PICHOLA LAKE

Lake Pichola, situated in Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, is an artificial fresh water lake, created in the year 1362 AD, named after the nearby Picholi village. It is one of the several contiguous lakes, and developed over the last few centuries in and around the famous Udaipur city. The lakes around Udaipur were primarily created by building dams to meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of the city and its neighborhood. Two islands, Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir are located within Pichola Lake, and have been developed with several palaces to provide views of the lake.

Lake Pichola surrounds the most elegant and beautiful palaces of Udaipur City of Rajasthan called the Jagniwas Palace and the Jag Mandir. The Jagniwas Palace now converted into a Heritage Hotel attracts a lot of Indian and Foreign tourists especially in the winter season.

As the History speaks, Lake Pichola was named after the local Village which is at close drop to the Lake. The Banjara Tribesman who used to live in this Village in the 15th Century named the Lake. It was this Tribesman who built a bridge over it as his Bullocks couldn't cross the stream of the Lake. And thus the Lake became a eternal part of the City of Udaipur.

It was in the year 1950, a year after Maharana Udai Singh II began building his new Capital Of Udaipur, that he strengthened this Dam which today has become a major source of Water and Electricity for the City of Udaipur. The Lake Pichola today has a depth of 30 feet.

Today the Lake Pichola is surrounded by numerous small and big Palaces, temples, bathing ghats and hills. It is this beauty of the Lake Pichola which attracts a number or sailanis every year. In the Southern part of Lake Pichola is the Machhala Magra Hill filled with huge trees and beautiful greenery. If one stands here one can see the Eklinggarh Fort. From the Eastern side of the Lake one can see the entire Udaipur City. On the Eastern side also is the City Palace - the most huge and beautiful Palace of all in the Udaipur City.

Right in the midst of the Lake Pichola is the Jag Island. Apart from this large Island, there are also the smaller ones like the Arsi Villas and Natni Ka Chabutra. A number of migratory birds can be seen here.

Tourist Destinations Around Lake Pichola :

Fateh Sagar Lake : Fateh Sagar Lake is constructed north of Lake Pichola. Built by Maharana Jai Singh, its second of the Udaipurs four Man Made Lakes. There are three small islands in the Fateh Sagar Lake - Nehru Park, Moti Magari Hill and Udaipur Solar Observatory - the largest in the area. The good maintained Fateh Sagar Lakes a full day entertainment place with food courts, boating and the hills.

Jaisamand Lake : About 52 kms away from Udaipur, the Jaisamand lake is beautiful lake with six cenopaths and a Lord Shiva Temple. Also known as the Ocean of Victory, it was built during the reign of Maharana Jai Singh. 9 miles in breadth, 102 feet deep and with a circumference of 30 miles, it has the summer palace of the Queens of Udaipur surrounding it from all sides.

Udai Sagar Lake : Around 15 kms from the Rajsamand ( Jaisamand Lake), the Udai Sagar Lake was the place where in the year 1573, Kunwar Man Singh invited Maharana Pratap Singh I to meet him on this embankment to discuss terms of surrendering to Mughal Emperor Akbar. Maharana Pratap refused the meeting which became the cause of Battle of Haldighati.