Udaipur is the jewel of Mewar kingdom ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200 Years. The foundation of the city has an interesting legend associated with it. According to it, Maharana Udai Singh, the founder, was hunting one day when he met a holy man meditations on a hill overlooking the Lake Pichhola. The hermit blessed the Maharana and advised him to build a palace at this favorable located spot with a fertile valley watered by the stream, a lake, an agreeable altitude and an amphitheater of low mountains. Maharana followed the advise of the hermit and founded the city in 1559 A.D.

Reaching Udaipur
By Air
Udaipur is well connected to all the major cities which includes Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Jodhpur, Jaipur.

By Bus
Rajasthan Roadways run very comfortable deluxe & air conditioned buses from Jaipur, Delhi, Ahmedabad to Udaipur. The roads are very good, and it takes around 8-9 hr. from Jaipur. You can also come by taxi from Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

By Train
Udaipur is connected to many major cities of India. There are daily trains from Delhi, Jaipur.The best train between Delhi and Udaipur, the daily Chetak Express. Trains take around 12 Hrs from Jaipur to Udaipur.

Getting around
Udaipur has a reasonably good city bus service. Taxi and auto - rickshaws are un metered. Udaipur is small enough and vehicle traffic slow enough to make getting around on a bicycle quite enjoyable. You can hire bicycles all over town. RTDC and several private companies offer daily tours of all the main sites.
 

City Palace complex is actually a conglomeration of buildings added by various Maharanis, the palace manages to retain a surprising uniformity of design. Building was started by Maharana Udai Singh II . The palace is surmounted by balconies, towers & cupolas and there are wonderful views over the lake and the city from the upper terrace.

Main entrance is from northern end through the Baripol of 1600 and the Tripolia Gate of 1725 , with its eight carved marble arches. It was once custom for Maharanis to be weighed under the gate and their weight in gold or silver distributed to the populace.

In Badi Chowk , the large rectangular courtyard outside the museum, there are some shops selling pricey handicrafts and a money exchange facility.

The main part of the palace is now preserved as the City Palace Museum, housing a large and varied collection of artefacts. Downstairs from the entrance is an armoury section, sporting a collection of old weapons including a lethal two-prolonged sword.

The Ganesh Deori is the entrance to the museum and leads up to the Rajya Angan, or Royal courtyard , the very spot where Udai Singh met the sage who told him to found this city here. The rooms of the museum are extravagantly decorated with mirrors , tiles and paintings. In the Manak Mahal (Ruby Palace) there is the exquisite glass and mirror work, while Krishna Vilas has a remarkable collection of the miniatures.Teh Moti Mahal has beautiful mirror work and the Chini Mahal is covered in ornamental tiles. The Surya Chopar has a huge ,ornamental sun-the symbol of mewar dynasty, the origins of which are traced to the sun. The Mor Chowk (Peacock Square) has beautiful mosaics of the peacocks, the favourite Rajasthani bird. In the Bari Mahal there is a fine central garden with good views over the old city. More beautiful paintings can be seen in the Zenana Mahal , which opens onto Laxmi Chowk;there's a beautiful white pavilion in the center of this square. Note the large tiger catching cage near Zenana Mahal entrance ; a helpless goat of buffalo would be tied up inside the cage to lure the tiger in-gruesome.