Rajasthan's City of Lakes — marble palaces, rooftop sunsets, and dal baati churma
Udaipur is built around a series of interconnected lakes and Rajput palaces that make it one of the most photogenic cities in India — the City Palace rising over Lake Pichola is a contender for the most dramatic palace facade on the subcontinent. The food is quintessential Rajasthani: dal baati churma (baked wheat dumplings in ghee with spiced lentils), pyaz kachori (crisp fried pastry with spiced onion), and the hing-laced street snacks of the old city's narrow lanes. Rooftop restaurants overlooking the lake have a sunset culture rivalling anything in Southeast Asia.
Udaipur was founded in 1558 by Maharana Udai Singh II of the Mewar dynasty after Chittorgarh fell to Akbar's Mughal forces. It became the capital of the Mewar kingdom and the Rajput clans' most successful holdout against Mughal suzerainty — Mewar was the only Rajput dynasty never to give a daughter in marriage to a Mughal emperor. The City Palace was built and expanded over 400 years by 22 successive maharanas, accumulating 11 palaces, 17 courtyards, and kilometres of decorated corridors.