Udaipur Travel Tips

Udaipur is a royal city that had been the capital of Mewar rulers for centuries. The romantic city of Udaipur has a legend behind its origin and it goes like this. Once, Maharana Udai Singh happened to meet a holy sage when he was on his hunting expedition in the Aravalli Hills. The Sage counseled the King to establish a kingdom in the fertile valley that would be well-protected by the elevated Aravalli Hills. Subsequently, Maharana Udai Singh laid the foundation stone of Udaipur in 1557 A.D.

Chittorgarh was the previous capital of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar. Maharana Udai Singh was a successor of the Sisodias, who claimed to be the descendants of the Sun God. The Sisodias are believed to be the oldest ruling family in the World. Amongst the warrior clans, Sisodias are recognized as the most powerful ones in Rajasthan. Another reason for shifting the capital from Chittorgarh to Udaipur was constant attacks of enemies.

In 1568, Chittor was attacked by the Mughal emperor, Akbar and to ward off this danger, Udai Singh shifted the whole kingdom to Udaipur. Udaipur was naturally safe under the fortifications made by Aravalli Hills. Since that time, Udaipur developed into a full-fledged city. Slowly when the Mughal Empire undermined, the Sisodias reasserted their freedom. They recaptured most of the parts of Mewar with the exception of the Chittorgarh Fort.

Udaipur continued to be the capital of Mewar, till it became the princely state of British India in 1818. When India got independent in 1947, the Maharaja of Udaipur granted the place to the Government of India. At that time, Mewar was merged into the state of Rajasthan. In the present date, Udaipur enjoys a favorable position on the maps of Rajasthan. Udaipur is known for its picturesque surroundings and its royal past. Various ancient monuments, massive palaces, architectural temples and beautiful lakes fascinate people to visit the ancient land of the Royalty.

Best Time to Visit Udaipur

The splendid city of Udaipur observes the three main seasons, summers (Mid-March-June), monsoons (July-September) and winters (October-March) respectively. In the summer season, the temperature ranges between 38.3 and 28.8 degree Celsius. In the company of such high temperature, you might not want to visit the place and summer season is not even preferable to visit Udaipur.

In the bright Sun of summers, one cannot enjoy the landscape of Udaipur. Located in the desert area, Udaipur enjoys a tropical climate. Arrival of Monsoon brings a sense of relief after the scorching summers. However, the city receives a meager amount of rainfall, approximately around 637 mm, which makes the place very humid. Winter season is considered as the best time to visit Udaipur.

In winters, the temperature touches maximum of 28.3 degree Celsius and minimum of 11.6 degree Celsius. With such temperature, Udaipur experiences a pleasant climate in winters. Months from September to March make the ideal time to visit this city of lakes. If you want to enjoy Udaipur in its full glory, it would be better to plan your trip during the winters. In totality, the best time to visit Udaipur is between the months of September and March.

How to Reach Udaipur

Udaipur is easily reachable from all the major cities of the country including Delhi, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahemdabad and Jaipur. Being easily accessible, traveling to Udaipur is not a problem. Udaipur is well-connected by rail, road and air. The city of Udaipur has an excellent network of road to ensure you a comfortable journey. When talking about railways, Udaipur city railway station provides the best services to its passengers. If you are travelling by air, Udaipur Airport at Dabok, will offer you the quality services to add your comfort. This article will provide you further information on how to reach Udaipur.

By Air: Udaipur Airport namely Maharana Pratap Airport is located near Dabok at a distance of 22 kms from the city of Udaipur. Many domestic airlines connect the city to all the major cities of India including Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Regular air services are available for Delhi and Mumbai.

By Rail: Udaipur Railway Station is located at a comfortable distance from the city of Udaipur. Rajasthan Railways connects Udaipur station with all the other cities of Rajasthan as well as India. There are frequent trains which run to and from Udaipur connecting Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi. One can also travel to this beautiful city by the luxurious Palace on Wheels.

