UDAIPUR
Book directly at the City Palace jetty counter, not through a street tout near Lal Ghat - touts sell the identical shared boat for ₹100-200 more per person and claim it's a 'private' upgrade.
The lake dates to 1362 CE, when it was created by damming the Ayad River, traditionally credited to a Banjara trader named Pichhu during the reign of Maharana Lakha. Maharana Udai Singh II enlarged it in the 16th century after founding Udaipur on its banks, submerging the village of Picholi that gives the lake its name. Its waters and islands, including Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir, became the setting for Mewar's palace architecture and were later used as a Mughal-refuge route and, in the 20th century, as film locations.
