Udaipur is one of those Rajasthan’s destinations which have an immense potential to attract travellers of all kinds. I mean to say from history and architecture lovers to the modernity and luxury lovers, Udaipur has many surprises for travellers. Udaipur is also known for its sound tradition and culture. That’s why Udaipur suits perfectly to the tagline.
By keeping all these things in mind I started my solo trip. In the last blog, I had revealed various whereabouts of Udaipur city that can be seen on a day trip. These are the spots which unearth the reality behind saying “Udaipur – The Venice of East”. Also, have a look at top things to see in Udaipur on one day trip, “Udaipur city guide part 1”.
I will start this blog from the point where I had left my last blog. On the second day, I had decided to visit shrine divines of Udaipur i.e. famous temples in Udaipur.
Famous Temples in Udaipur
Usually, Udaipur is known for its historic forts and pristine artificial lakes, but there is something else that makes Udaipur a more sacred destination. These are famous temples in Udaipur that depict the spirituality of Udaipur. So, here I came up with the list of some of those divine temples that had brought calmness to my mind.
Jagdish Temple
As I had taken a hotel at Gangaur Ghat of Lake Pichola (close to Jagdish temple), my temple-visit day starts with famous Indo-Aryan styled Jagdish temple. Jagdish temple is located in the City Palace complex naming, Badi Pol – the entrance of City Palace. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651 and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Jagannath). This Avatar of Lord Vishnu is in black stone standing still in the main temple. Beside the Lord Jagannath, there is a brass statue of Garuda (a figure of half-man and half-eagle). There are many more small temples made in the premises of Lord Jagannath such as sun temple, Goddess Shakti temple etc.
That’s why, being architecturally sound, glorious in history and natural in beauty, Jagdish temple is an elegant temple of Udaipur. Moreover, some Hindi/English guides are also available at the temple, giving the insights of the temple. I was totally impressed with the calmness Jagdish temple has endowed in me. So, I can say that your trip will remain incomplete if you have not visited Jagdish temple.
- Deity: God Vishnu
- Built by: Maharana Jagat Singh
- Year: 1651
- Location: 1 jagdish tample, Rajasthan 313001
- Entry Fee: No entry fee
- Timings: 4:15 am – 8:00 pm
- Time Required: Around 1 to 2 hours
- Best Time to Visit: Winter season
- How to Reach: Nearest airport- Dabok Airport (22 km), nearest railway station- Malvi station in Nathdwara (3 km).
Karni Mata Temple
After taking the blessings from Lord Jagannath, it was time to explore another popular attraction of Udaipur – Karni Mata temple. Another name for Karni Mata temple is Mansapuran Karni Mata temple. However, Karni Mata temple was not in my bucket-list previously. But, because of the security guard at Jagdish temple, this visit had happened. He said to me, “If you want to have a glimpse of how Udaipur looks, just go to Karni Mata.”
Talking about Karni Mata temple, the temple houses the idol of goddess Karni Mata, sculpted in white stone. Moreover, what makes this temple more attractive is its ropeway (Gondola ride). One cannot miss its ropeway as it houses some of the best clips of Udaipur. Hence, my quest to Karni Mata gets an inclination towards the beauty of nature and towards photography.
The temple is situated on Machla hills and is surrounded by lush-green Aravali Mountains. Moreover, Machla hill houses some virgin views of undulating landscapes, bluish lakes and urban city-Udaipur. A lot of tourists love to visit Karni Mata temple and admire the beauty of Lake Pichola, Fatehsagar Lake, City Palace, Monsoon Palace and Aravali mountains through the Gondola ride. Thus, visiting Karni Mata temple was one of the momentous occasions for me, as I was able to experience this religious and sacred site: Karni Mata temple. For that reason, I chose Karni Mata temple on my list of the famous temples of Udaipur.
- Deity: Karni Mata
- Built by: Maharana Karan Singh
- Year: 1620 to 1628
- Location: Machla Magra Hills
- Entry Fee: No entry fee
- Timings: 4:00 am – 7:30 pm
- Time Required: Around 1 to 2 hours
- Best Time to Visit: October to March
- How to Reach: Nearest airport- Dabok Airport (24 km), nearest railway station- Udaipur City railway station (4 km).
Sagas Ji Bawji Temple
Sagasji Bawji temple is situated near Gulab Bag (rose garden), at Sarvaritu Vilas, Udaipur. Actually, Sagasji was the son of Maharana Raj Singh. The story behind building this temple is that it is believed that Sagasji never lost a war in his life and hence it is considered as the symbol of bravery. Also, along with the idol of Sagasji, there is an idol of Lord Ganesh which attracts more visitors to the temple.
