The City Palace of Udaipur is the most popular tourist location in the city, and the number of visitors flocking to it almost the entire year around would never miss a chance to recall one of the highlights of City Palace. That being the Jagdish temple, which is situated in the City Palace complex. It is another architectural marvel built by the Mewar dynasty. The temple is built with Indo-Aryan style of construction, and it gives the temple a rather distinct nature that can’t be overlooked. Lush halls, a carved ceiling and pillars, along with gorgeously painted halls are some of the highlights of Jagdish temple. Before you plan a visit, here are some interesting things about the temple.
Interesting Facts
- Jagdish temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in the year 1651, dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
- The gateway of the temple is about 150 metres from the Bara Pol entrance of the City Palace.
- The temple is three-storied and 79 feet high, which can prominently be seen in the skyline of Udaipur.
- Back when it was built, 1.5 Million rupees were spent in its construction and completion.
- The dome of the temple is designed with sculptures of elephants, dancers, horsemen and musicians, which give the temple a distinct quality.
- Two massive stone elephants guard the gates of the temple, and inscriptions about Maharana Jagat Singh can be found right at the entrance.
- The idol of Lord Vishnu in the shrine was carved out of a single piece of black stone, making it a celestial sight to behold.
- There are four smaller shrines consisting of the idols of Lord Shiva, Ganesh, the Sun God, and Goddess Shakti.
- A brass statue of a Garud (half human half eagle) greets visitors at the door, giving the impression of guarding the deity.
Things to Do
- As the shrine is a place of worship, devotees can not only get to see their deity, but at the same time get to admire the intricate carvings and paintings of the temple complex.
- A tourist would experience just as much delight in the temple as a devotee would given the beautiful architecture of the shrine.
- During a tour of the City Palace, the Jagdish temple is always recommended as it depicts the kind of architecture and design the Mewar dynasty of Rajasthan was passionate about.
- Observing the miniature carvings and taking a keen look at the Mandap, Sandhara as well as the Samavarna areas of the temple tell a lot about the attention to detail the Mewar rulers used to have.
- A few religious customs should be followed when entering the temple. Removing shoes is compulsory while at a shrine.
- The temple is prone to be crowded, so one must be prepared to carefully manoeuvre through the people.
- Offerings like garlands and sweets are available to purchase from the temple complex if one wishes to offer those to the deity, though it is not a compulsion.
Things to Carry
- Due to the amount of crowd gathering at the temple, it is easy to lose valuable things, so one must carry any expensive objects keeping in mind their safety.
- If the temple is visited during a tour of City Palace, comfortable shoes should be worn, though they should be removed when entering the shrine.
Timings
4.15am to 1pm
5.15pm to 8pm
Entry
Free
Guide Availability
English and Hindi speaking guides are available in the City Palace, who help in giving a background about the Jagdish temple as well.
Nearby Attractions
- The City Palace complex is filled with many other monuments of the Mewar dynasty and are usually crowded by tourists.
- The Lake Palace and Lake Garden Palace are located in the middle of Lake Pichola on separate islands that are also quite famous.
- Art and craft shops are located in the complex of City Palace which can be visited during the tour.
- Souvenir shops and traditional Rajasthani culture shops are near the City Palace and can be visited after the Jagdish temple.
- Bagore Ki Haveli is also located quite nearby and can be included in the tour with City Palace.
- Places like the Peacock courtyard, Mohan Mandir, and other structures around the Jagdish temple are easily accessible and can provide a lot of insight into the Rajasthani culture of the Mewar dynasty in Udaipur.
Many of the tourist attractions of Udaipur are located quite close by the Jagdish temple, and since the famous shrine is such a popular tourist spot as well, there is hardly a chance that any visitor would miss it. Udaipur takes pride in the splendid architecture that is not limited only to monuments and palaces, but also extend to quite a few places of worship.
