexamplesatBundi–where there Step-wells, or Ten pondsequalonesonand10sonstree Ten wellsequalone THE STEP-WELLS OFRAJASTHAN OTENRJSHN • ot fUapr ofUdaipur ••North SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Building astep-well scriptures islaudedintheancientHindu ofgreat asanact merit,the In addition to their essential function asawaterIn additiontotheiressentialfunction supplyinaridareas, step-wells were frequently The modern Kumbhal Castle, 3km The modernKumbhalCastle,

Shivika Lake Hotel Lake Shivika ( % baoris

( in Ranakpur arranges jeep inRanakpur % 242341; www.hrhindia.com; s/d from s/d from 242341; www.hrhindia.com; 242171; s/dRs800/980,deluxe Rs as theyare alsoknown,are widespread andyouwill throughoutRajasthan, vapi ais , 10 %

(d Rs350) 0294-2453686) vapis

( % About 5km ) equalonepond 285078; www Thisis vapi (alsoknownasa fires. It’s anidealplacetoread abookorplay hotel with aninvitingpoolandwinter camp- Adi Hotel. Aodhi four hours, dropping passengers atthe off whichstand, leaves at12.45pmand takes There’s onedirect busfromtheRSRTC bus your busdriver before boardinginUdaipur. Hotel, fromwhere it’sa5kmwalk;check with Kelwara, 7kmaway,andsomeattheAodhi Circle (Map p242 stopin ). Someservices (Mapstand p242 ) andothers fromChetak (Rs 35,3½hours); someleave fromthebus RSRTCSeveral goto/fromUdaipur buses THERE&AWAYGETTING in thecosy Chopal Bar. the pickof theoptionsonoffer, orhave adrink restaurant, where Indianfare goodstandard is day forfive people. Nonguestscandineinthe five people),andtrekking isaroundRs1000per isRs4000(maximumof visit tothesanctuary fromhere safari jeep costsRs1200,athree-hour pecially thetiger- andparrot-themedsuites). A themselves are very much onthekitsch side(es- a leisurely gameof therooms cards,though baori s have intricate pillars;steps built Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels vav or wav ), awater supply kund, Vedic verse which baori,

leafy gardens,Shivika isa welcoming, Lake cosy cottages withpretty amid décor,andset ple calledthe Jainmost important temples. Themaintem- and rud trip). round four tofive peopleandcostRs1200fora up agroupandshare take (taxis theexpense a day.Many travellers askaroundtomake andKumbalgarhin can visitbothRanakpur Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels bathrooms are also available. Thewarm, Fiverustic placetostay. tents withprivate hotel.com; rRs600-1600; accommodation inthearea isallfairlypricey. dailyat5pm.Aside fromthis,however, served Rs 20,you’llget asimplevegetarian dinner, with thelegionsof Jain pilgrims.Foranextra forabargaintemple complexitself Rs10, along mattress onaconcrete atthe floor,youcanstay If youdon’tmindthediscomfortof anold SLEEPING &EATING can bearranged Shivika through Hotel.Lake trekking trips costaroundRs500foradayand a Parshurama Shiva Temple inacave. Guided trek into thehills.Onefour-hour trek leadsto its nearbywildlife fromhere, sanctuary and for afew days.YoucanvisitKumbalgarh and withthetime,agreatthose placetokickback Udaipur. It’s90kmfromUdaipurandis,for a convenient Jodhpurand stopbetween is Sun Temple ples, dedicated to be leftat the entrance. cigarettesshoes, andallleatherarticlesmust of spaceandharmony.Remember that sense calming The paleinterior hasamarvellously covered inknotted, lovingly carving. wrought which are alike. Theinterior iscompletely ported byaforest of 1444pillars, notwoof ofbuilding, acomplicated series 29hallssup- in 1439.It’sanincredible milk-white marble Temple), isdedicated toAdinathandwasbuilt non-Jains noon-5pm) mission free, camera/videoRs50/100; reached downatwistingroad, In aremote andplungingwoodedvalley, % Ranakpur Amba TempleMata Hiring a taxi fromUdaipurmeansyouHiring ataxi Shivika Lake Hotel Lake Shivika The complexiswellworthavisitandmakes Within thecomplexare twootherJain tem- 02934 Parasnath . About 1kmfromthemaincomplex (23rd Chaumukha Mandir Chaumukha isoneof India’sbiggest and Neminath ais .

tirthankar ( % 285078; www.shivikalake (22nd SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN •• North ofUdaipur ••North SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN ) Offering small, Offering h ), andanearby (Four-Faced Ranakpur Jains 6am-7pm, tirthankar

(ad- ) hillresort.com; Ranakpur Rd;s/d/tentRs1500/2000/1800; Ranakpur hillresort.com; for quiet walks. old temples andoffers lotsof opportunities village isalsohome toagood rock that’sdotted withcaves andtemples; the Narlaihotel isamammoth granite the Rawla the countrysidearoundUdaipur. Opposite forexploringthevariousattractions in base Quiet yetspectacular, Narlai makes anice % Narlai ifyoucanbe see picked up. stop (askattheshop),orcallyourhotel and there. Jeeps cansometimes behired atthebus is toofarfromthebusstoptobeable towalk hours). five (Rs 90,five hours) andJodhpur(Rs95, from Udaipurcostsaround Rs 1200. inboth taking public transportinaday.Ataxi andKumbalgarhby to visitbothRanakpur outsidethetemple,and stopright butit’shard from Udaipur(Rs45,three hours, hourly), A goodnumberof runto Ranakpur buses THERE&AWAYGETTING the honeymoon suite. sive: novel features include aswingbedin The deluxe suites are particularlyimpres- inantiquepiecesandlocalcrafts.fortably lent smallhotel, withroomsdecorated com- Theresultin total. isanimpressive andopu- and reconstructed –65,000pieceswere moved in 1802,wastransferred here pieceby Koshilav nearJodhpur palace, builtbyRawla isatnotitsoriginalsite:sandstone theoriginal frompeachy that thispalatialbuildingcarved 5000; Rd;s/dRs 3000/3500,stefromRs Ranakpur .hrhindia.com; bathrooms, andthebedsare extra comfy. rooms are well adornedandhave nice,new simple butwell-decorated tented rooms.The in thegarden,aroundwhich are ranged the place, withplentyof pool frillsandapleasant ais pool. refreshing restaurant (dishes Rs40to100)andanice, short orlonger treks. Thehotel hasagood person allincluded)andguidesfor pernight, (a three-day costsaroundRs1950per safari knowledgeable familyarranges forest safaris All the accommodation listed in Ranakpur All theaccommodationlisted inRanakpur Fateh Bagh Resort Hill Ranakpur There are express to/fromMtAbu buses 02934 ais ) Thisisasmart,traditional-style

