Picture perfect

HIT THE ROAD

The 'White City' of Udaipur is the seat of the erstwhile princely state of Mewar, which also includes Chittor, Bhilwara and Rajsamand. Famed chiefly for its mind-boggling City Palace on the shores of Lake Pichola, the Venice of the East is a real eye-widener.

The palace is so huge it scarcely seems real, and once inside you will wander through a vast labyrinth of breathtakingly plush rooms, filigreed balconies, gardens and courtyards. The sheer grandeur of the Mewars, the most highly-ranked of the Rajput clans, will hit you like a hailstorm.

You could also visit the remains of the fortifications of Chittor, about 120 km further north-east.

Udaipur is 665 km from Delhi, down NH8 and the road is in a good state of repair for the most part, except for a few stretches where the highway is being widened. Udaipur has many hotels, ranging from the ultra-luxurious Oberoi Udai Vilas and the Taj Lake Palace to dingy roach-motels. An excellent bet is Rang Niwas Palace Hotel (Ph: 0294-2523890) at Rs 600 onwards.

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