Jagdish Temple

Just steps from the City Palace, Jagdish Temple rises above the Old City in a mass of intricately carved stone. Built in 1651 and dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it's the largest and most important temple in Udaipur, and a living centre of worship rather than a museum piece.

Climb the marble steps flanked by stone elephants and you enter a world of detailed sculpture — dancers, musicians, elephants and deities carved across every surface, rising to a tall shikhara (spire) that dominates the surrounding streets.

• ›The elaborately carved exterior walls and the towering spire.
• ›The bronze image of Garuda facing the sanctum.
• ›The evening aarti, when the temple fills with light, bells and chanting.

Remove your shoes before entering and dress respectfully. It's an active place of worship — photography inside the sanctum may be restricted. Its central location makes it an easy add-on to a City Palace visit.