) (in Udaipur It might amazeyoutoknow It might

( % % 286411; www.ranakpur 0294-2528008; www baori and several andseveral

261 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN tre withamagical atmosphere, makingit of Udaipur, isasignificantpilgrimage cen- The village of Rishabdeo, about 65km south % Rishabdeo SOUTH OFUDAIPUR there. from (about Rs80) taxi (Rs 75),thenajeep from UdaipurtoSadri(Rs75)or Desuri are cenotaphs of former rulers. coloured ceilings.Nearthecastle glass andtall bare witharches, antiques, butcomfortable, courtyards. Thewhitewashed roomsare alittle shadows wheneerie the evenings, playinits abandoned-castle experience,especiallyin thisonlyadds tothe season, high the high, inanythingbut alittledeserted it canseem toperform.Though palace musiciansused marble pavilion inacentralcourtyardwhere ambling corridors, courtyards,frescoes, and creaky oldplace hasbagsof atmosphere inits fromred this sandstone, intown.Carved stay alcastle.com; s/d/steRs2000/2500/3000) chariots. riding withwarriors, horses andgods richly carved elephants,anditswallsareby twomighty amongwoodland,it’sflankedSplendidly set the founderof Jainism, is alsoworthvisiting. Temple into yetanothercharismatic hotel. converteddominated byacastlethathasbeen About 12kmfromNarlaiislittle Ghanerao, % Ghanerao hours) andJodhpur(Rs110,four hours). you tuckinto your thali. and localtraditionalentertainment, allwhile magic show,acountrysidebullock-cartride, opt forthe‘themeddinner’which involves a be eaten poolside,or,ifyou’re inthemood, crop opposite. SumptuousIndiandinners can and porches thatfacethehuge granite out- and hangingbaublesleadontobalconies often decorated glass withfrescoes, stained pealing, antique-furnished are rooms.These place,with26ap- a beautifullymaintained This isthemainreason inNarlai:it’s tostay once thehuntinglodge of therulers of Narlai. www.ajitbhawan.com; rRs2400-2900,ste3000) 262 Rawla Narlai Rawla To get toGhanerao,take anRSRTC bus Ghanerao RoyalCastle There are fromUdaipur (Rs62,two buses 02907 02934 OTENRJSHN • ot fUapr ••SouthofUdaipur SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN , a10th-centuryJain temple to devoted

( % 282425, inDelhi (

% 284035; www.ghaeraoroy istheplaceto % 011-26221419; Mahavira Mahavira was 9.30pm) another impressive hotel. year-old converted fortthathasbeen into villagesleepy of hasadramatic250- Bambora About 45kmtothesoutheastof Udaipur,the % Bambora Udaipur (Rs35, 1½ hours). lawns surrounding the building. andthere unspectacular, oughly are pleasant the temple. Theroomsare functional,ifthor- 600/700, withACRs900/1000; shops leads you there. alanelinedwithsmallA shortwalkthrough inwhite marble.and decorated withcarvings one isinside. Theinterior ismultipillared more are beyondthem,andanotherhuge elephants flankthetemple’s entrance,two ages of idols.Twolarge, glossy,black-stone including52im- and somelovely carvings, tures abeautifulsilver image of Rishabdeo reincarnation of Vishnu.Thetemple fea- andisalsoworshipped asa around 500BC Jain tion of Mahavira, the24thandlastof the 15th-century well worthavisit.Thevillage ishometoa leisurely strolldistributing gold– his own on thedayof itsinauguration,wentfora the 17thcenturyby Maharaja Jai (who, Singh by dammingthe Gomti River andbuilt in artificial lake isone of Asia’s largest, created haranis’ summerpalaces.At88sq km,the byyjeUdaipur ma- wooded hills,surveyed east of Udaipur, Jaisamand liesbetween Lake vasttractofA startlingly water 48kmsouth- % Jaisamand Lake and trekking optionsare on offer. are extremelyStaff helpful,andarange of jeep and acentralpavilion,inthehillygarden. set with fourwater-spurting marbleelephants way, andanalluringmarbleswimmingpool anoldundergroundtaurant, ‘secret’ passage- stunning panoramicviews.There’s agoodres- and colourfullydecorated; thebestcomewith Allroomsarecountry house. bright light, uplikewalls themainbuildingrises agrand cally plumpedonahilltop.Insidethefort as Karni Fort Karni There are goingtoRishabdeo from buses Gavri Hotel RTDC 0294 0294 tirthankars dedicated toRishabdeo, areincarna- ) isinthemiddleof nowhere, dramati-

( % Jain temple Jain temple . Mahavira foundedJainism 2398220; s/dfromRs2200/3000;

( % 230145; dmRs50,s/dfrom a (admission free; isabout500mfrom ) lonelyplanet.com h 7am- sanctuary, this guesthouse haslarge thisguesthouse sanctuary, double .com; s/d/stefromRs2200/3300/4400; busy withascattering of people waitingfor elephants,andtoday ment, fronted bycarved places. There are beautifulmarble today around14kmlongand9kmwidein ofweight it,infact–tothelocals)andis Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels are Rs150and between Rs 450. dishes; mains Indian, European andChinese upreasonable hotel restaurant, which serves The onlydining option forguestsisatthe costs Rs150(nonguests are welcome tovisit). often available. Areturn boatridetotheresort besidethewater’s edge.right Discountsare The swimmingpoolhasabrilliant setting, allhaveHowever, great viewsover the water. run down,ratherdarkandhenceoverpriced. the lake. Roomsare butthey’re comfortable island location,20minutes byboatacross edges, thishotel isinawonderful,secluded aroundthe and imposingbutsomewhatrough reservations. for life warden( thedeputychiefit. Youmustcontact wild- are alittledirty,butthelocationisworth a dilapidated andthebathrooms air,though, viewsoverrooms andfantastic thelake. Ithas GuestHouse Forest SLEEPING watch the birds emerge. then sittingforanhourortwo,enginecut,to can negotiate theboatout apricefortaking ifyou ahindrance;see find theenginenoise bird-watching, outyou’ll butifyoutake aboat Rs 30/50/100.Thislake couldbegreat for small/medium/large circuitof thelake costs or guides available. upforvisitors,well set withnoinformation to take acar/bicycleinside;it’snot,however, would frequently take place. ItcostsRs65/3 of Mewar, andelaborate huntingexpeditions vourite hunting groundof theformerrulers crocodiles. Theforests here tobeafa- used wildboarsis hometoleopards,deer, and (Indian/foreigner Rs10/80,camera200; the smallnearby the dam,is Hawa Mahal. thelarger palace,nearpalace isRothiRani; to feed fish. theteeming Thesmallhilltop foodwithwhichboats andsmallboysselling around the 330m-long, 35m-high embank- around the330m-long,35m-high Jaisamand IslandResort There are boatsavailable forlake tours –a The lake features avarietyof birdlife, and % 0294-2453686) inUdaipur

