Kumbhalgarh - Udaipur Trip | Shilpgram | Ekling

Kumbhalgarh

Folks - This is in continuation to the previous post - How to Explore  and Enjoy The Lake City - Udaipur in Two days | DAY-1. I would recommend that you go through the previous post (Udaipur - Day 1)before hopping onto this one.

Well! Having spent an awesome day in the Lake City I was bound to crave for more and on the second day of my stay I decided to explore outskirts of the city. After managing daily chores and having my breakfast at my hotel I hired a taxi (Ola Outstation) and left for Shilp Gram which is about 3 kms west from the city of Udaipur around 10:30 AM and reached the destination within half an hour.

ShilpGram

Shilpgram (Village of Craft/art) is famous for art and craft of Rajasthan. This place is a perfect destination to look out for and try out the hand woven clothes, embroideries, mirror works and handicrafts. There is an annual fair held here during Nov/Dec and since I was travelling during Dec I got lucky to witness the "Shilgram Mela" (Fair). I enjoyed the camel ride along with the folk dance performances in the village. The dhaba at the village also offered authentic rajasthani food. Took about one and half hour to try and see everything within the Shilpgram.

After having a great time at fare I started for Eklingji Temple.

Eklingji 

Temple was about half an hour distance (22 kms approax) from Shilpgram. When I reached the temple premises unfortunately for me Temple doors were closed as it was post 1 PM. ( you got to reach the temple before 1 PM in afternoon or between 5 to 7 PM to catch the sight of Eklingji (Lord Shiva) who is revered as the holy god of Sisodiya Rajputs. Though I missed the darshan (Sight of Lord)  I was able to roam around the beautiful architecture and also tasted "Mirchi Vada" that was delicious. Also grabbed some other local snacks since I was feeling hungry by now and then set off for the next destination - Shrinathji (Nathdwara)

Shrinathji (Nathdwara)  

Nathdwara was again about an half an hour distance from Eklingji. This is famous of Shrinathji Temple which was established during 1600 AD.  Everyday the child image of lord Krishna is worshiped and till the last sight of the lord special decorations are done and manifests are displayed during the course of the day. Here I was fortunate enough to arrive early and had luxury of time to roam around a bit and then catch the divine sight of the Lord Shrinath around 4 PM and then after started towards the historical "Haldi Ghati"

Water Reservoir on the Way

Haldi Ghati 

Haldi Ghati is the valley where the famous war between the armies of Maharana Pratap & Mughal emperor Akbar led by Man Singh of Amber during 1576 AD was fought. Place was mere 14 kms away and I was able to reach within 20-25 minutes and that was important as it allowed me to spend some quality time at the museum which is named after Maharana Pratap. Another interesting part of this valley (ghati) was the color of the land and the hills that changed rapidly. As I got closer to the valley it turned bright turmeric from a dull brown and maybe that is how this valley(Haldi Ghati - Turmeric Valley) got its name from the deep yellow color of its sand. I soaked in the history as this was a place I always wanted to see since my childhood days where the war of Haldighati along with the bold character of Rana Pratap used to be the best part of history books.

Now it was time to see another marvel from the history. Kumbhal Garh Fort.

Kumbhal Garh Fort

The journey to Kumbhal Garh was little longer (about one and half hour - 45 kms) but was worth taking as witnessing this piece of architecture from the past was truly awesome. Besides historical facts and its much talked about 36 km boundary walls Kumbhalgarh had much more to offer in terms if scenic beauty and heritage experience. I couldn't help but admire the technical and architectural acumen of Rajputana as this fort couldn't be located even from 800 meters from the fort. Since it was after 6 PM it was about to get closed for fort visit ( cost 15 Rs) but I was all set for the light and sound show. I bought the ticket from the counter which was for Rs-118 ( for kids - 69 Rs).

After the magnificent light & sound show it  was almost 07:40 PM and after the soulful and enriching experience throughout the day it was time to get back to Udaipur City. It took about two & half hours and I stopped at Rajwada Bites for the dinner. Place was truly delightful with authentic Rajasthani food and Live folk & dance show. highly recommended for an awesome dining experience. 

By the time I reached my hotel room it was almost 12 and I hopped onto bed to catch much needed sleep with blissful memories of the day! A day spent with plethora of memories and divine experiences.  

Hope this will help you to plan your day and cover the most during a 2-3 day visit to Udaipur. Happy Travelling Folks!!