Udaipur also known as the “City of Lakes,” is a major city, Municipal Corporation and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan.
It is surrounded by the beautiful Aravalli Hills in all directions, making this city as lovely as it is. This ‘Venice of the East’ has an abundance of natural beauty, mesmerising temples and is dotted with innumerable attractions like placid lakes, manicured gardens, massive forts and palaces, and exquisite temples. The temples in Udaipur, truly are architectural gems, along with being highly revered places of worship. They are indicators to the cultural and religious heritage of the city.
Many of these temples are acknowledged as the holy pilgrimages of the Hindus. In Udaipur, Jagdish Temple is the well-known temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
Jagdish Temple
Jagdish Templeis a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur, just outside the royal palace. It has been in continuous worship since 1651. A big tourist attraction, the temple was originally called the temple of Jagannath Rai but is now called Jagdish-ji. It is a major monument in Udaipur. “Jagdish” is one of the many names of Lord Vishnu and this temple is also dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Laxmi Narayan).
In 1651, Jagdish temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh, who ruled Udaipur during 1628-53. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Laxmi Narayan), the preserver of the Universe. It is celebrated for being the largest temple in the city of Udaipur. The gateway of this temple can be sited at a distance of 150 meters from the Bara Pol of the City Palace.
The local folklore goes around that Maharana Jagat Singh had deep devotion in Lord Jaganath Puri of Orissa. He used to visit Jagan Nath temple in Puri for the annual rath yatra– a festival of processions. At one occasion he could not reached at the rath yatra on time due to a halt in the midst of his journey. Disappointed with himself, when he reached there, he had a dream in which the Lord told him that there was no need for him to travel such long distance and that he could make a temple in his city itself. After returning to Udaipur , he started the construction of the temple, which is known to cost around 1.5 million rupees at that time.
This three-storied temple is a wonder of architecture that comprises beautifully carved pillars, decorated ceilings, painted walls and lush halls. The spire of the main temple is around 79 feet high that undoubtedly dominates the skyline of Udaipur. This shikhar (spire) is festooned with sculptures of dancers, elephants, horsemen and musicians.
The temple is raised on a tall terrace and was completed in 1651. Paths taking off from various city walls meet at the Jagdish Temple. It is an example of Maru-Gurjara. It attaches a double-storey Mandapa (hall) to a double-storey saandhara (with a covered ambulatory) sanctum. The mandapa has another storey tucked within its pyramidal samavarna (bellroof) while the hollow clustered spire over the sanctum contains two more, nonfunctional stories.
The main shrine houses the striking four-armed image of Lord Vishnu. This idol is carved out of a single piece of black stone. A single glimpse of the idol takes the person to the celestial world to find everything calm and serene. The main shrine of Lord Vishnu is centrally located encircled by four smaller shrines. These shrines are dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Sun God, Goddess Shakti and Lord Shiva respectively.
First and the second storey of the temple possess 50 pillars each. The intricate carvings on the pillars need an enduring sight to praise the noteworthy beauty of this temple. This temple was built keeping in the mind the Hindu architectural science of ‘Vastushastra’.
Every year, people from far and near come to visit this holy place of worship. The serenity as well as the architectural magnificence of the temple cannot be bounded in words.
Neemach Mata Temple
Situated on a hilltop near Fateh Sagar Lake, Neemach Mata temple is popular as Vaishno Devi of Udaipur and enjoys great significance amid locals as well as tourists. The temple and the stone idol is known to have a connection with a Neem tree and so the name. It is believed that one who visits the temple regularly will never get any skin problems due to the spiritual soul of the tree. The temple also has an idol of Lord Ganesha.
Ambamata temple
One of the most popular temples of Udaipur, Ambamata temple is known to have an interesting tale behind its construction. It is said that Maharana Raj Singh of Udaipur had an eye problem that did not get corrected even after treatment. He decided to have darshan of Amba Mata in Gujarat. A night he was to leave for Gujarat, he dreamt of the Goddess who asked him to build her temple in Udaipur. The very next day, Maharana searched for a place, and the construction of the temple started.
Old Shrinath Ji Temple Ghasiyar
Old Shrinath Ji Temple is called so because of its interesting history. The first Shrinath ji temple was built in Nathdwara but soon the town faced attack from Scindia army who was threatening to ruin the temple and asking Maharana of Udaipur to solicit 3 lac gold coins as ransom to save the temple. As the Maharana heard this, he quietly made the arrangements to move the idol to a new location, Ghasiyar where a replica of the temple was already being made. This is how the Shrinath Ji temple was constructed.
Mahakaleshwar Temple
Lying on the banks of Lake Fatehsagar, opposite Panna Vilas, the splendid Mahakaleshwar temple has the lofty Aravalis in the background. It is believed that Guru Gorakhnath, a popular saint and a distinguished devotee of Lord Shiva had also worshipped here. The temple stretches in an area of around 3.5 acres. The temple is visited by a crazy number of devotees of Lord Shiva every year. Rudrabhishesk Aarti is the highlight here.
Source:
http://www.udaipur.org.uk/temples/jagdish-temple.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdish_Temple,_Udaipur
http://www.rajasthanvisit.com/JagdishTempleUdaipur.htm
https://www.indianholiday.com/tourist-attraction/udaipur/temples-in-udaipur/