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The
city of Udaipur is merely a few minutes away from Mountain Ridge,
though this short distance ensures that whilst Udaipur can be very
noisy, Mountain Ridge enjoys peace and quiet. The Udaipur of today
embodies ancient and modern architecture and culture making it the
fascinating city that it is. Below the palace lies the beautiful,
island studded Lake Pichola, whilst stretching downhill away from
the palace to the North and East is the Old City; a maze of narrow,
winding streets that hide many a wonder amongst the homes and shops
of the local people. The famous sites of Udaipur include the palace
complex, the lovely gardens of Sahelion-ki-Bari, Bagore-ki-Haveli,
the splendid Jagdish Temple and Moti Magri by Fateh Sagar Lake. Just
outside the city, are the magnificent Royal Cenotaphs, the Monsoon
Palace and Shilpgram Craft Village.
Whilst Udaipur has more than its fair share of monuments, you should
take time to break away from the herd and head off at random down
one of the Old City lanes. The further you get away from the beaten
tourist tracks, the more the sheep in you diminishes and the more
the Dr. Livingstone materializes! You will catch a glimpse of the
way of life here more than anywhere; children collecting water from
a hand pump, the elderly folk chatting on a doorstep, children
playing games with an old wheel or a stick, women threading flowers
to make garlands or forming plates out of leaves, hawkers and
merchants selling their wares. This fundamental view of Udaipur is
the Udaipur of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
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