(r Rs450) Jaisamand WildlifeSanctuary

( Runbythewildlife % 2431401; www.lakend SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••SouthofUdaipur SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN as h ) Modern 10am-5pm) chhatris

bling oldpalace, Juna Mahal fromUdaiBilas Palace. yourtickettown anditsmany temples. Get to viewsovernearby hilltop,has sensational the inlays. Theformer royalhuntinglodge, ona room) hasimpressive mirrorwork andglass ded inthewalls.TheAam (mainliving Khas and there are willow-pattern plates embed- Kamasutra, hiddendiscreetly inacupboard, paintings. Thefascinatingmuralsinclude the rocky peak,andisfilledwitholdfrescoes and 13th and18thcenturies,ona450m-high h and hardy trees. landscape iswildandstony,dotted withcacti in thefoothillsof theAravalli Hills,andthe tookoverDev thisarea fromtheBhils. It’sset Veerin the13thcenturywhenRawal Singh Dungarpur, theCityof Hills,wasfounded About 110kmsouthof Udaipur,attractive % Dungarpur Dhariyawad (Rs60, 3½ hours). Baneshwar Fair ( p264 ). also arrange tented accommodationforthe of interest inthearea, andtheowners can gardens. Jeep canbearranged safaris toplaces meals canbetaken intheenchantingly lit Indianfood,and tasty heretaurant serves thebedsaren’tthough thecomfiest.Theres- and offers great all-roundcreature comforts, sonofSahasmal, second Maharaja Pratap, in a16th-centuryfortfoundedbyPrince ary area, 120kmfromUdaipur. It’shoused deluxe rfromRs2335) place is ideal. countryside, peaceandplentyof fresh air,this its charm. Ifyou’re of insearch picturesque ists make itoutthisway,which ispartof flying squirrels andwildboars. Few tour- sambars, leopards,caracals,includes deer, is knownforitsancientteak trees. Wildlife 423 sqkmof mainlydeciduous forest, which Wildlife SanctuarycoversUdaipur, Sitamata the placetovisit.Lying90kmsoutheastof If youwanttoget awayfromitall,thisis Sanctuary Wildlife Sitamata 25, 1½hours, hourly). There are frequent fromUdaipur(Rs buses THERE&AWAYGETTING The town’s wonderful, deserted, crum- The town’swonderful,deserted, Dhariyawad Fort There are RSRTC fromUdaipurto buses 9am-5pm), 02964 was built in stages between the was builtinstages between is in the Sitamata sanctu- isintheSitamata (

% Juna Mahal 02950-220050; s/dRs1700/1950,

(admission Rs100;

263 SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN 150-200) aren’t badvalue for money. It hastinyroomsthatare nothingflashbut Kunwer State Museum Kunwer State about 25kmnorthof town,dates backto stone) has been partlyconvertedstone) hasbeen intoahotel thousands ofthousands localandinternational Bohra of Mohammed year, in the10thcentury.Each tomb ofthesaintFakruddin Galiakot. Thissmalltownisfamous forthe Muslimpilgrimageimportant centre of About 50kmsoutheast of Dungarpuristhe Galiakot Udaipur (Rs60,three hours, hourly). Frequent RSRTC travel buses toandfrom THERE &AWAYGETTING person. per 300, lunch atRs500anddinnercosts575 indoors orpoolside;breakfast comesinatRs the formof lavish canbeeaten buffets, either can beorganised forguests.Meals, which take Bicycle hire andbird-watching excursions tomergeit seems withthelake asyouswim. The gorgeous outdoorpoolissodesignedthat teak. exquisite ceilingismadefromBurmese including inthelongdininghall,where the that watch your progress aroundthehotel, beasts hunting isunderlinedbythestuffed lake). Theprevious maharaja’s penchant for furnishings (somehave balconiesfacingthe retain theiroriginalArtDecoand1940s Mahal (One-Pillared Palace), andtherooms It’s builtaroundtheastonishingEkThambia by Maharaja KumarHarshvardhan Singh. balconies builtof 18th-century palace(withbeautifullycarved sparkling GaibSagarRiver, thisfantastical .com; s/d/steRs3500/4450/5300; PratibhaPalace Hotel SLEEPING temple. the amazing centuries-oldbanyantree opposite beautiful, harmoniousarchitecture. Note the the 12thcenturyandisworthavisitforits old photographs of the area. stone Shiva. There are alsosomeinteresting far backasthe6thcentury,includingablack- has asculpture galleryfeaturing piecesfromas h 264 Udai BilasPalace The multilayered Also of interest isthe 10am-5pm Sat-Thu) OTENRJSHN • tAu ••MtAbu SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Thisisthebestbudget hotel intown.

, near the hospital, which, nearthehospital, pareva, ( %

( %

230808; www.udaibilaspalace (admission Rs5,free Mon; Deo SomnathTemple 230775; Shastri Colony;dRs 230775; Shastri , whospread theword Dungarpur’sblue- as Rajmata Devendra Devendra Rajmata ) Set onthe Set ,

