Saheliyon-ki-Bari or Garden of the Maidens, is a magnificent garden and a prime tourist attraction of Udaipur, Rajasthan. Located in the northern part of Udaipur, on the banks of the Fateh Sagar Lake, the massive garden is known for its buildings, fountains and kiosks, as well as a lotus pool and marble elephants. In recent years, a small museum has also been setup that displays lots of history of the royal household.
Built sometime between the 1710 to 1734 reign of Maharana Sangram Singh II, then ruler of Kingdom of Udaipur; Saheliyon Ki Bari was a garden built for a group of forty-eight (48) maidens or the royal ladies. Legend goes that the garden was designed for the king himself, but he instead chose to present it to his queen’s maids. Reportedly the queen came accompanied by 48 maids at the time of her marriage to Maharana Sangram Singh, as a wedding gift. Maharana Sangram Singh in order to offer all 48 of the maids, a place of comfort that allows them to enjoy moments away from the political intrigues of happenings in the kingdom, gifted this garden to them.
Subsequently, this garden became the popular relaxing point for the ladies of royal family of Udaipur, who came here for stroll and spend their time of leisure with their maids and companions. Most of the garden was re-built, after it was damaged by a breach in the Fateh Sagar dam in the late 19th century. In the history of India, Saheliyon Ki Bari finds its mention as one of those rare places that have been exclusively built for women. This is important, since in Indian history, women rarely find a place for themselves without being side line by men. The garden, known for its natural surroundings and beauty has been designed with great care and perfection.
The garden includes lush green trees, flower beds, several carved marble pavilions, lotus pond, marble elephants, rain fountains, and kiosks in the pool. It can be termed as a great achievement since Udaipur, is known for its’ dry and arid climate. A unique place for sightseeing with family and friends, the stunning architecture of Saheliyon Ki Bari creates a pleasing ambiance. Whilst most of the garden, was built by Maharana Sangram Singh, it was Maharana Bhopal Singh, who in order to enhance the gardens’ beauty, added a pavilion of raining fountains imported from England. The idea was to create an imagery of maidens enjoying and dancing in the rain.
Central feature of the garden is a beautiful courtyard with a central pool embellished with a white marble kiosk fountain at centre and four black-marbled kiosk fountains in four corners, with each kiosk adorned with sculpted bird figurines, that sprinkle water from their beaks in a way that gives effect of rain. The museum in one side of the garden has a vast collection of artifacts from the bygone era including stuffed cobras and other animals. Saheliyon Ki Bari is open all seven days from 9 AM to 7 PM. Entry fee for the garden is INR 10 for Indians and INR 50 for foreigner tourists.
Saheliyon Ki Bari is a perfect destination for nature lovers and photography enthusiasts. Tourists can spend hours, enjoying the natures beauty on display. The best time to visit Saheliyon Ki Bari, is during winter months, from September to March; when the weather is cool; the sun is mild, cool breeze blows, the flowers are in full bloom; and water is also available in plenty. There are numerous places to visit near Saheliyon Ki Bari; Including City Palace, Udaipur; Maharana Pratap Memorial, Chetak Smarak; Haldighati; Srinathji Temple; Sukhadia Circle Fountain; and Nehru Park.
Tourists can also visit the annual Shilpgram Crafts Mela, held in December that attracts tourists from across the globe. Tourists can reach Saheliyon Ki Bari or Garden of Maiden by taking local public transports such as private car, taxi, auto-rickshaws or bus from any part of Udaipur. It takes 2 – 3 hours to explore the entire garden, with help of tourist guides; available for a charge. Udaipur is well-connected by air, road and rail with all major cities of India.
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