Experience Udaipur: Check out these 5 must-do activities
Udaipur is the kind of place you think you know before you get there. You imagine beautiful fairytale castles floating above a blue lake, and you are partly right.
But besides the expensive items, there is much more to see. Behind the scenes of this tourist-friendly city lie neighborhoods full of craftsmen, ancient trade routes and devout pilgrims from far away. Spend some time in these areas or visit one of the holiest shrines in the city and you will see Udaipur for what it really is: a city with a history so alive that residents still practice it every day.
Here are seven trails that will take you straight to the heart of magical Udaipur.
1. Stroll through living history at Jagdish Chowk
The heartbeat of Udaipur centers around Jagdish Chowk, a square filled with flower sellers, spice sellers and street performers surrounding a 17th-century Hindu temple. This lively intersection offers the perfect starting point to the cultural core of the old city!
Under intricately carved balconies, devotees circle the towering Jagdish Temple, built in black stone, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, before entering to sing hymns from ancient scriptures. Steeped in ornate symbolism, this spiritual retreat offers rare tranquility amid the madness of the old city.
Just outside, friendly locals guide out-of-towners to their desired locations, from the grand gates of the City Palace to the quirky Popcorn Cart pulled by a bull! By embracing unplanned encounters, you connect with the local heartbeat.
- Surrounded by medieval architecture with narrow streets behind it
- Connects travelers directly to the City Palace, Jagdish Temple and Ghantaghar Clock Tower
- Home to one of Udaipur’s original handicraft shops since the 80s
2. Witness folk art reviving legacies at Shilpgram
As dazzling new attractions modernize cities, Udaipur’s artisan village of Shilpgram preserves cultural traditions that date back generations. This sprawling complex means ‘craft village’ in Hindi and gathers master craftsmen from the state who practice indigenous art forms that are in danger of disappearing.
Interact firsthand with varied folk artists housed in traditional mud huts to discover their unique artistic stories. Admire skilled potters throwing perfect miniature diyas on spinning wheels. Look at the precise hand movements with which you tie complex Bandhej textile knots. Get a glimpse of a wizened puppeteer expertly animating stringed warriors for traditional shows.
By preserving endangered artistic livelihoods in Shilpgram, the country’s intangible heritage remains vibrantly alive instead of disappearing into museums!
- Showcases more than 70 rural art forms from across the state of Rajasthan
- The art on display ranges from pottery, textiles to sculpture and theater
- Traditional huts built on site from earth, cow dung, wood and reeds
3. Discover what dreams sound like at Jagat Shiromani Temple
While visitors from Udaipur flock to grand royal structures, few discover the ethereal magic swirling around modest temples like Jagat Shiromani, hidden in the corners of the Old City. In neighborhoods full of shops, ancient shrines loom, radiating mystical energies that have accumulated over the centuries.
Escape the street chaos into the womb-like inner sanctum filled with fragrant smoke from flickering lamps offered by harvesters and newlyweds. Golden gods adorned with silk and streamers shine brightly in the intimate room. Then the priest belts out an enchanting prayer ballad to invoke divine blessings, while melodies soar to the heavens – what daydreams should sound like!
As you emerge renewed from this soulful experience, you connect with faith traditions that bind communities through the ages.
- Ancient Hindu shrine hidden in the small shopping area behind the Jagdish Temple
- Priest belongs to the traditional musical bard community and plays devotional songs
- Intimate room with brightly colored walls housing glowing gods
- Visitors are encouraged to put donations in the donation box
4. Master an ancient skill at Shilpgram’s Pottery Village
Imagine wandering down a dusty street and hearing rhythmic claps and creaking sounds floating from open doorways. You peek into simple rooms and discover wizened potters lost in creation trances! In Udaipur’s Hanuman Ghat district, visitors can delve into the process behind drinking pots and decorative diyas that light up Diwali evenings across India.
Bend down and try the rapidly spinning potter’s wheel to balance the wet clay until it comes into shape is harder than it looks! Or apply traditional geometric designs as an expert sketches images related to nature and Hindu gods using homemade natural dyes.
Visiting these heritage sites preserves age-old artisanal knowledge that is still passed on by hand to younger generations and not just forgotten in school textbooks.
- Age-old pottery craft maintained today by the Kumhar community
- Use local clay, dyes and spinning wheels powered by hand or bicycle pedals
- Etch spiritual motifs such as flowers, peacocks and deities associated with rituals
- Shilpgram also organizes pottery stalls and live demonstrations
5. Witness spectacular beauty at the Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal Folk Art Museum
To appreciate the mind-boggling diversity within the creativity spectrum of Rajasthan, don’t miss this hidden gem celebrating vibrant living heritage! Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal is a passionate cultural institution with mesmerizing exhibitions ranging from classical art to folk theater traditions that still flourish in rural desert villages.
Lose yourself as you wander through three expansive floors covered in more than 6,000 exhibits detailing spiritual practices, clothing varieties, and even cooking utensils unique to each community. Be captivated by beautiful Pichhwai paintings that depict epic mythology used for temple rituals. Marvel at the spectacular precision of miniature angelic dancers made entirely of folded paper!
Preserving the cultural complexity woven into the social fabric over the centuries, this spectacular repository offers rare perspectives on Rajasthan’s living creative heritage.
- Displays more than 8000 objects related to the Rajasthani culture and lifestyle
- Galleries include paintings, dolls, textiles, ornaments and tools from the Iron Age
- Art reflects various religions: Jainism, Vaishnavism, spirit worship and more
- Reference library houses more than 1500 books and documents
The takeaway
There is more to historical monuments than what meets the eye, often behind the perfect photos. Hidden beneath the surface of Udaipur lies a veil of cultural traditions that lie in forgotten corners of society and continue to exert influence today.
Spend five minutes chatting with a local artist and you’ll hear grand plans for a school for girls left behind by modernization. Stand transfixed next to a wandering priest as he raises his voice to the heavens and you may just feel the vastness of the universe swirling around us. Watch as a young boy works with his grandfather to etch ancient symbols onto an earthen lamp and see how the legacy is passed on to future generations.
These are the parts of Udaipur’s heritage that are worth their weight in gold. Those who were kept alive by telling stories, singing songs and engraving symbols from community to community. These are the parts that offer renewed meaning in ever-changing times, no matter how many things change, they never lose their value!