o fire. of pit ated byBrahminpriestsfromaseething Solankis, PramarasandPratiharas,were cre- firethat thefourRajput clans,theChauhans, abyss. Accordingtoanother,itwasinMtAbu Shiva’s revered bull,fromplungingintoan whosaved serpent , Arbuda, amighty as theHimalayarangenamedafter itself, According toonelegend, Mt Abu isasold % MT ABU (Rs 10,onehour)to Baneshwar. the ritualsof the festival. dance andfairground ridesgoonalongside ofattracts thousands Bhil tribalpeople. Music, built where Mavji –andtheevent meditated nearby Vishnutemple tohave believed been ours Vishnuincarnated asMavji –there’s a about 80kmfromDungarpur. Thefairhon- BaneshwarFair Jakham. InJanuary/February theweek-long ence of three holyrivers: theMahi, Somand The townof liesattheconflu- Baneshwar Baneshwar (Rs 65,three hours). athis the saint white-marble shrine. Muslim pilgrimsflockhere topayhomage to or the following two weeks, though, when though, or thefollowing twoweeks, arriving inDiwali (October toNovember) draws mostvisitors tothetown.Tryavoid here. from there are excellentshorttreks several thatstart orchids –makes itwellworthexploring,and some rare plantlife, includinggraceful exotic –hometo landscape aroundthetown,though many Western travellers here. Thebeautiful ofhill stations northernIndia,youwon’tfind and middle-classGujaratifamilies;unlike the Mt Abu isaparticularhitwithhoneymooners favouriteand Rajasthan’s holidaygetaway, plains.Gujarat after somany bakingdesert like), therollingalpineslopesarevelation (a haven forbears, langurs, hyenasandthe massivewinding roadthrough woodedhills the Gujaratborder,reached bywayof a to itliesclose onlyhillstation, The state’s temperatures andarid beige terrain elsewhere. retreat duringsummerfromthescorching agreen,in Rajasthan, serene andwelcome The town is certainly unlikeThe towniscertainly anywhere else There are dailyexpress fromUdaipur buses There are regular fromDungarpur buses Mt Abu’s what coolclimate is,inevitably, 02974 /pop22,045elev1200m is held at the Baneshwar Temple, isheldattheBaneshwar Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels credit-card advances. Sat) Changestravellerschequesandcurrency, anddoes accurate, useful or illuminating. fers afree mapoftown,thoughthemapsaren’t especially office.Of- reservation stand andbelowtherailwayticket Mon-Sat, closed2ndSatofmonth)Oppositethe mainbus into town.ThisisalsowhentheSummer be exactlywhyyou’re alsomakingyourway thismightcome toescapetheheat,though Abu insummer,whenhordesof people like it’sbesttoavoid mosthillstations, Mt prices soarandtheplaceispacked. Equally, lonelyplanet.com cording to legend, it was scooped out by a god cording to legend, itwasscooped outbyagod ac- biggest attractions.It’s sonamedbecause, Scenic thetown’sfocus, isoneof , its NAKKI LAKE Sights centre reception Tourist 10pm) Internetaccess;locatedinthemain Market. Cyber Café Krishna Shree postoffice Main Bank ofBaroda nexttothetouristreceptionright centre. ofInternational, Bank andaState IndiaATM There’s an SBBJ ATM near Hotel Samrat Information esque, central Nakki Lake. alongAbustation Rdandsurroundspictur- The mainpartof townextends northfrom the 27km fromthenearest (Abu trainstation Rd). that’s about22kmlongby6kmwide,and Mt Abu plateau sprawlsalonga1220m-high the town,and its surroundings. plastics andotherwaste willhelptosafeguard yourconsumptionoftions, tryingtominimise to cropup.As destina- withallRajasthan’s make wayforthemanyhotels thatcontinue tracts of vegetation having cleared been to rounding naturalenvironment,withlarge by Garasia tribespeople. Gangaur festival ( p224 ), thatiscelebrated may comeacrossthelocalvariationof the hotel rooms. Ifyouvisithere inspring,you woolly toavoid winter chills inpoorlyheated keep warm;remember topacksomething ryone iswrappedupinshawls andhatsto the coolermonths, youwillfindthateve- and boatraces( p224 ). Ifyouare visitingin Festival hitstown,withmusic,fireworks Sat) At the northern end Sat) Atthenorthern of town. Orientation Sadly, tourismhastaken itstollonthesur- ( h (Raj BhavanRd; (Raj SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••MtAbu SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN 10am-3pm Mon-Fri, to12.30pm 10am-3pm Mon-Fri, ( (perhrRs40; % 235151; h 9am-5pm Mon- h h 10am-5pm 8am- 6pm) tions encouraged; These remarkable DILWARA TEMPLES (p268). House palace race of themaharaja of Jaipur’s former there are panoramic views. Shikhar arrows alongapathtothesummit of (Ganesh Temple). Youcanfollowthewhite point–and another goodsunset Other viewpointsinclude 1km-walk fromtheroadtoviewpoint. It’sa entertainment. usual jollyhill-station the endof andallthe theday,foodstalls Hordes strollouthere tocatch evening every Polaroid camerasgets youintoaloving mood. that beingthrustred bagsof roses, peanuts,or distinctlyunromanticunlessyoufind though from which sun, towatch thebrilliantsetting Sunset Point VIEWPOINTS edge. water’s the lake, foraslowbutscenicstrollalongthe hr Rs50) be pressured intopurchasing a travelling withsmallchildren willdoubtless shikara pecially romanticallyinclined,agondola-like (2-/4-person boatper30minRs50/100) do asthehoneymooners doandhire a difference’. big vendors, withpotionsthatallegedly ‘make moon market iscatered forbyaphrodisiac happy snapof youbythewater. Thehoney- persistent photographers eager totake a You’ll probably have the through toplough parlours, balloonvendors andsouvenir shops. a carnivalof ice-cream juiceandfood stalls, Abu. Attheedge, bythetowncentre, there’s beside the lake. lake. The14th-century Rock strange rockformations.Thebestknown, the lake issurroundedbyhills,parks and strollaroundtheperimeterin it.It’sapleasant – peoplepedallinginapedalothanbathing to see lieve ittobeaholylake,lieve butyou’re more likely using his The bestviewover thelake isfromtheter- To enter intothespiritof things,youcan istheheartofNakki Lake allactivityinMt are MtAbu’s mainattraction andfeature , looksjustlike atoadabout tohopintothe , which has been converted, which hasbeen intoJaipur

from the stand oneroadbackfrom fromthestand , westof Temple, AdharDevi where loveboat nakh isapopularandlovely place h (2-person boatper30minRs100).

(nails). SomeHindusthusbe- Jains sunrise-sunset, non-Jains noon- Jains sunrise-sunset, Jain temples Raghunath TempleRaghunath Honeymoon Point (admission free, dona- , or,forthees-

pony ride The Crags The Those Those summer stands stands pedalo Shanti 265 (per

Toad Toad –

SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN image of whilearound the Adinathhimself, million tobuild. The centralshrine has an it took14years andallegedly costRs180.5 Dedicated tothefirst financed byaGujarati minister namedVimal. on which workbeganin1031andwhich was No photography is permitted. it lookslike youcouldbreak itoff andeatit. sofine kaleidoscopes, withicing-like carving acollectionofingly intense, delicate milky temples inwhich themarbleworkisdizzy- Whatever theirinducement,there are two more ever intricately.aging themtocarve the amountof dusttheycollected, encour- were thattheartisans said paidaccordingto some of India’sfinesttemple decoration. It’s 266 Point (1km) To Sunset MT ABU The olderof thetemples isthe OTENRJSHN • tAu ••MtAbu SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Shanti Shikhar(3.3km) Ganesh Temple(2.7km); The Crags(2.5km); To HoneymoonPoint(1.7km); 25 Nakki Lake 16 S u 14 n s e t

P

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i 28

24 n INFORMATION Tourist ReceptionCentre...... SBBJ ATM...... Police Station...... Bank ofBaroda...... tt ako ni T..... C3 State BankofIndiaATM...... B2 Shree KrishnaCyberCafé...... B2 Main PostOffice...... t

R d tirthankar, 31 21 12 15 26 17 36 13 9 39 37 20 10 Vimal Vasahi Vimal 2 29 Adinath, 5 Market Saviour's Area Church Ground St Polo 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 22 C3 B3 C3 C3 11 32 35 40 4

R SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES oyHr...... B2 B3 Pony Hire...... B2 Pony Hire...... B1 Government Museum...... University...... Brahma KumarisSpiritual Brahma KumarisMuseum...... Boat Hire......

