GRBarnett: INDIA: Udaipur, Amet Havali

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

INDIA: Udaipur, Amet Havali

Originally built in the early 1700's as a Water Palace for the Maharana of Mewar, it's now the Amet Haveli... a Heritage Hotel where we stayed on a previous trip to Rajasthan, in northwest India. Udaipur being integral with its several lakes, is sometimes compared to Venice. This is the view of the hotel's water side, which we could not see, our suite being on the second floor left hand front corner of the blocky (newer) part of the building. Later photos here will show how the proximity to this water offers a cooling aspect to the heat of summer season.

This is the view from the gate & reception area of a style we'd seen frequently when we first visited Ragisthan called a haveli -- a fine town home built for show & entertaining, often also used for business. Our room on our first visit was a fair climb up those tall central steps to the bay of windows on the left side of the third floor from the pavement... an altogether romantic place, especially because one could climb further up to intimate pavilions on the rooftop... visible in this photo. We were drawn to return to meet again several friends we met then & with whom we've continued communicating.

This rambling structure suits our several styles of a gentle opulence couched in deep history & natural beauty. A simple stucco lantern along a circuitous route, through enclosed passages & open courtyards, to an iron stairway to find & re-find our suite over these days of this second visit is an example of that style...