Udaipur City Palace: Visiting the City of Lakes this September? Check out these 8 interesting facts about the City Palace

The city of lakes, Udaipur Udaipur is packed with famous destinations and has emerged as one of the most popular tourist destinations. With beautiful places, temples, lakes and landscapes, Udaipur is filled with rich culture and beauty all around but it is not just about the sights, you can easily relish the tasty delicacies and enjoy the Rajasthani culture heard on every street. Apart from its rich heritage, Udaipur offers majestic stories about every destination and one of the most visited and magnificent complexes of all time is the City Palace.

The City Palace is one of the major tourist spots in Udaipur, which proudly dominates Lake Pichola. This complex was built 400 years ago and is the largest complex in Rajasthan. The palace was once the home of the then legendary Maharanas. The City Palace is a brilliant architectural marvel of Udaipur, which is a unique blend of Mughal, Medieval, Chinese, and European styles. With numerous intricate paintings and carvings, every corner of the gigantic city has something to tell. Check out these amazing facts before visiting this beautiful palace.

The vacant chair

There is an empty chair in the palace that belonged to the ruler of Mewar, Maharana Fateh Singh Ji. It is believed that the ruler once received an invitation to attend the Great Delhi Durbar held in honour of King George V and somehow declined as he did not want to bow down or sit below the British. The Maharan’s seat remained empty and that very chair is preserved inside the city palace.

Steep stairs and low and high doors

This multi-story palace has narrow staircases and several entry points connecting the floors. The doorway is small and only one person can pass through the hallway at a time. It is believed that the idea behind making the stairs and hallways narrow was so that multiple people would not be able to enter the palace during attacks. Enemies would have to bow their heads and be forced to slow down to pass through the chambers.

Divan-e-Aam

This beautiful Mor Chowk was considered a meeting place of the king. All the special meetings to discuss important matters were held here, while the king used to sit on a beautifully decorated balcony above it all and the ministers sat in front of him. The area is an elegant complex that is famous for its mirror work. A beautiful peacock is made entirely of small mirrors and the rooms are filled with stunning masterpieces. Every part of Mor Chowk has unique details.

The golden sun

Inside the palace, you will see a special golden sun that is not just any decorative piece, but was considered to be a good omen. The king used to start his day by facing the sun every morning for good luck. But now there is a similar bronze-plated sun placed at the main gate so that tourists can witness its auspicious sights.

The false door

While you are busy exploring the city palace, you might stumble upon a door that looks just like any other door. When you try to open it, your guide will reveal a surprise about this purposely installed illusory door. It is believed that the king used this door to entertain his guests. This hidden detail of the door, which is nothing but the skillfully painted wall, is another factor that makes this palace a must-see.

Beautiful rooms and Jharokas

The beautiful rooms are decorated with colourful jharokas. The floor with this beautiful layout has a courtyard, on one side of which there are very attractive windows with jharokas (coloured glass) and impressive rooms. One of the rooms is believed to have belonged to the king. That very room was built taking inspiration from the sheesh mahal of Amer, as the entire floor is covered with mirrors.

Fully grown trees on the fourth floor

During your visit to the upper floor/terrace, be prepared to observe the already grown trees. The ingenious construction skills serve as a testimony to the amazing planning and conservation of beauty and nature. The trees you will see at Amar Vilas or on the fourth floor are growing on the hill and not on the palace as the hill was not demolished during construction. The setting creates a beautiful rooftop oasis while respecting nature.

Silver Gallery

While you are busy exploring the palace, this silver gallery is a treasure trove of silver. The gallery is filled with shiny silver kitchen utensils, all objects used by the royal family. From carts and spoons to water pots and toothpicks, you will find everything preserved there, but two of the main things that will definitely catch your attention will be the silver cart located near the entrance and the royal cradle located near the exit. Carts were used to transport idols during festivals and royal cradles were made for royal babies to start their life in a luxurious manner. Silver artworks are an important part of the palace.