Udaipur Diaries - III (contd...)

City Palace, Udaipur

As you enter the City Palace, the guided tour of Palace museum begins. One can either hire a local guide, if you are interested in hearing out stories and nuances behind each part of fort, or you can take audio guide, which is an audio instrument that comes along with headphones and guides you through the palace. Apart from this the Palace Authorities have placed ample pointers and description throughout the museum so that all the tourists have a informative walk through the Palace.

Tour of the Palace :

Weaponry Room :

Array of arms impeccably mounted on wall

Hand weapons : Swords and Shield

Royal Symbol of Shining Sun capturing essence of 

Suryavanshi Lineage of House of Mewar

Gun Cartridges

Amar Vilas: Amar Vilas is highest point in palace and has wonderful hanging gardens with terraces, fountains.

Fountain area

Intricately carved terrace Corridor

View of Udaipur - The White City (rightly so)

Sheesh Mahal and Library Room : 

Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) - Mirror work is simply awe-inspiring
and is glimpse of artistic finesse of the by-gone era

Door and Walls depicting chinese art form

The Library room has fine wall frescoes depicting stories and characters from various Hindu mythological scriptures. What amazes is the detailing that has gone into the paintings with minutest of minute detail captured into the painting, whether expressions on the face of the characters or weapons held by the deities, everything is painted with precision to the last brush stroke.

Lord Brahma

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

Goddess Durga

Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi

Lord Ganesha

Local deity

Lord Eklingji - the presiding deity of Udaipur

White City

Chinese art form depicting King and his ministers

Chinese art form on ceiling

Open air terrace adjoining the Sheesh Mahal

Serene view of Jag Niwas(now Hotel Lake Palace, Taj)
from one of the terraces of City Palace

Mor Mahal (Peacock Palace) : Peacock palace is part of Zenana Mahal and has peacock designs on the walls which are entirely made from colourful glass pieces.

Art work in Mor Mahal is more delicate given the fact that it is in Ladies Chamber

Fine art work made out of glass pieces

Courtyard of Mor Mahal with peacock designs on walls

Each feather is made of thin finely cut glass thread
(just zoom and see it for yourself)

Delicately carved door with floral glass work border

 I hope you enjoyed the pictorial journey of City Palace. But believe me this not even half of what the beautiful City Palace offers. (infact i ran out of mobile battery and couldnt click any further :-P ) There's history in every stone of the Palace enough to fill out volumes. Mewar Paintings gallery, silverware museum, music gallery and on and on and on.

The City Palace visit is soul enriching and immerses you in the rich cultural heritage of Mewar. Fills you with sense of pride and you walk out with feeling of wanting more of it...