Lake 33 Rd a

, j B h a v a 41 Abu RoadTrainStation(27km) n

34 years to create, feature anditsmost notable is here took2500workers The marblecarving 15 ers were bothGujarati government ministers. a mere Rs125.9million.Like Vimal,thebroth- in 1230bythebrothers Tejpal andVastupal for ago by marauding Mughals. entrance, someof which were damaged long cession of elephants marching tothetemple the stands form thecourtyardentrance,infront of which pillars beautifullycarved open. Forty-eight ofthose Buddhaisthattheireyesare always and statues crucial difference these between ing across-legged Buddha- Neminath, the22nd To GaumukhTemple(8km); R courtyard are 52identicalcells,each enclos-

1 d The later 30 Abu Road(27km);

R a je n d 3 ra R d House ofElephants 7 38 D Luna Vasahi il

6 w 27

13 12 11 10 a r

9 8 a

19 R

B3 A2 d 18 23 aatai...... B2 B2 Rajasthali...... Khadi Shop...... ea hvnPlc...... B4 Kesar BhavanPalace...... A2 Hotel Panghat...... Taxi Stand...... Railway ReservationCentre...(see 7) Private BusStand...... Café Coffee Day...... Veena Restaurant...... Madras Café...... King's Food...... Kanak DiningHall...... Chunkii Bites...... Arbuda...... (see 39) Shri GaneshHotel...... Mount Hotel...... Hotel SunsetInn...... Hotel Sheratone...... Hotel Saraswati...... Hotel Hilltone...... Toad Rock...... Roller-Skating Rink...... Raghunath Temple...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING DRINKING EATING SLEEPING hrdTxst iwr..... B3 Shared Taxis toDilwara...... C3 Main BusStand...... B2 Shere PunjabHotel...... C2 B2 Connaught House...... Chandravati Palace...... Jaipur House...... Hotel LakePalace...... tirthankar, Mt AbuWildlifeSanctuary(5km); Achalgarh (11km);GuruShikhar

Adhar DeviTemple(1.7km); (17km); PeacePark Temple Dilwara Temples(2.5km); To PalaceHotel(1.5km); Atri RishiTemple(17km) 200m 0.1miles 0 0 , featuring apro- tirthankar lonelyplanet.com is dedicated to isdedicated to and was built andwasbuilt 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 –the C3 B3 B3 C3 B3 B2 C3 B3 A3 C1 A3 A3 C3 B3 B2 C3 A2 B3 A2 where free tours are available, includingan believe thatthishugebelieve lacelike filigree started life to is anastonishingpieceof work.It’sdifficult flower thatdanglesfromthecentre of thedome parent. Inparticular,themany-layered lotus in places,themarblebecomesalmosttrans- its intricacyanddelicacy,which issofinethat, lonelyplanet.com a course ofa course days isrecommended. seven If tuition foraminimum of three days,though lessons),includingyoga (seven tory course ortake anintroduc- (held atthemuseum) class can attend adailymorningmeditation Kumaris. Ifyouwanttofindoutmore, you introduction tothephilosophyof theBrahma ty’s for yourselfbypayingavisittothe universi- trytowarnyouaway. Youcandecide might vibeandnon-believing locals ofsect MtAbu For others, itgives aspookyNewAge– off the EconomicandSocialCouncilof theUN. on hasconsultativecountries. Iteven status powerful; there are over 4500branches in70 each year toattend courses at the university. are here inMtAbu, andmanyfollowers come of easyraja Theheadquarters yogameditation’. of impartation spiritual knowledge andtraining ofestablishment universal ‘the peacethrough should bestudied.Theuniversity’s aimisthe are equallyvalid,andthattheprinciplesof each tion teaches thatallreligions leadtoGodand University Spiritual around townare studentsof the aroundtown The white-clad peopleyou’llsee & UNIVERSITY MUSEUM BRAHMA KUMARIS SPIRITUAL taxi. shared Abu inlessthananhour,orhopaboard a away. warned entrance, andmenstruatingwomenare have(belts aswellshoes) tobeleftatthe Vasahi and Vimal Vasahi. competes withtheethereal beautyof Luna the three-storey small shrineflanked bypainted elephants;and ofstatue Adinath; 1315 and1433),sportinga4-tonnefive-metal closure – full-time stonemasonstomaintain the work. employingseveral incredibly wellpreserved, as asolidblockof marble. Thetemple remains For manytheteachings are intensely You canstrollouttoDilwarafromMt As atotherJain temples, leatherarticles There are three other temples intheen- Universal Peace Hall Universal Bhimashah Pittalhar Bhimashah SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••MtAbu SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN

(www.bkwsu.com) Khartar Vasahi Khartar Mahaveerswami

( % 238268; (built between (builtbetween . Thisorganisa- . None, however, . None,however, Brahma Kumaris Kumaris Brahma h (1582),a 8am-6pm) , cost Rs65, excludingadmission andcamera 8.30am and1.30pm (later insummer).Tours main sites, leaving at fromthebus stand The RTDC has five-hour tours of MtAbu’s Tours the town.One-hourridescost Rs 50. the lake, andatvariousplacesdotted around You canhire notfar from ponies atthestand details. for p268 see Abu; Mt from There are manygoodtreks tobe undertaken TREKKING speed uncontrollably athigh towards you. mooners forthefirst onwheels time,whizzing hire Rs15/25; skate The townhasa Activities Abu from up here. at dawn.There are splendid viewsover Mt services which holds atmosphericdevotional to get thelowentrancetotemple, through a naturalcleftintherock.Youhave tostoop the ancient snake –somethingnottoattempt at home. of thesnake goddessVish Kanya breastfeeding a the 6thto12thcenturies.Note thesculpture Chandravati, 7kmfromMtAbu, datingfrom gallery, withworksfromtheancienttownof ature isthesculpture paintings. Thehighlight some hilldwellers’ artefacts, andafew mini- features adioramaillustratinglocaltriballife, BhavanRd;admissionRs3; (Raj The small,seldom-visited OTHER ATTRACTIONS have proud. been a mannerof would which oldWalthimself in as ‘Howcanworldpeacebeestablished?’ , andattempts answers such toteasers the meansof wonderfullykitsch dio- light-up outlines theuniversity’s teachings through labelled ‘Gateway toParadise’. Themuseum in thetowncentre, theentranceof which is and a (admission free; any of activities. these for spiritualenlightenment.There’s nofee for youontargetmonth advancedcoursetoset you comeouthooked, there’s afurthersix- HRE RIDING HORSE About 3kmnorthof town,365steps leadto The organisation alsorunsthe museum Adhar Devi TempleAdhar Devi h (

