Lake Pichola

Pichola Lake

About Lake Pichola

The city of Udaipur has a charm unlike any other city in India. Situated amidst the Arvallis, with lakes, forts and palaces surrounding the city, the place promises to be an experience of a lifetime. Though, each site in the city is unique, Lake Pichola is especially unique owing to its location. Udaipur is situated around this beautiful lake. Known for its stunning charm all over the world, the lake is one of the most significant reasons for an impressive number of tourists visiting Udaipur.

Lake Pichola is a man-made artificial lake and one of the several adjoining lakes, which have been developed to a great extent over the last few centuries. When Maharana Udai Singh founded the city of Udaipur, he saw the lake and was awestruck with its natural beauty and decided to extend the lake by building a dam made out of stone. The lake is not too deep and often dries up in extremely hot weather. Though, if you are here in the monsoons, you'll realise one shower of heavy rainfall is enough to fill up the lake for around a year.

Lake Pichola has two main islands situated on it, the Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. The lake is also famous for its many small islands, temples and bathing ghats. The Jag Mandir is one of the oldest and one of the most intriguing palaces on the lake. It was here that Prince Khurram took refuge and stayed with his wife and two sons. The other magnificent palace here is the Jag Niwas which is known as the City Palace. It has been converted into a heritage hotel and is one-of-its-kind for its sheer magnificence. The Lake also houses the Mohan Mandir, a place from where Rana Udai Singh used to watch the famous Gangaur festival. The other famous island is the Arsi Vilas, where you can enjoy the glorious views of the sunset and see a variety of birds in its courtyard.

A trip on Lake Pichola, though, is incomplete without a boat ride. Famous for its solar-powered motor boats, it boasts of an eco-friendly environment. If you wish to see the beauty of the calm blue waters, then stay here till the sun sets. You can here have a feast with myriad restaurants offering a number of local delicacies. Picholi Bar, one of the most famous restaurants here, promises a lovely evening complete with stunning views and delicious food. 

City Palace on Lake Pichola

History

A famous compliment to Udaipur by Rudyard Kipling for its majestic monuments and lake palaces is, 'See it and Die'. The city is magnificently placed around the lake, making it one of the stunning tourist destinations in the world.

The famous Lake Pichola, which is the pride of the city of Udaipur, was named after a small village called Picholi Village. The lake leaves you with a mesmerising experience and the memories of a lifetime. Being the oldest and the largest, it is one of the most beautiful lakes in Udaipur. The Pichola Lake was built in the 14th century by a Banjara Tribesman named Pichhu Banjara, when Maharana Lakha used to rule this place. It is believed that the tribesman built a bridge over the lake because he found it difficult and cumbersome to transport his grains on his bullocks, as it was very difficult for the bullocks to cross the small stream.

Later, when Maharana Udai Singh saw the lake, he was so awestruck with its beauty that he decided to build a city at the backdrop of this amazing Lake. The city of Udaipur then came into existence. Maharana Udai Singh then enlarged the lake by constructing a dam in the Badipol area on the lake shore.

The lake is 4 km long and 3 km wide, with a depth of around 30 feet. The main source to fill the lake is rainwater. There are four main islands located on Lake Pichola - the Jag Niwas, the Jag Mandir, Mohan Mandir and Arsi Villas.

Location

Lake Pichola is situated beside the City Lake Palace in Udaipur. It is easily accessible by road with local buses, tongas, auto rickshaws and taxis taking tourists every now and then.

How to Reach

Being a famous tourist destination, the city Of Udaipur is easily accessible from all parts of India, through various means of transport.

The nearest airport is the Maharana Pratap Airport, which is situated at a distance of 22 km from the main city. There are many domestic flights, operational from this particular airport, which connect to major metro cities in India. The main airlines which serve to thousands of tourists are the Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Air Deccan. The airport is also known for its hospitality in terms of providing quality service which adds comfort to all your needs.

The railways station is located at a convenient distance from the city. All the major cities of India are connected through a major railway network in Udaipur. If you wish to have an experience of a lifetime, you would love to travel on 'Palace on Wheels', a luxurious train that offers the travellers an unforgettable experience. The Mewar Express, Gwalior-Udaipur Express, Bandra-Udaipur Express,Chetak Express are some of the trains which run regularly.

Udaipur has a brilliant and smooth road network which connects the city to all other major cities around the state and other cities in India. The city also has a well-established bus service network, which includes deluxe and non-deluxe buses as well as state-run transport.

With a brilliant road network to its credit, you can drive down to the city, or if you don't want to drive, you can hire a vehicle from the tour operators and enjoy a wonderful chauffer driven journey to this city.

View of Pichola Lake

Best time to visit

Udaipur, a city lying on the border of the desert-area, enjoys a tropical climate. The summer season is from March till the end of June. The maximum temperature can rise up to 40 degrees, making it impossible to take a tour of the city.

If you are here to enjoy the picturesque beauty of this magnificent place, then the hot summer months should to be avoided, as it becomes unbearable to step out during this period . It is not advisable to take a tour of this magnificent city of lakes and palaces in the hot weather. A little relief with the cooling showers can be sensed during the monsoon season, but the duration is short lived because the city does not receive much rain even during the season, making the weather humid and sticky. The best time to visit Udaipur is during the months from September to March. The weather is very pleasant and you can enjoy every bit of your stay during this period. A number of festivals and celebrations take place during this time, the most significant being Shilpgram Crafts Mela, which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.