Skip to contentPalace in Udaipur, western India
In order to get a good view of the Udaipur palaces along the castled shore, we hire a boat and go for a ride upon the lake. We feed the swans, and make chains of the lotus blossoms. But we forget about the daily rainstorm. Suddenly it sweeps down upon us and we are drenched before we can reach the dock. (CC BY 2.0 ©2007 McKay Savage from London)
The early kings of Udaipur must have been poets, or artists, for they loved beauty. Their favorite summer residence was this marble palace on this enchanted little island. Trees with scarlet blossoms shade the walls. At night the odor of jasmine flowers perfumes the gardens. The lake, and the marble island, and the turbaned Rajah who lives here, all seem like a tale from a story-book. (CC BY 2.0 ©2012 Arnie Papp)
When the Rajah of Udaipur went for a ride upon the lake, he did not dash around in a modern speedboat, but instead moved slowly, and in state, aboard one of these royal barges. The Rajah sat on a raised throne under a canopy. Fourteen oarsmen furnished the power. An orchestra played while guards in bright uniforms stood at attention. (CC BY 2.0 ©2012 Arnie Papp)
