Udaipur - Octopussy was Here

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From Delhi we took the overnight train to Udaipur, in the land of kings - Rajasthan. We had booked a two-tier A/C sleeper berth. New to us was the option to purchase a hot packaged meal on the train for a fee. The brand of these meals is called Comesum, which sounds a bit funny when said quickly and repeatedly as the vendors do. Curious, we ate one. It was okay, edible at least.

Udaipur arrived a little late, around 7:30 AM. We came here for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of staying in an actual palace. The Shiv Niwas Hotel is within the City Palace complex, built in the early 1900s during the reign of Maharana (Prince) Fateh Singh. One section is still used by his descendents. The House of Mewar is the world's oldest dynasty still existing. Our first room had a nice courtyard which was great for drying clothes washed in the sink as the hot dry sun dried them in a flash. Our second room looks more palace-like. (First pic). Colored glass inlay decorates much of the room with floral scrolls. We are here during the off season so there are only a few other guests.

The palace complex houses a museum which walks you through some fascinating history. Another gallery houses the amazing collection of crystal dishes and furniture. Thousands of pieces were commissioned by Maharana Sajjan Singh from Birmingham, UK around 1877. The Prince died before he received his shipment of crystal and the parcels sat unpacked for 100 years.

The palace complex is located on the edge of Lake Pichola. On an island in the middle of this lake is another palace called Jagmandir. Built in 1622 AD by Maharana Karan Singh. This one, according to legend, was the inspiration for the world-famous Taj Mahal. We took a boat ride here to see the grounds. (Second photo.)

James Bond fans will recognize a good number of filming spots from the movie "Octopussy" in the City Palace complex and around the lake. We got to see some of these locations. The boat which Octopussy arived on is in my third photo.

Don't mind us as we enjoy a bit of relaxation while living like royalty for a couple days!

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