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Day 6, Monday - Chittaurgarh and Udaipur
Arrive at 07.30 hrs, Chittaurgarh and Udaipur, the capitals
of the Sisodia Maharanas, enjoy pre-eminence among the Rajput clans of
Rajasthan. Spend the day sight seeing at Udaipur. Lunch is at Lake Palace,
the beautiful island palace built as a summer resort by the royal family,
and now converted into one of the world's finest hotels. The train departs
again at 20.00 hrs, and dinner will be served on board.
Maharana Udai Singh, laid the foundation for a new kingdom-Udaipur-situated
by Lake Pichola, where the impressive City Palace was lavished with aesthetic
and imaginative works of art, and the art of miniature painting was encouraged.
Subsequently, the princes built the seemingly floating Island Palace,
the royal summer retreat, offering a spectacular view of the lake and
surrounding mountains. Besides the Lake Palace, there are other such retreats
that have been converted into modern hotels, one of them, Shiv Niwas,
being run by the current head of the family. A graceful, valorous race,
the Sisodias and their city bring alive the excitement of a medieval kingdom
as it once was, and with a little imagination, can still almost be. |
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