Location
The Lake Pichola is situated in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
Best time to visit
The city is filled with tourists whole year round, but winter season, from October to March, is the best time to visit Udaipur.
Major Attraction
Lake Palace and Jagmandir, situated in the middle of the lake.
About the Lake
A man made lake, Lake Pichola is one of the prime attractions of Udaipur. The lake is known for the palace build amidst the lake. The lake was built by Maharana Udai Singh II. It was made basically for defence purpose. Cradled amongst hills, gardens, havelis, temples and ghats, Lake Pichola is the picturesque spotlight of Udaipur. The lake sports two islands palaces- Jagniwas (Lake Palace) and Jagmandir. The lake is about 4 km long and 3 km wide, and not much deep- it often dries up in times of severe summers. The beauty of the lake and its surroundings can only be felt by seeing it, which increases many folds during sunrise and sunset.
Attractions
Lake Palace
The Lake Palace is a white beautiful palace, situated in the mid of the Lake Pichola. The palace was built by Maharaja Jagat Singh as his summer home. The palace is now a five star hotel. The scene of lake palace amidst lake pichola is mesmerising.
Jagmandir
Jagmandir was built by Maharana Karan Singh in 1622 AD and was intented to be a pleasure palace for regal parties and functions. It also served as a refuge for Mughal emperor Shah Jehan when he was a prince. The legend says that Jagmandir was the inspiration behind the world-famous Taj Mahal.
Boat-rides
The lake Pichola can be explored on a boat ride. A boat ride will cover all the major and minor attractions around the lake. Also the lake is so beautiful that one can enjoy the rides on a boat. One can also wander along the bathing and washing ghats by the lakeside.
Reaching Udaipur
Air
Dabok Airport is the nearest airport, 21 Km, from Udaipur. It is well connected with domestic flights to all the major cities of India.
Rail
Udaipur has good railway links connecting all the major cities in Rajasthan. Trains from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Chittorgarh connects to Udaipur. The luxury train "Palace on Wheels" also covers this place.
Road
Deluxe and semi deluxe buses are operated by Rajasthan Roadways from Jaipur, Delhi, Ahmedabad to Udaipur. The highways are very well constructed and it takes around 8-9 hr. from Jaipur. Taxis can also be hired from Jaipur and Ahmedabad. The important distances from Udaipur are: Ahmedabad- 262 km, Delhi is- 670 km from Udaipur, Mumbai- 739km, Ahmedabad- 262 km, Jaipur- 407 km.