- Deity: Sagas ji Bawji Maharaj
- Built by: Maharana Karan Singh
- Year: 1620 to 1628
- Location: HMGP+C4J, Bhatiyani Chohatta
- Entry Fee: No entry fee
- Timings: 4:30 am – 8:00 pm
- Time Required: Around 1 hour
- Best Time to Visit: Winter season
- How to Reach: Nearest airport- Dabok Airport, nearest railway station- Udaipur City railway station.
Mahakaleshwar Temple
Mahakaleshwar temple is situated on the banks of Fatehsagar Lake and is also surrounded by lush green hills. As the name suggests Mahakaleshwar, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is said that if you have faith in Lord Shiva and worship him with full faith that your wishes will come true. So, you will find a lot of Shiva bhakt (devotees) visiting on a regular basis so as to please the Lord. For that reason, I also arrived at Mahakaleshwar temple and prayed to Lord Shiva.
- Deity: Lord Shiva
- Year: 900 year old
- Location: Rani Rd, Ambamata
- Entry Fee: No entry fee
- Timings: 4:00 am – 9:00 pm
- Time Required: Around 1 hour
- Best Time to Visit: Winter season
- How to Reach: Nearest airport- Dabok Airport (25), nearest railway station- Udaipur City railway station (8).
Neemach Mata Temple
Neemach Mata temple is situated near the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. The temple is also known as Vaishnav Devi temple of Udaipur. The name Neemach Mata comes from the Neem tree. The view from the top of the hill also presents some of the best pictures of Udaipur city. It is believed that those who come here regularly and worship to Neemach Mata will never get any skin related issues. Hence, it becomes more spiritual to visit it. However, I could not visit the temple as the temple was closed.
- Deity: Shree Nimcha Mata (Ambaji )
- Year: 1652-1680
- Location: Fateh Sagar Rd, Shilpgram
- Entry Fee: No entry fee
- Timings: 6:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Time Required: Around 1 hour
- Best Time to Visit: November to February
- How to Reach: Nearest airport- Maharana Pratap Airport (24), nearest railway station- Udaipur railway station (3).
Ambamata Temple
Ambamata temple is one of the most famous temples of Udaipur. It was built by the Maharana Raj Singh of Udaipur and is dedicated to goddess Ambika Mata. There is an amazing history of the construction of Ambamata temple. It is said that Maharana Raj Singh was suffering from eye disease and no doctors (Raj Vaidya) were able to cure him. He then was advised to visit the Ambika Mata temple of Gujarat. However, Maharana didn’t make that trip to Gujarat as the goddess appears in his dream and said that he need not have to make any visit to Gujarat. The goddess said him to establish a temple here at a particular place in Udaipur for her. And that’s how Amba Mata temple was established in Udaipur.
- Deity: Ambika Mata
- Built by: Maharana Raj Singh of Udaipur
- Year: 1721
- Location: Haridas Ji Ki Magri Eklavaya Colony, Shavri Colony
- Entry Fee: No entry fee
- Timings: 5:30 am – 7:30 pm
- Time Required: Around 1 to 2 hours
- Best Time to Visit: October to March
- How to Reach: Nearest airport- Dabok Airport (26 km), nearest railway station- Udaipur City railway station (5 km).
Mahalakshmi Temple
Mahalakshmi temple is situated near City Palace and at Bhattiyani Chohatta, I was able to visit the temple at the end of the day. The temple was built by Maharana Shambhu Singh who brought the idols of Mahalakshmi, Rishabhdev and Sundar Vinayak after winning the battle. It is said that the temple was constructed from the building material that remains unused while constructing the Jagdish temple. Hence, this temple also has a special significance in the list of famous temples of Udaipur.
These are some temples which I had covered on my second day trip to Udaipur. However, there are few more famous temples in Udaipur which I could not visit due to time constraints. These temples are Bohra Ganesh temple, Shrinath ji temple, Rishabdev temple and few more. All these temples are in the periphery of Udaipur.
- Deity: Goddess Lakshmi
- Built by: Maharana Shambhu Singh
- Year: 17th Century
- Location: Haridas Ji Ki Magri Eklavaya Colony, Shavri Colony
- Entry Fee: No entry fee
- Timings: 5:30 am – 8:00 pm
- Time Required: Around 1 to 2 hours
- Best Time to Visit: Winter season
- How to Reach: Nearest airport- Dabok Airport (24 km), nearest railway station- Udaipur City railway station (3 km).
