The spectacular sound and light show at the City Palace complex
of Udaipur Is yet another reason to visit this famous
heritage-city of Rajasthan
The City Palace, Udaipur is now resplendent with the magic of a Son-et-Lumiere, titled ‘The Legacy of Honour, the Mewar sound and light show’. As dramatic lighting reflects off the ramparts and the echo of voices and sound effects reverberate through Manek Chowk, the rich history of Mewar comes alive every evening.
“Mewar later became the only dynasty which ruled over the same territory while outliving twelve centuries of foreign domination.”
- Hugh Davenport, author.
“There is something more than architecture in these palaces. Every stone is touched with the spirit of romance.”
- Percy Brown, art historian.
THE LEGACY OF HONOUR
Every evening, the grounds of the magnificent Manek Chowk inside City Palace, Udaipur, come alive in a blaze of lights, as the sound and light show gets underway. The hour-long show seeks to recreate Mewar’s glorious history in a delightful play of light and sound, as a narrative in English evokes significant episodes in the eventful centuries of the region’s history.
In the eight century, Bapa Rawal founded the House of Mewar. His descendants from the Sisodia dynasty have ruled Mewar ever since, for more than 1,400 years a sovereignty characterized by the basic principle of governance through service. Today Mewar is acknowledged, without a doubt, as the oldest serving dynasty in the world.
The history of Mewar is marked by instances of valour and chivalry, of courage under duress, of great sacrifice and of triumph, even in defeat. Sweeping across centuries, the narrative traces the descent of the Maharanas – from Bapa Rawal, the founder of the House of Mewar to Bhagwat Singh, who was the first Maharana to be recognized by the President under the Constitution of independent India. The founding of the dynasty, the siege of Chittor, the sacrifice of Maharani Padmini, the golden period of the reign of Rana Kumbha, the fabled bond between Maharani Karmavati and the Mughal Emperor Humayun, the heroic attempts of the Ranas to restrain aggressors – these are few of the event encompassed by this magnificent and spellbinding show.
The beautiful City Palace, a witness to the changing fortunes of Mewar, provides the perfect setting and backdrop for this audio-visual spectacle.
The sound and Light show is the first such private sector enterprise that has been initiated by the HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur, of which Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar is the Chairman and the 76th Custodian of the House of Mewar. The inaugural show took place on January 23, 2005 at which the Chief Guest was Mr. Arvind Dave. former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur while the Guest of Honour was none other than legendary and enigmatic Queen of Bollywood, Rekha.
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