% h 8am-6pm) roller-skating rink roller-skating 223260; admissionfree; 9am-10pm) , 17kmnorthof town, h . Beware thehoney- . Beware government museum government 10am-4.30pm Sat-Thu) , which isbuiltin (per 15/30minincl

h Peace Park 8am-8pm) 267

SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN yahoo.co.in; dm Rs50,r150-250, withoutbathroomRs yahoo.co.in; o BUDGET details. for thetouristreception Contact per night. centre costing aroundRs100to500per person, uninspiring hotel choices, operates inMtAbu, a localfamilyandisgreat waytocircumvent which gives youtheopportunity tolive with are busy.ThePaying Scheme, GuestHouse end places,canbeabitlacklustre whenthings atallbutthechoicest top- places, andservice, you plan to stay. the rates becomemore appealingthelonger are definitely opentoabitof bargaining, and dation canbeanabsolute steal. Most places 70% are available, andmidrange accommo- Christmas to New Year. crowds –notagoodtimetovisit)andfrom become ridiculous,andyoucan’tmove for tobookwayahead,prices when youneed ing andafter Diwali(October toNovember, lastsfrommid-April season high toJune,dur- hotels, andnewonesspringupeach year. The Mt Abu towncentretolargely seems consistof Sleeping ter Point. Make atthe reservations fees. Theafternoon tourfinishes atSunset 268 Hot water canbeerraticatthebudget During the low season, discountsof upto During thelowseason,

Treks indigenous speciesthathave beengrowinghere formillennia. troublesome human-introducedlantanaplant,whichhasoverrun manyhillsides,threatening remedies.you’ll encounter Ayurvedic alongtheway,usedtomake You’llalsodoubtlessseethe some yearsagobybandits. Aguidewillalsobeabletopointoutthemanifoldmedicinalplants tively after discourage–oreven agroupoftouristswere forbid–solohiking seriouslyassaulted guide. thesedaysifyou’re This travelling isespeciallyimportant alone,asthetouristpoliceac- wonders, andregrowth canalready beseen. threatening toscarthelandscape,stringentnewlawsonwoodgatheringseemhave worked leopardorbear.abundance –aswelltheoddsnake, Though deforestation was,untilrecently, out intountouchedwilderness. Here, you’llfindtranquillity,solitude,wild flowersandbirdlife in tions ofthetown, trailsare manyandvarious,leadingyouinjustafewMt Abu’shiking minutes Unused bymostlocalholidayerswhoremain firmlyenchanted attrac- withthepedalo-and-pony TREKKING FROMMT ABU each morning. Routes varyandthelevel ofdifficultydepends onthefitnessofgroup. organised byLalitattheShriGaneshHotel, tofour-hour groupsoutforthree- whotakes jaunts andhalf-daytreks, withovernightwhole- journeysalsopossible. Alternatively, join oneofthetreks ( % OTENRJSHN • tAu ••MtAbu SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN There Charles)atMountAbu are Dan(aka afew Mahendra goodguidesinMtAbu;contact routes andtrekking ofa are Since manyhiking unmapped,it’sbesttoemploytheservices 235434) Shri Ganesh Hotel Ganesh Shri ( % 91-9414154854; www.mount-abu-treks.blogspot.com), atthemain bus stand.

( % 237292; lalit_ganesh@ enquiries coun- enquiries his Irish wife, Beverley, offershis Irish wife, cookinglessons. Beverley, Ganesh takes travellers trekking ( above ), and There’s yoga ontheroof inthemornings.Lalit info, aguestkitchen andgoodhomecooking. friendly management, loadsof helpfullocal so.and deservedly Ithasapeacefulrooftop, serene placeisthemostpopularspottostay, mer palaceof themaharaja of Jaipur, this 60-200; is inthe heart of theaction. Theroomsare situated andoverlooking thelake, thishotel spacious balconies and hill views. modern rooms.Thebestoneshaveand bright withbasicbutextremelyguesthouse clean a quietsidestreet, small thisisapleasant weekend. the thalis. Note thatpricesfrequently doubleat Gujarati fantastic ers. Therestaurant serves are mostlyinbetter conditionthantheoth- one withabalcony).Theroomsintheannexe before youdecide(andplump,ifcan,for afewto pretty of decent;see the36onoffer range of rooms,which gofromjustpassable Shri Ganesh, of thebudget bunch. There’s a the pologround,andisoneof thebest,after behindpealing placeinapeacefulsetting Saraswatiisareasonably ap- and efficient, the busor train station. 50 forashower. aheadforpick-up from Call inthedorm,you’llhaveIf youstay topayRs Hotel Panghat Hotel Chandravati Palace Saraswati Hotel whorunsawholerangeoftailor-made i ) Upthehilltowardsoldsum- Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels

( ( % % ( % 238887; rRs250-700) 238886; dRs350-600) 238219; dRs300-800) Popular

Down Well spelling isn’tquitecunningattempt right…a Most places offer low-season discountsofMost placesoffer low-season MIDRANGE friendly and obliging staff. by agreat rooftop withaview,andunusually plain anduninspiring,butare compensated lonelyplanet.com and ano-plastic-bag policy in place. to water thegardens,solarhot-water heating, impact:there’senvironmental water recycling The hotel alsotries,honourably, toreduce its antique furniture, andthe suites are split-level. most roomsare fitted outwithdarkwooden able, marble-floored roomsallhave balconies, comfort- bathrooms. Thewell-thought-out, extend tothewindowsof someof thesuites’ and hasbeautifulviewsof rollinghills,which upamong treesroyal family,isperched high originally the19th-centuryhomeof theSirohi from Rs2000/2850; rather damp and gloomy. whenroomscanget however, rainy season, lar withBrahmaKumarisstudents;beware the lakeviewsemiprivate terrace areas. It’spopu- aretacular, clean,uncluttered, andsomehave simpleandunspec- prices. Rooms,though than mostonthelake, withappropriately high Palace overlooks asmallgarden.It’sclassier lakeside location,spacious,friendlyLake .com; d/stefromRs1800/1980; please. to it’s cleanandthemanagement isvery keen attempted grandeurdoneonthecheap, but Marble addtothegeneral feel of staircases have balconiesandviewsacrossthetrees. lacking inanythingapproaching character, to cashinonafamousname. Rooms,though in pleasing small gardens. hotels inMt Abu) overpriced rooms.It’sset andgood-sized,clean,but(liketaurant most run andfriendly,withagoodvegetarian res- Innisefficiently the popular,modernSunset Rs 800/1000) with a small lawn. location, ontheroadtoDilwaraTemples, adistinctlySwedishoff vibe. It’sinatranquil outfitted withwoodenfurnishings thatgive a lovely, roomsare homyplace. Theseven thisis Once aBritish armyofficer’s house, 30% to 50%. Kesar BhavanPalace Kesar SunsetInn Hotel Mount Hotel Hotel Lake Palace Lake Hotel Sheratone Hotel Onthewestern edge of MtAbu,

( % as SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••MtAbu SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN

