Udaipur is a city and municipal corporation in the Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is also known as the "City of Lakes" and serves as the administrative headquarters of Udaipur district. It is the historical capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the ancient Rajputana agency. It was founded in 1559 by Udai Singh II of the Sisodia clan of Rajputs, when he shifted his capital from the city of Chittorgarh to Udaipur after Chittorgarh was besieged by Akbar. It remained the capital until 1818, when it became a British princely state, and then the province of Mewar became part of Rajasthan when India gained independence in 1947.
The city is situated in the southernmost part of Rajasthan, near the border with Gujarat. It is surrounded by the Aravali Range, which separates it from the Thar Desert. It is located near the midpoint between two major metropolitan cities of India, approximately 660 km from Delhi and 800 km from Mumbai. Additionally, connectivity with ports in Gujarat gives Udaipur a strategic geographical advantage. Udaipur is well connected to nearby cities and states through road, rail and air transportation. The city has the Maharana Pratap Airport. Common spoken languages include Hindi, English and Rajasthani (Mewari).
