Destination India: Udaipur, Rajasthan

Monday, January 01, 2007

Udaipur, Rajasthan

Glass Peacock
Originally uploaded by doc18.

Located at the foothills of the Aravalli Range mountains, Udaipur is the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar. Rana Udai Singh II of Chittor established the city of Udaipur in 1568. The kingdom of Mewar was ruled by the Rajput clan of Ranawats and Sisodias. Chittorgarh was the ancient capital of Mewar but once the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Chittor, the Rajput Rana Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence. With the decline of Mughal empire, the Sisodias reasserted their independence and recaptured Chittor, but Udaipur remained the capital of the state.

About Me

India has always fascinated me for different reasons. The vastness of its culture, the diversity of people’s opinions and the limitations of its vision. Despite our diversity, we need to have a collective vision. India is not a country of four metropolis or a couple of high-tech cities. This nation of a billion people has 29 states and 6 union territories. We have 35 state and territorial capitals. How much do we know about each of these important cities?

Professionally I am a graphic designer from Bombay, India. In 1987, I co-authored a book on Corporate India, but my desire to throw a wider net and pick up much more information remains intact. I want my people from every city and every state to write and photograph details and information that would be interesting to the viewers around the world. We have so much to talk about and so much to share - this medium and this technology can help fulfill our collective dreams.