235150; DilwaraRd;s/dRs500/1000) (

%

( ( % % (

% ) Thisheritage property, 238366; dfromRs1000) 235194; SunsetPointRd;s/d 237154; www.savshantihotels 238647; SunsetPointRd;r/ste a ) Inanexcellent The

chain. Roomsare with tidyandcomfortable, famousinternationalat emulatingacertain and equallybadlyspelled–MtAbu attempt – central, modernholidaycomplex,asecond the former servants’ quarters thatvergethe former servants’ on not really asuite person, there are rooms in lofty Ifyou’retown fromasuitably height. of Jaipur in 1897. Opulentsuites overlook the old summerpalace wasbuiltbythemaharaja Perched ona hilltopoverlooking thelake, this s/d juniorsteRs2000/2800,other4500-6500; during thebusiesttimes of year. and climbequallysteeply in thelowseason old England.Pricesdropquite substantially andthePalaceof House Connaught Hotel, pheric: allvestiges of oldIndiaor,inthecase but thethree listed here are themostatmos- There are quite afew top-end choices intown, TOP END but shouldbeordered in advance. less character. Deliciousmealsare available have great viewsover far thehills,though Attractive block newerroomsinaseparate shady gardensandmarmaladeforbreakfast. graphs, darkwood,slanted ceilings,gorgeous tage thanahotel, withlotsof photo- sepia edge of town.It’smore like anEnglish cot- time colonialbungalowonthesoutheastern astuck-in- isdelightful, House Connaught retainers, byRaj staffed and seemingly 3800; hearty full English breakfasts. tinued inthegrandolddiningroomwithits a littlepieceof athemefirmlycon- Britain, and feel very much like you’ve stepped into wing have themostcharacter –someare huge well-decorated rooms;theonesinold tennis courtsandarestaurant. There are 35 with tree-shaded gardens,aprivate lake, two building resembles manor, aScottishstately of themaharaja of Bikaner,thesprawling Swinton Jacob. Oncethesummerresidence is thishuge palace,builtin1893bySir ste fromRs4000; DelwaraRd;rdeluxe fromRs2500, hotelbikanerhouse.com; a bar.cocktail children’s playground,a goodrestaurant and rock walls.There’s a asmallpool,sauna, two curious‘cave suites’ incorporatingcarved s/d fromRs2400/3000; Jaipur House Connaught House Hilltone Hotel Palace Hotel a ) Ownedbythemaharaja of Jodhpur a

( (Bikaner House; (Bikaner %

( ) % NeartheDilwaraTemples

235176; www.royalfamilyjaipur.com; as (

% 238391; www.hotelhilltone.com; 238560; Rajendra Rd;dRs3500- 238560; Rajendra ) Hotel Hilltoneisa % 238673; www.palace 269 a

)

SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN Across theroadfromChunkiiBites andset phrase isasnazzy‘bite tolivephrase long’) isagood crowds foritsexcellentGujaratithalisand ant indoor, outdoor and rooftop seating. It’s ant indoor,outdoorandrooftop seating. This busy,open-to-the-street fast-food filled with chrome chairs, Arbudaspecial- open-airterrace that’s curved, on asweeping, chutney). with withspicesandserved pattiesseasoned potato and Delhi such as ful, ithasloudmusicandregional delicacies spot tograb acheap snack. Grubbybutcheer- 35-70; an ice-cream sundae. in theoutsideoven androunditalloff with fruit lassi.Youcanwatch bread beingbaked mixed-pizzas. Trythedelicious,substantial South IndianandPunjabidishes,aswell a pure-veg anassortmentof placeserving 11pm) curries. dinner-sized well asfillingbreakfasts andniceIndian and SouthIndianfood,goodlassis,as have-a-go Punjabi menu,includingChinese, bite.joint isgoodforalight Ithastheusual indoors. lighting given theBollywoodsoundtrackandgarish eat outside,which wanttodo youmight button-popping meal.As atKanak, youcan coffee makes a agoodwaytoroundoff traditional Indianfare; thefreshly brewed 11pm) outside under a canopy. the extremely popular,bustlingdininghallor doubt someof MtAbu’s best.Sitindoors in can-eat Gujaratithalis(Rs60)are without 11pm) in the town. the profusion of good-qualityplacestoeat customers whenitcomestocuisine,hence Most holidaymakers here are Gujarati–tough Eating imbibing theviewswhilesipping a G&T. about, butthebarmakes aterrific venue for restaurant’s foodisnothingtowrite home andbararetaurant opentononguests;the the simple(butaren’t anycheaper). Theres- 270 Veena Restaurant o Chunkii Bites Chunkii Café Madras Food King’s Arbuda Thelaid-back Madras haspleas- Café Apopularoption,theexcellentall-you- Veena, alsodraws stand, nearthetaxi OTENRJSHN • tAu ••MtAbu SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN h bhelpuri 7am-11.30pm)

(Arbuda Circle;dishesRs 35-80; Kanak DiningHall Kanak chaat

(dishes Rs25-90;

(Shopping Complex, Lake Rd;dishesRs (Shopping Complex,Lake (Lake Rd;dishesRs30-80; (Lake (snacks such as samosas and (snackssuch assamosas (apopularMumbaisnack)

This place (whose catch- Thisplace(whose (veg dishesRs25-70; (dishes Rs25-65;

h 7.30am-11.30pm) h 6am-11pm) h h h 7am- 7am- 8am-

emporium, which hassomevery eager sales & 3.30-9pm) midnight) and thesurroundingcountryside,is superlative viewsacrossMtAbu, NakkiLake The outdoorterrace of thisheritage hotel has armchair. deep consume whileguiltilyensconcedinanice, squidgycakes, satisfyingly to chain alsoserves tea. Thispopularcoffee-shop ated Darjeeling priced, oversized latte oracupof unadulter- it’s notacrimetobegaspingforanover- Rs 30-80; atmosphere. antiquated more thanjustifythiswiththeirquaintand are predictably buttheheritage hotels high, local andimported drinks;theprices serving Most of themore upmarket hotels have bars Drinking offrightened off bythesight all that brain. and alonglistof vegetarian optionsforthose conventional options,such aschicken curry, butthereor brainmasala, are alsosomemore devil-may-care carnivore, there’s brainfry bargain food.Forthe PunjabiandChinese are pretty decent. theirpizzas vegetarian even curries,though upsomemean aredosas divine–andserves inPunjabiandSouthIndianfood–the ises 27km mountain roadclimbfrom Abu27km mountain Road makeFrom 6amto9pm, buses theexciting BUS 21 foracar(keep change handy). and carpassengers are charged Rs10, plusRs As youenter MtAbu there’s atollgate –bus Getting There&Away fixed-price Alternatively, youmaylikestaff. totrythe Bhavan Rd; browsing and people-watching. and thisisafinetimetodosomeleisurely thetowncomestolife,curios. Intheevening allsortsof flogging kitschshops andstalls areAround NakkiLake lotsof little bright Shopping flickertown’s twinklinglights to life. perfect tipple,watching the placeforasunset There’s anexpensive branch of Jaipur House PunjabHotel Shere Café CoffeeDay Café Shere Punjab,inthemarket, has h h , which sells all , which sells things woven. 8.30am-11pm) khadi shop khadi 9.30am-9pm)

