What is Lake Pichola most famous for? Those beautiful royal palaces and temples that lie on its islands and around its shoreline. One that impressed me the most (guess many tourists too!), and also the most famous sights on the lake is a beautiful shining white building that appears to float on the lake's clear blue waters, i.e. Jag Niwas, but now the Lake Palace Hotel, which was built in the 1740s and is made entirely of marble.
The Lake Palace Hotel - in the centre of Lake Pichola
You may want to know that the chief town in the area is Udaipur (also known as the city of lakes), was founded on the advice of a hermit in 1559 for the residence to Maharana Udai Singh. Among the highlights in Udaipur included the City Palace and Museum, the many smaller palaces and temples, as well as those tourist attractions picturesque streets, gardens and fountains.
What follows are some of the places to see and places to visit on Lake Pichola’s islands that I think you might be interested:
- Sajjangarh Palace - this palace overlooks the lake from the top of a hill and was the summer palace where the members of the royal family spent the monsoon season.
- Shah Jahan’s refuge - i.e. the Jag Mandir, is a red sandstone complex with cool courtyards, a small museum, and the massive Jagdish Temple that lies within its walls. Some said this has provided inspiration for Taj Mahal.
- Shilpgram - a craft village that is in the north-west of Udaipur. In fact, Shilpgram is a centre dedicated to preserving and enhancing the craft and folk heritage of western India.
