Jagdish Mandir

Temples in Udaipur

Usually, Udaipur is known for its historic forts and pristine artificial lakes, but there is something else that makes Udaipur a more sacred destination.  These are famous temples in Udaipur that depict the spirituality of Udaipur. So, here I came up with the list of some of those divine temples that had brought calmness to my mind. The vibrant and marvelous historical background of Mewar region reveals that many of these temples were built by the emperors of Mewar dynasty. 

1- Jagdish Temple:

Jagdish temple is located in the City Palace complex naming, Badi Pol – the entrance of City Palace. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651 and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Jagganath). This Avatar of Lord Vishnu is in black stone standing still in the main temple. Beside the Lord Jagganath, there is a brass statue of Garuda (a figure of half-man and half-eagle). There are many more small temples made in the premises of Jagdish temple such as sun temple, Goddess Shakti temple etc.

The idol of Lord Vishnu (Jagganath)
Beautiful architecture of famous Jagdish temple

That’s why, being architecturally sound, glorious in history and natural in beauty, Jagdish temple is an elegant temple of Udaipur. Moreover, some Hindi/English guides are also available at the temple, giving the insights of the temple. 

2- Karni Mata Temple:

After taking the blessings from Lord Jagganath, its time to explore another popular attraction of Udaipur – Karni Mata temple. Another name for Karni Mata temple is Mansapurni Karni Mata temple. 

Talking about Karni Mata temple, the temple houses the idol of goddess Karni Mata, sculpted in white stone. Moreover, what makes this temple more attractive is its ropeway (Gondola ride). 

The temple is situated on Machhla hills and is surrounded by lush-green Aravali Mountains. Moreover, Machhla hill houses some virgin views of undulating landscapes, bluish lakes and urban city-Udaipur. A lot of tourists loves to visit Karni Mata temple and admire the beauty of Lake Pichola, Fatehsagar Lake, City Palace, Monsoon Palace and Aravali mountains through the Gondola ride. 

3- Sagasji Bawji temple:

Sagasji Bawji temple is situated near Gulab Bag (rose garden), at Sarvaritu Vilas, Udaipur. Actually, Sagasji was the son of Maharana Raj Singh. The story behind building this temple is that it is believed that Sagasji never lost a war in his life and hence it is considered as the symbol of bravery. Also, along with the idol of Sagasji, there is an idol of Lord Ganesh which attracts more visitors to the temple.

4- Mahakaleshwar Temple:

Mahakaleshwar temple is situated on the banks of Fatehsagar Lake and is also surrounded by lush green hills. As the name suggests Mahakaleshwar, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

5- Neemach Mata Temple:

Neemach Mata temple is situated near the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. The temple is also known as Vaishnav Devi temple of Udaipur. The name Neemach Mata comes from the Neem tree. It is believed that those who come here regularly and worship to Neemach Mata will never get any skin related issues. Hence, it becomes more spiritual to visit it. 

6- Ambamata temple:

Ambamata temple is one of the most famous temples of Udaipur. It was built by the Maharana Raj Singh of Udaipur and is dedicated to goddess Ambika Mata. There is an amazing history of the construction of Ambamata temple. It is said that Maharana Raj Singh was suffering from eye disease and no doctors (Raj Vaidya) were able to cure him. He then was advised to visit the Ambika Mata temple of Gujarat. However, Maharana didn’t make that trip to Gujarat as the goddess appears in his dream and said that he need not have to make any visit to Gujarat. The goddess said him to establish a temple here at a particular place in Udaipur for her. And that’s how Amba Mata temple was established in Udaipur.

7- Mahalakshmi Temple:

Mahalakshmi temple is situated near City Palace and at Bhattiyani Chohatta. The temple was built by Maharana Shambhu Singh who brought the idols of Mahalakshmi, Rishabhdev and Sundar Vinayak after winning the battle. It is said that the temple was constructed from the building material that remains unused while constructing the Jagdish temple. Hence, this temple also has a special significance in the list of famous temples of Udaipur.

7- Bohra Ganesh Temple:

The Bohra Ganesh Temple is located on the Bohra Ganesh Road, near the Govt. Ahad Museum near Dhoolkot area in Udaipur. At the center of this temple, there is an east facing idol of the Lord is in a dancing posture. Bohra Ganesh Temple is believed to be about 350 years old. Originally named as ‘Borganesh’, the temple was built outside the then city boundary of Udaipur. But since then, due to expansion of city boundaries, this area now falls within under the city limits. Now the entire area is also known as Bohra Ganesh. This new name of this temple also has an interesting story behind. It is believed that 70–80 years ago people who needed money for purposes like marriage and business would write the requirement on a slip of paper and leave it before the idol. Soon he would get the amount needed, but in turn they had to return the amount with interest. In India, it is generally the Bohra cast which is involved in business of lending money. For this reason, Lord Ganesh here got named as Bohra Ganesh. However, it is also a common belief that devotees with real trust on Bohra Ganesh also get their wishes fulfilled.

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