By Road: Udaipur is well connected by road to major cities in India. Brilliant road network ensure people to enjoy a relaxed journey to and from Udaipur. This mode of commuting is quite easy and economical. Udaipur Bus Stand has regular bus services, connecting Udaipur with nearby cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Chittorgarh, Indore, Kota, Ajmer, Ahmedabad and Mt. Abu. Rajasthan Roadways provides the facility of Deluxe Buses and AC coaches for the convenience of passengers. One can also hire taxis and cars to reach Udaipur by road.

Udaipur Maharana Pratap Airport

Udaipur serves as a major tourist attraction in the state of Rajasthan. With the changing times, people are getting engrossed in the hectic schedules of life. Udaipur greets many people in its setting of lakes every year. People come to this beautiful city for visiting the various attractions. For convenience sake, Udaipur Airport serves people from far and near to commute easily.

Udaipur Airport is located at a distance of 22kms from Udaipur, near the town of Dabok in Rajasthan. This airport is also known as Dabok Udaipur Airport. However, the formal name assigned to the Airport is Maharana Pratap Airport. The Airport is well-connected to all the major cities of the country including Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jodhpur and several other cities.

There are regular flights to and from Udaipur that run on a daily basis. To make your journey a pleasant experience, the airport is outfitted with all the amenities like prepaid taxi counter, handicraft emporium, tourist information centre, tea/coffee counter, ISD/ STD/ PCO and many others. Udaipur Airport will provide the best its services to make your trip a memorable one.

Location: 22 kms from the city of Udaipur

Type: Domestic

Address: M. P. Airport Dabok, Udaipur - 313023

Telephone: 91-294-2655950

Udaipur Culture

Udaipur is a romantic land that had been favorite place of the Rajputs. This beautiful city has received a rich cultural heritage from the bygone age. If you are planning to tour Udaipur, it is quite necessary to know about the culture, customs and traditions that the city follows. In the present times, Udaipur has adopted the life style of big cities; still there are some customs & traditions in the city that would be new for you.

Udaipur receives ample number of tourists from all over the world every year. The city is still inhabited by people of Bhil tribe, so you could see people dressed in typical Rajsthani dress with loads of silver jewelry during your trip. Colorful festivals and fairs depict the cultural prosperity of Udaipur. The lakes, temples, huge forts and palaces boast about the rich legacy of this city. In this article, we have covered the subjects of people, cuisine, language, religion, folk dance and music of Udaipur.

Cuisine: Udaipur cuisine comprises vegetarian dishes as the place is highly dominated by Jainism and Vaishnavism. Food is usually made from lots of vegetables and lentils. It is seasoned with a great variety of spices that are unique to the lands of Rajasthan. You can find type of curries ranging from Lentil to yoghurt. Dried mango by the name of 'Ocra' and beans of 'sangri' is accompanied by many meals. Deep-fried breads and extensive use of chili makes the cuisine of Udaipur, a delicious one.

People: Udaipur dwellers are really friendly and good to be with. On your first look, you will find them rugged, but these people are really good at heart. Untouched by the pace of modern times, these desert people are well-built, simple and cheerful. Here, people usually prefer wearing bright colored clothes. The traditional attire of women is 'Ghaghra choli' (Skirt & blouse) and for men, angrakha (Kurta) and dhoti would do. In the modern times, people prefer wearing casual dress to match the contemporary fashion.

Language: To communicate, language is really important. Mewari is the primary language of Udaipur, yet Rajasthani, Hindi and English are also common in the city.

Religion: Jainism is the main religion which is observed in Udaipur. Other religions include Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity in the decreasing order.

Folk Dance and Music: The dynamic and vibrant dance adds sparkle to this romantic city of Udaipur. Udaipur doesn't have its own dance that is especially linked with it. However, the dances that are famous all over Rajasthan make the dance of Udaipur too. Bhavai, Ghoomar, Kachhi Ghodi, Kalbeliya and Terahtaali are the unusual dances of Rajasthan. Still, dance of Dandi Gair is associated with Marwar and hence with Udaipur. Talking about music, the dwellers of Udaipur find solace in the melodious music of Morchang, Naad, Tanpura, Sarangi and many other instruments that used to echo the courts of Mewar rulers.

