Udaipur Foundation Day

Udaipur Foundation Day

Udaipur was founded in 1553 (Ref. Chittor Udaipur Patnama, Part 2, p 232), by Maharana Udai Singh II (r. 1537-72 CE) in the fertile circular Girwa Valley. After his visit to Kailashpuri to pay respect and obeisance to the family deity, Shree Eklingnath ji, Udai Singh meets the hermit Goswami Prem Giriji Maharaj on top of Rana Magri. The hermit blessed the king and guided him to build a Palace on the spot, where he had his hermitage; assuring him it would be well protected and preserved for his family. Dhuni Mata is situated in The City Palace Museum, as a small shrine.  

With his farsightedness Maharana Udai Singh, started to build the new capital of Mewar. He chose the Girwa area of this valley at village Picholi and Lake Pichola on the western side, with high mountains of Chirwa on the northern side, thick impregnable forested area on the southern side forming a safe barrier all around. On the eastern side, the route normally taken by the invaders he built a small fortress at Debari and a huge Lake Udaisagar to block the only route to his new capital.