City of Lakes - A Royal Saga !!

                           City of Lakes - A Royal Saga !!

Hey guys! Hope this 'Hello' finds you all donning those 

great smiles! :)

I wonder how an anonymous thing attaches meaning to your ‘memory’  so much that it just refreshes your soul and brings a smile on your face instantly. Coincidences sometimes just hit the right nerve and take you to another dreamland you once visited. 

Something similar happened to me the other day. It was a quite morning and I had just opened the store (Forever New, Hyderabad). I was co-ordinating with my staff, in the meantime a lass walks in. Nothing about her strikes me first but her tote! It was a pretty, pink colored handbag with Rajasthani print on it. It was so rich in color that I almost felt rainbows around me. 

Rajasthan! Whenever I think about that place, my heart fills with joy. That sight of her tote instantly casted my memory back to the time when my husband gifted me a visit to Udaipur.

Ohh...it still gives me butterflies! I must say I have never been introduced to such luxury and I must admit I enjoyed every bit of it. I felt nothing less than a princess with all the royal treatment being splurged on me. 

We stayed in The Oberoi Udaivilas which is located at the banks of Lake Pichola. Udaipur, also called ‘City of Lakes/ Dawn’ surrounded by Aravali mountains and the green backdrop makes an amazing kaleidoscope which just pulls you more and more into it. 

The boat ride through lake Pichola to reach Udaivilas was one of the unique experiences which made my journey even more picturesque. Not that I haven’t had boat rides before but that was just so different than the rest. In the nest of nature, warmness of March and the tingling feeling the chirping of the birds was giving me, was worth those few minutes of ride. 

I smelt nature! It looked like a scattered island where one would love to get lost and there isn’t a way back. 

Our welcome was full of traditional Rajasthani culture with a Tilak and garland. It was overwhelming. Little did I know, it was just the starting. All those days we stayed there became a different book of memories altogether. With each passing day, I was getting addicted to their hospitality and the Rajasthani culture. Upon that our magnificently decorated suit with a private pool was nothing less than a retreat. 

Jagmandir is a beautiful restaurant in the middle of the lake where we had our breakfast, followed by lunch at Taj and dinner at The Leela Palace! Oh my God! I have never had such great Rajasthani food before. And I am glad I had the chance to experience it. It feels as if I am right there, in the middle of a conversation with the beauty. 

How amazingly this journey has wrapped me. It was spotted from a skyline distance and up-close it didn't look any less magical. The traditional Rajasthani palace with domes and elegant water bodies, sounds of deers and other dessert animals from the nearby forest and rejuvenating spas totally helped me unwind and relax my senses. From a grand arrival on the boat to a completely fresh experience of royalty transported me to some other part of life which exists beyond imagination, beyond everything! 

The live music, gentle evening breeze and the calm of the lake, all added up to the tranquil nausea I will always want to experience again! 

The ‘Monsoon palace’ just multiplied my curiosity to many times. This is where the Maharaja used to sit and enjoy the splash of rains on his face and a touch of coolness will play with his soul. How could I have not experienced this 'once in a lifetime' treatment of none less than a Maharani..haha! 

Since it’s the most chosen wedding destination, there has to be things sold for you to have them for keeps. What I liked?? Ermmm...difficult question! Because there wasn’t anything which I disliked even by chance. I bagged one big beautiful pink umbrella (something similar to what you can see in the third picture above), a Rajasthani print bed spread, Rajcota saaris and Bandhej ghaghra for my young nieces. They were amused by the surprises! Well ! wasn’t that the ides?

The painting I picked from one of the stores is the one closest to my heart. It looks like everything is smiling through the frame, the trees, the palace, the lake, the boats, and the feeling itself. I have visited so many cities in India but my take? Udaipur! It is what my memory never fails to place, frame by frame, smile by smile. 

“Hello, can I have the 'look of the week' please”?

I am still in the reminiscence of the trip that my nauseated senses refused to attend anyone immediately. It took me a smile to snap out of the memory lane I was having a joyride on.

‘Yes, here please’! 

So, yes here is the look of the week! Go grab it from your nearby store! And here is the closet of my personal accessories:

Dress: Forever New

Glare: Burberry

Clutch: Jimmy choo

Hope my trip took you along to the amazing place, Uday Vilas, Udaipur. And I am so sure the experience must be enchanting! It was for me, once again while writing it! 

Write to me at pragnyasdiary@gmail.com for your queries or about ‘the look of the week’ or simply for sharing your own experience with the city, if you had any :)

See you soon!