What to Wear in Udaipur

Udaipur is situated with the backdrop of Aravalli hills and the beautiful lakes add a tint of romance to this scene. The city of Udaipur has an appeal, one of its own kinds. When you have planned to visit this city, it becomes of vital importance to know the dressing style of Udaipur. However, there is nothing special about what to wear in Udaipur. The only required thing for an individual is to be clothed in a decent style to avoid the uncalled attention. In the modern times, inhabitants of Udaipur prefer dressing in a casual manner.

Considering the weather in mind, Udaipur is sited amidst the lakes in Rajasthan. Being a desert land, Rajasthan observes extreme type of climate and Udaipur, being situated in a desert land and that too with lakes, observes tropical climate. The weather is usually humid and sticky. So, light cotton clothes are preferable in Udaipur. If you are going in summers or monsoons, you can take comfortable cotton based clothes that can absorb sweat and dried up easily.

If touring in winters, you can take light woolens along with to cope up with the weather of Udaipur. The traditional dress of Rajasthani men is angarakha (an upper garment) and dhoti or pajama (a lower garment) for men. For women, kurti or top and a Ghaghra (skirt) make their dress, yet it is not compulsory to wear the conventional dresses of Rajasthan in Udaipur. You can always wear decent attire of modern times, which is totally endurable in the city of Udaipur.

Udaipur Weather

Udaipur city has particularly a tropical climate. The three main seasons, summer, monsoon and winter respectively, dominate the city of Udaipur. Situated at an altitude of 598m above sea level, moreover in a desert area, Udaipur has sultry type of Climate. However, Udaipur is the only place in Rajasthan that has quite moderate climate throughout the year. In summers, the scorching sun makes the city hot whereas in winters the weather is pleasant.

Being located in the desert lands of Rajasthan, the climate and weather of Udaipur is usually hot. The summer season runs from Mid-March to June and touches the temperature of 38°C. Monsoons arrive in the month of July heralded by dust and thunderstorms. The city annually receives around 637 mm of rainfall. This scanty amount of rainfall makes Udaipur more humid. The humidity reaches to the extent of 90 % during the months of Monsoons.

In Udaipur, winters are comparatively cooler than summers but not cold at all. The winter season prevails from the month of October till the month of March. Humidity, which prevails during monsoons, diminishes at the arrival of winters. The city observes pleasant sunny days and enjoyable cool nights. The temperature falls to the level of 11.6°C in the nights. Though, the temperature remains moderate throughout the year in Udaipur, still it is preferable to visit the city during winters, when the weather is pleasant neither hot nor humid, unlike summers and monsoons.

Summer Temperature: Minimum: 28.8 °C - Maximum: 38.3°C

Winter Temperature: Minimum: 11.6 °C - Maximum: 28.3 °C

Annual Rainfall:: 637mm

Get Udaipur Weather Forecast

Udaipur Location

The city of Udaipur is located in Rajasthan, a state in the Northern part of India. The city of lakes would have joined the Thar Desert, if the Aravalli Range has not separated them. Udaipur lies at the southern end of the Aravalli Range. For Udaipur, Aravalli Range is an important relief feature and it is often perceived as a frontier that separates the Thar Desert from the plains and plateaus of eastern Rajasthan.

In the language of geography, Udaipur runs from latitude 24.58 degrees in the north to longitude 73.68 degrees in the east. The city covers an area of 37 sq kms and lies at an altitude of 598 m above sea level. Mentioning about the geographical location of Udaipur, India, the city is sited in the southwest of Jaipur, near the border of Gujarat. Being situated in a desert area along with lakes, Udaipur usually remains sultry.

Udaipur, the city of lakes lies at a comfortable distance of about 663 kilometers from Delhi, 637 kilometers from Agra, 620 kilometers from Gwalior, 797 from Mumbai and 405 kilometers from Jaipur. Udaipur is well-connected with Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and other cities of the country by air, rail and road.

Get Udaipur Driving Directions