( %

(Hotel Maharaja International;snacks (Hotel Maharaja 235176; www.royalfamilyjaipur.com)

(Raj BhavanRd; (Raj , thegovernment crafts Every nowandthen, (dishes Rs35-200; lonelyplanet.com h Rajasthali 10am-1pm h 8am- (Raj (Raj

epes trains. express to Ahmedabad;theNo2916 230/250 inexpress/deluxe, 11hours, one others terminate at Abu Road. RSRTC goallthe waytoMtAbu, buses while nexttotheticketmain busstand, booth.Some leave Buses fromoutsidethe half-hourly). uptoMtAbutrain station (Rs24,onehour, lonelyplanet.com information atthe centre.reservation check up-to-date 8.15pm. Forother services, departing Abu Roadat3.17pmandarriving at Abu RoadtoJodhpur(Rs115/465Sl/2AC), The dailyNo9223 at 7.40am(Rs196/283/5013AC/2AC/1AC). but arrives conveniently swiftlyatAhmedabad departs Abu Roadatan early-morning3.50am ( there’sist office, a Ahmedabad. InMtAbu, above thetour- DelhiandMumbaiviathe linebetween Abu Road,therailheadforMtAbu, ison TRAIN in the town centre. arrange hire, jeep oryoucanhire yourown you maybringitdown).Many hotels can (bargain hardand 500/1000 perhalf-day/day costsaboutRshire forsightseeing ajeep price clearbefore youdepartAbu Road.To 50) totake youtoyourhotel; make thetotal andaskanextrafee (asmuchstand asRs ers claimthatthisisonlyasfarthebus Abu Roadcostsabout Rs300.Somedriv- foruptosixpeopleintotownfromA taxi TAXI the best price. town offering bustickets. Shop aroundfor private bus stand. atsimilar prices,departfromthe services to private bus companies,offering similar 6½ hours, three thatbelong daily).Buses daily), andAhmedabad(Rs104inexpress, Jodhpur (Rs144inexpress, sixhours, one (Rs 98inexpress, five hours, fourdaily), luxe, hours, Udaipur onenightly), seven Ajmernightly), (Rs175/211inexpress/de- train. a going downtoAbu Roadandwaitingfor direct busfaster and more convenient than and formanydestinationsyouwillfinda h Several trainsperdayrunfromAbuSeveral Road The busschedule fromMtAbu isextensive, There are lotsof travel agencies around buses RSRTC 8am-2pm) , which has quotas onmostof, which hasquotas the

( SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN ••AroundMtAbu SOUTHERNRAJASTHAN % 235434) railway reservation centre railway reservation Tawi Express gotoJaipur (Rs Ashram Express runsfrom

huge views. Apopularspot, it’svisited aspart Temple all thewayto summitandthe almost point.Aroad goes highest Rajasthan’s of is1722m-high thetown itself, At theendof theMtAbu plateau, 15kmnorth Guru Shikhar over the plains. Jain temples, which have viewsout fantastic up thehillsidetohilltopgroupof colourful the kingmanaged toshootthem.A pathleads –until,thatis, skies topollute theholyghee arrived fromthe in theformof thebuffaloes, butdemons, wasoncefilledwithghee, tank his bowandarrows.Alegend tells thatthe while thefigure of akingshoots atthemwith aroundatank, stand three stonebuffaloes to the underworld. toextend allthewaydown bydevotees lieved would normallybethere’s hole,be- adeep (Shiva’s vehicle). Where theShiva lingam ofa toe Shiva, aswellabrassNandibull verting features, tobe includingwhat’ssaid Abu inAchalgarh, boastsanumberof di- of The fascinating,atmosphericShiva temple Achalgarh from the Dilwara Temples. crocodiles andbirdlife. It’sabout a1kmwalk to leopards,sambars, foxes, wildboars, bears, plateau 5.5kmnortheastof MtAbu, ishome eigner/jeep Rs10/40/100; This beautiful290-sq-km Mt AbuWildlifeSanctuary AROUND MTABU one/twopeoplefor 15 oreven Rs 30/40. handcart, which willcartyourluggage forRs to thetownis but it’seasytoget aroundonfoot.Unique to the temples. Alternatively, itmakes 4kmwalk apleasant Rs 6perperson, orRs40alltoyourself). full fromopposite theMadras andcost Café take ashared which (jeeps, leave taxi when beforestand youleave. ForDilwarayoucan hanging around;check return timesatthebus ning toget outandbackwithouttoomuch ous sites inMtAbu, butittakes alittleplan- gotothevari- fromthemainbusstand Buses Getting Around Just outsidethetemple, besidethecarpark, There are noautorickshaws inMtAbu, Achaleshwar Mahandeva , complete with a priest and fantastic, , complete withapriestand fantastic, baba-gari, h 8am-5pm) , 11kmnorthof Mt sanctuary aporter-pulled , onalarge Guru Shikhar

(Indian/for- Atri Rishi Rishi Atri 271

, SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN RAJASTHAN SOUTHERN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN u again. up 750stepsnd thentrudgesame back those consisting of 750steps downintothevalley–a Rama and Krishna. image of Vasishta isflanked byfigures of four of thegreat clanswere Rajput born.An fire madebythesage Vasishta, fromwhich tobethesiteKund, issaid of thesacrificial ure of here, thebullNandi.Thetank Agni ‘cow’s mouth’).There’s alsoamarblefig- ing theshrineitsname( flows fromthemouthof amarblecow,giv- 8km southeastof thetown,asmallstream Down ontheAbu Roadsideof MtAbu, Temple Gaumukh willcostRs a jeep 400 return. of theRDTC tour;ifyoudecidetogoitalone, 272 To reach thetemple youmusttake apath OTENRJSHN • b od ••AbuRoad SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN gaumukh means for the night. onward ticket tobeablebeddownhere train. Note thatyoumaybeasked toshowan are convenient ifyou’re catching avery early rock-hardmattresses,prices withsuitably but rooms destinations.The to thesame with alternative private buscompanyservices are allavailable fromMtAbu along itself, in catching themfromhere sinceservices Udaipur andAhmedabad,there’s littlepoint Abu Roadtocitiessuch asJodhpur,Jaipur, town. of located nexttoeach right otherontheedge are andbusstand train station conveniently Mt Abu, istherailjunctionforMtAbu. The downontheplains27kmfrom This station, ROAD ABU Although thereAlthough are RSRTC from buses

(d Rs150) at the station have atthestation rock-bottom lonelyplanet.com railway retiring railway retiring lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake

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