Through the centuries, Udaipur has evolved into a city with love, in the air.The city is so whimsical that whoever visits the city will fall in love with it. The city of lakes is home to Rajputana forts, ornate palaces, resplendent temples, busy markets, stunning architecture, serene lakes and most romantic sunsets but Udaipur has a legend behind its origin. The history of the city and its royalty runs in the lanes of the city and veins of its people.
We Niwas Hospitality give you a golden opportunity to dive right into the colorfully royal culture and the romantic vibe of Udaipur. Our properties in Udaipur give you an exceedingly pure exposure to the culture and traditions of the city.
Explore Udaipur with us and you will fall in love with the blue lakes, the lush green hills and the royal ancient marble.
Today we are sharing with you the legend behind the origin of the ‘Venice of the East’ , come with us on the journey through the centuries where Udaipur went from being a valley in the arid Rajasthan to becoming one of the most romantic cities in the world.
Pre-Historic Era
The Ahar River bank was inhabited in about 2000 B.C. There are footprints of two different civilizations, which provides claims about earliest inhabitants of the Ahar culture: the first ones are the Bhil/Bheels, the indigenous tribes originated at this place, and are still residing in the area in large numbers. The second footprints were of Rajputs, who once entered the enclosed valley, and then continued to live in this place for centuries.
Foundation of Udaipur
The world already knows about the valiant Sisodia rulers of Mewar. Maharana Udai SIngh II was one of the most valorous Ranas of the kingdom. Along with his gallantry, he had magnificent strategic skills.
In his exile years in the hilly state of Kumbhalgarh, he had realised the defensive importance of hilly regions. He decided to move the capital from the vulnerable tableland Chittaurgarh but he was not sure about where to move the capital.
Around 1553 he met a hermit named Goswami Premgiriji while hunting in the ranges. The hermit blessed him to build a palace at the shoreline of the Lake, now known as Pichola. So, he decided to shift the capital from Chittaurgarh to Girwa Valley.
Consequently, Udaipur was founded in 1559, by Maharana Udai Singh II in the fertile circular Girwa Valley to the southwest of Nagda, on the Banas River. The city was established as the new capital of the Mewar kingdom.
Capture of Chittorgarh
It was the year 1568 when the Mughal Emperor managed to capture the Chittorgarh Fort and other parts of Mewar. He had shown the real might of the Mughal Empire by defeating the Maharana but he was never able to capture Udai Singh II.
Soon after this siege, to protect Udaipur from external attacks, Maharana Udai Singh built a six kilometre long city wall, with seven gates, namely Surajpole, Chandpole, Udiapole, Hathipole, Ambapole, Brahmpole and so on. The area within these walls and gates is still known as the old city or the walled city.
The vicious Mughals struck Udaipur on two occasions,once by Akbar (1576) and later on by Aurangzeb (1680), but the natural boundaries and bravery of Rajasthan held the line. Mughals were not able to cut through into the city.
The Battle of Haldighati
Maharana Pratap was Udai Singh’s eldest son (out of 24 sons) and the heir to the throne. He was elected as the new king after the death of Udai Singh in 1572. Unfortunately, the Mughals never stopped. The new king fought heroically, however, in 1576, it was the Battle of Haldighati when the Mughal emperor Akbar was Victor against the Rajput king and claimed Udaipur as his own.
Then the time came when death turned to the Great Emperor, his son Jahangir took the throne and granted the control of Udaipur to Amar Singh, Maharana Pratap’s son and spawn a treaty between both Kingdoms. After his father’s death, he laid the burden on his shoulders and tried to dominate the Mughal, which eventually turned out to be a peace offering.
After the Mughal
As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia rulers, reasserted their independence and recaptured most of Mewar except for Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818.
Being a mountainous region and unsuitable for heavily armoured Mughal horses, Udaipur remained safe from Mughal influence despite much pressure. At present, Maharana Mahendra Singh Mewar is the 76th custodian of the Mewar dynasty.
The City of Lakes We Know Today
After the independence of India in 1947, when given a chance Udaipur willingly surrendered and became the part of Independent India. The royal family had to yield their title as king but they were allowed to keep their castle as their ancestral lineage.
Today, those castles function as hereditary hotels. They even appear in the James Bond movie- Octopussy and the Bollywood blockbuster Goliyon Ki Raas Leela Ram-Leela.
The rich and eventful history of Udaipur, the royal city is cherished by the tourists due to its artsy architecture and royal lineage. There are a number of monuments and places where you will find the traces of Udaipur’s history that the descendants of the Sun God left behind.
The places like Bagore Ki Haveli, City Palace Udaipur, Lake Palace Udaipur, Jag Mandir Palace and Maharana Pratap Memorial are some handful of the places depicting the history of Udaipur.
Udaipur is an incredible destination with its formidable monuments,colourful culture and as we found out today it’s tongue healing delicacies. The majestic grandeur of its palaces , the history of havelis ,,the natural beauty of the lakes and the incredible taste of the Mewari Cuisine, will surely cast a spell on you.
If you are a globetrotter the nUdaipur gives you every reason to be in your bucket list and eventually be a once in a lifetime experience in your life.
If you are planning to come to Udaipur then consider your stay at our places in the city, We have beautiful properties with traditional interior designs to create a cultural and cozy vibe.
All the major tourist attractions are just 15-20 minute away from our locations and still our properties are away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We also serve authentic homemade Mewari food, right from our kitchens.
If you want to make your Udaipur experience more authentic and want to create lifelong memories then just trust us with your accommodation.