View of Lake Pichola in the City of Lakes- Udaipur!
A chatri’ overlooking what is called “the world’s first man-made micro system of river diversion, linkage and watershed management.”
A serene view of Lake Pichola which was first created by Banjara tribes in around 1362 and later de silted and expanded by Maharana Udai Singh II. This then became the nucleus around which Udaipur- the capital of Mewar came up.
Udai Singh II later connected Lake Pichola to FatehSagar Lake. Both these lakes store monsoon rains and being interconnected, regulate the flow of water.
The rulers that came later built more lakes and connected them through a system of canals and sluices that help prevent flooding and also maximize storage.
The serene and azure blue waters of this lake deserves a better description than the prosaic ones given earlier!
A solar observatory built on an island in the Fateh Sagar Lake.
Neemach Mata Temple overlooking the lake.
A closer shot of the temple- zoom lens being tested here!
The Aravallis gaze down at these lakes and the several small rivers and streams from here drain into them.
On a cool, breezy, winter evening, the sight of the lakes, hemmed in by the mountains was truly memorable.
I couldn’t take my eyes (or my camera) away from the mountains that formed such a beautiful backdrop to the calm, blue waters.
A sight that I would love to preserve in my mind’s eye!
Gangaur Ghat at Lake Pichola. People throng here in the evening to watch the sunset and say their prayers.
Another view of the lake from the ghat.
One of the 7 fountains in the ‘Saheliyon ki Bari’ which is located downstream of the Fateh Sagar Lake.
It was built in the 18th century by Maharana Sangram Singh and was meant as a private retreat for the queens of Udaipur and their attendant ‘ladies-in-waiting’ and their ‘sahelis’ (friends)
The fountains are situated amid lotus and lily ponds, marble pavilions and lush, shady lawns.
The fountains get their water from the Fateh Sagar Lake and can function without a pump. Thanks to the power of gravity and the skill of human engineering.
No filters used or required. For a few moments we could imagine how the royal ladies of Udaipur spent their leisure time away from the demands of the palace. A hard life, for sure!
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