LAKES

Lake Pichola:

Pichola Lake the beautiful expanse of water that surrounds the islands of the Lake Palace Hotel (JAG NIWAS) and JAG MANDIR. The backdrop of the overlooking City Palace gives this lake its name-Pichola.Apart from this there is also an another version about it's name.It says that the name comes from the nearby small village of Picholi and was originally created early in the 15^th century by a local Banjara tribesman who transported grain. Legend has it that, finding his bullocks could not ford the stream at the southern end, he built a dam across it, over which the animals could cross .

                    In 1560, a year after Maharana UDAI SINGH II began building his new capital of Udaipur around the shore, he strengthened the dam and greatly enlarged the lake. Apart from the two large islands, there are several smaller ones, among them are ARSI VILAS, which is a haven for birds, and a platform, NATNI-KA-CHABUTRA, which has its own legend . At the northern end of the lake is the old town with its ghats and ceremonial ghat where the Gangaur Festival is celebrated with fireworks and illuminations. The height of the dam is 15.24 m. in the Badi Pol area.

                    Along its eastern shore sprawls the massive CITY PALACE. South of this is the hill known as MACHHALA MAGRA where part of the old city wall and the small fort of Eklinggarh can still be seen. Beyond this is the SHIKARBADI HOTEL, once the Khasi Odi, or hunting lodge, of the Maharanas. When full, Pichola Lake covers an area of almost 1.5 sq. km.

                    The beautiful Lake Pichola is surrounded by hills, palaces, temples and bathing ghats It is the largest of all Udaipur’s lake.

Fateh Sagar Lake:

The pride of the City of Lakes, this lake was constructed towards the north of Lake Pichola.Lake  and was built by Maharana Jai Singh but it got the name of Fateh Singh who rebuilt its dam. Fateh Sagar, the second of Udaipur's four man-made lakes.

                        In 1678, Maharana JAI SINGH (1680-1698), who had already constructed the famous JAISAMAND LAKE southeast of Udaipur, excavated this new but small lake. It lies immediately to the north of, and connected by a canal to PICHOLA LAKE, which had been established by Maharana UDAI SINGH II a century earlier.

                        Fateh Sagar is 2.4 km. long, 1.6 km. wide and 11.5 m. at its deepest point; when full, it covers an area of about 1 sq. km., being fed by the Ahar (Berach) river. It is possible to drive around the complete circumference of the lake via Moti Magri Road, Fateh Sagar Drive, and Rani Road, a serpentine route that provides beautiful views of the lake as well as the encircling Aravalli Hills. The main causeways to the lake are from Pichola Lake, Madar Lake, and Badi Lake. It has three intake channels and an overflow channel for the rainy season.

                        Two centuries after its construction, a severe storm and heavy rainfall collapsed the old eastern embankment causing loss of life and considerable damage, especially to the nearby, lower-level SAHELION-KI-BARI gardens. In 1889, to prevent further such flooding, Maharana FATEH SINGH reconstructed the embankment at a cost of Rs. 6 lakhs (600,000 rupees). Later that same year, the Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria laid the new embankment's foundation stone, and the lake was renamed Fateh Sagar. This reconstructed northeastern embankment has three names, the Pal, the Drive, or Connaught Bund (embankment or breakwater). Along it is the entrance to MOTI MAGRI hill, on the summit of which is a landscaped park with the Maharana PRATAP MEMORIAL.

                        Three small islands grace Fateh Sagar, the largest being NEHRU PARK, a popular garden island with a restaurant and zoo, which is reached by inboard motor boats from the bottom of Moti Magri Hill. The Government of Rajasthan made the second island into a public park with a spectacular water-jet fountain, and the third houses the UDAIPUR SOLAR OBSERVATORY, the largest in Asia. A peaceful spot not far from the city centre, the lake is a popular leisure area for picnics and water recreation in hired pedal boats. Because of Fateh Sagar's blue waters and its backdrop of green hills, it is often referred to as the second Kashmir, an epithet often given to all of Udaipur.
 

