Udaipur Holidays

Udaipur is known more glamorously as the Venice of the East due to its many stunning manmade lakes. The city was founded by Maharana Udai Sing II in 1553 when he transferred the capital of the kingdom of Mewar from Chittorgarh to Udaipur. Nowadays you’ll find plenty of beautiful hotels here including the Lake Palace hotel which featured in the James Bond movie, Octopussy.

Start the morning at the City Palace overlooking Lake Pichola. It’s a beautiful location, chosen strategically for the protection given by the surrounding forests and hills. Maharana Udai Singh II first visited the palace while on a hunting trip. Reportedly he met a hermit who subsequently advised him to build a glorious capital where he could rule his descendants for centuries. Over 400 years, his successors made various additions to the complex forging the palace into the impressive structure you see today. The main attraction is the mor-chowk (peacock courtyard) decorated with tiny pieces of coloured glass and mirrors. You’ll find a museum with paintings, an armoury and one of the largest crystal collections in the country.

Afterwards, head to the banks of the Fateh Sagar Lake to Saheliyon Ki Bari, otherwise known as the Garden of the Maidens. It was reportedly built by the Maharana for his queen and her 48 royal ladies to enjoy themselves away from court. The queen and her entourage would arrive by palanquins, (carriages) and stroll, relax and play games. The site itself is very tranquil with fountains, lily pads and elephant statues.

Join Rakshita in her family home for a cooking class, where she’ll teach you how to make some of Rajasthan’s signature dishes. Rakshita has always been passionate about food and loves to share the recipes passed on to her from her family. As Rajasthan is quite a dry state there aren’t many fresh greens, so lots of the dishes are made from lentil powder, including laal maas, a mutton recipe.

The lesson begins with a trip to the vegetable market with Rakshita in her vintage Jeep. It’s a vibrant farmer’s market where you can pick out whatever ingredients you would like Rakshita to build a menu around. She’ll teach you about the different spices on offer; in Rajasthan, everything from cumin and mustard seeds to fennel, chilli and turmeric are grown. These all have medicinal values and are a big part of Indian cuisine.

Back at the home you’ll have a cup of chai before starting to cook. As you chop vegetables and prepare the dishes, you’ll talk about the customs and rituals of Indian cuisine. The menu depends on the seasonal ingredients you’ve chosen but popular dishes include a light gatta curry and kadhi, a soup prepared with buttermilk and chickpea flour.

When everything is cooked, you’ll sit down for a meal together and chat about life in India. People are interested in what it’s like to live with an extended family and love coming to a real Indian household to meeting the family. At the end of the session Rakshita will hand out recipes, so you can recreate them when you return home.