Me: Hey! I’m going to India!
Friend: Really? Why in the world would you want to go there?
Why in the world indeed. It’s full of interesting culture, delicious cuisine, incredibly beautiful cities, and the people are some of the friendliest I have met in my travels to 59 countries. Yes, it’s crowded, full of poverty, smells of all kinds, and horrible traffic. But can’t you name some places in the western world that can also claim that description. Anyone? Anyone?
Udaipur: Second place in the world!
In a recent 2023 survey of Travel and Leisure Magazine readers chose Udaipur as their second favorite city in the world. Who knew? Well, I did of course or I wouldn’t be bringing it up. I visited the White City, as it is sometimes called, in 2015. And I was there during the celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights.
The fact that I was there during this most popular of all India holidays was quite by accident. Talk about clueless. I had never even heard of Diwali or Udaipur. We added on the trip to India as an after thought to a seven day photo trip to Bhutan. We figured seven days was too short for such a long flight so we decided to include another country. India won. It turned out to be one of the best travel decisions I have ever made. I found a photo travel company online that specialized in India and they arranged a wonderful itinerary.
We started in New Delhi. From there we visited Varanasi (the ghats on the Ganges), Agra (the Taj Mahal), Jaipur (the Pink City), Jodhpur (the Blue City), and the final stop was Udaipur, the White City. We arrived in Udaipur just as Diwali was starting. What a gift.
Diwali: the celebration of lights
To be in India for this most popular of festivals is a delight. It’s as popular as Christmas is in the western world. Diwali, like Christmas, is also celebrated by more than just one religion… because it’s so much fun! The significance is to celebrate the victory of light of over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil. What’s not to like about that? It’s basically a Hindu celebration but other religions put their own spin on it. There are flowers everywhere. I favor the gold marigolds combined with mango leaves. Everywhere are the sights, smells and taste of the holiday: oil lamps and candles, sand paintings on the floors, fireworks, and special cuisine. It’s a time to be with family. Gift giving is also a tradition.
What’s so special about Udaipur?
Udaipur is in the western part of the Indian state of Rajasthan and is often called the Venice of the East. It’s special during Diwali but go there anytime! It is situated on beautiful Lake Pichola. The majority of the architectural jewels here are white which makes it spectacular to look at both close up and from a distance.
The best of these for me are the Lake Palace, Jag Mandir, and the City Palace. The Lake Palace is now a luxury hotel. Next time I’m going to spend one night there…which would be all I could afford. The City Palace is a spectacular fortress built over a span of 400 years. It has a panoramic view of the city and its surroundings. Finally, Jag Mandir is another palace built on an island in the middle of Lake Pichola. These people are serious about palaces! The Four huge stone elephants on either side flank the pavilion entry. Take the cruise out to explore it. Fantastic at sunset.
For you fans of cinema, the beautiful White City of Udaipur has also been the backdrop for many famous films including The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. If you haven’t seen it yet, rent it right now. It truly will make you want to visit India. And if this blog post inspires you as well, my work is done here.
(I wrote this blog post to coincide with the Hindu five day celebration of Diwali, October 10 through the 14th.)
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