JAISAMAND LAKE
(52km southeast of Udaipur)

                    Jaisamand Lake is also known as Dhebar.The lake, built by Maharana Jai Singh in 1685, is the second biggest artificial lake of the world covering an area of 36sq km. The lake remained the largest artificial lake in the world till the building of the Aswan dam in Egypt.

                    During the reign of Maharana JAI SINGH (1680-1698), there was a great need for water for cultivation in Mewar's southeastern corner. The Maharana emulated his father (Maharana RAJ SINGH I who built RAJSAMAND LAKE) by damming a small river, the Gomati, and building a massive embankment; the height of the dam is 36.6 m. Jai Singh named the resultant lake JAISAMAND after himself - its often-used nickname is 'Ocean of Victory' ('mand' meaning 'ocean').On the day of its inauguration, June 2 1691, Maharana Jai Singh walked around the dam charitably distributing gold equal to his own weight.

                    The statistics of the lake is really amazing – 9 miles in breadth, 102 feet deep at its deepest end, a circumference of 30 miles with marble staircases leading into the water. The summer palaces of the Queens of Udaipur surround Jaisamand Lake on all sides.

                    There are seven islands on this lake and the tribe of Bhil Minas (see People of Rajasthan) inhabits all. Two bigger islands are known as Baba ka Magra and a smaller is called Piari. There is a bund on the lake, which has to be mentioned due to its sheer size – 1202 feet long, 116 feet high and 70 feet broad at the base. On the dam are six exotic cenotaphs and a Shiva temple in the centre. The northern end of the lake has a palace with a courtyard while its southern end has a pavilion of 12 pillars. The hills to its south have grand palaces that have an excellent view of the lake.

UDAI SAGAR LAKE

                        A picturesque lake about the same size as Rajsamand Lake, 15 km. east of Udaipur on the Berach river. Maharana UDAI SINGH II (1537-1572), expecting the threat of war, ordered and laid the foundation stone of the massive dam  in February, 1559, mainly to give the city a secure water supply and, later, for agricultural and leisure purposes. The lake was completed by 1565. Its greatest depth is 9 m.; it is 4 km. long, and 2.5 km. wide, and covers an area of 10.5 sq. km. It has a storage capacity of 23.4 mil. cu. m. The 54-m. embankment was built with stones from the bund of other lakes.

                        Although it has withstood heavy rains, if the lake does overflow, the water will be channeled into the Berach River. In 1573, Kunwar MAN SINGH invited Maharana PRATAP SINGH I to meet him on this embankment to discuss terms of surrendering to Mughal Emperor AKBAR; Pratap refused the invitation and insulted the Rajput traitor, which led to the Battle of HALDIGHATI (June, 1576). And it was near Udai Sagar that Maharana Raj Singh (1653-1680) defeated the army of Emperor AURANGZEB.

                         Water from the lake is used in the zinc smelter at nearby Debari. Except in lean years, the lake maintains a sufficient water level.

 

BADI KA TALAB (JIYAN SAGAR):

                        A lake in the village of BADI built at a cost of Rs. 688,000 (Lakh 6,88,000) by Maharana RAJ SINGH I (1652-1680) to counteract the devastating effects of a famine. He named it Jiyan Sagar after his mother Jana Devi. The lake covers an area of 155 sq. km., and has an embankment 180 m. long and 18 m. wide, which is graced by three artistic chhatris (kiosks or pavilions).

                       During the drought of 1973, the lake supplied water to the people of Udaipur. (At the time of writing, JAISAMAND LAKE supplies Udaipur's water.)

 

DOODH TALAI

                        An inlet on the southeastern bank of PICHOLA LAKE immediately south of SHIV NIWAS PALACE, Udaipur; part of a scenic triangle, with Pichola Lake on one side, Doodh Talai on the second side, and M.L. VERMA GARDEN on the third.

SWAROOP SAGAR (KUMHARIA TALAB)

                     Udaipur a small man-made lake behind the Jagdish Temple and near Chand Pol adjacent to Rangsagar. It connects Pichola Lake and Fateh Sagar; built by Maharana SWAROOP SINGH (1842-1861) for the benefit of his people.