5 ingenious things to see in Sahelion ki Bari, Udaipur

Sahelion ki Bari Udaipur is one of the best places that I visited during my Udaipur trip, in the year 2016, The name ‘Sahelion ki Bari’ means ‘ Garden of the Maidens’. It is a garden constructed by Rana Sangram Singh, one of the kings of Udaipur for his daughter – the princess. Apparently, the princess loved rain and water a lot. But it doesn’t rain here all the time. And the king had to fulfill his dear daughter’s wishes of seeing the rain and playing with water every single day. So, he ingeniously got this garden crafted to fulfill her desire.

Now, that’s the advantage of being a princess. You got your wishes to get fulfilled, no matter how impossible they are!!! So, the king got this garden constructed. Here the queen, princess and their maidens and friends could have a relaxing experience amidst the (artificial) rains. No matter which month or which season of the year it was. And the garden is marked by so many ingenious techniques which make it unique. And also a must visit when in Udaipur. Here goes my own list of things that we got to truly admire for their ingenuity while we walked through Sahelion ki Bari Udaipur.

The beautiful fountains & pipelines of Sahelion ki Bari

As you walk inside from the entrance, both sides of the pathway are lined with beautiful small fountains. Had they been constructed in the modern era, we won’t have been surprised in the least at their existence and operation. But given the fact that they were constructed and operated at a time when even electricity was not there, they are indeed ingenious. There is a huge network of huge to tiny pipelines below the fountains, with valves at different points to control the pressure. These fountains are purely operated on pressure technique.

The huge bath area of Sahelion ki Bari

As you move further, you arrive at an entrance door that leads into a huge bath area. In the center of this area lies a huge swimming pool. And there is a beautiful fountain in the middle of this pool. So, this was obviously used by the ladies for taking bath and relaxing in the water. Alas, when we arrived here, the pool was undergoing a maintenance. So we couldn’t see the fountain in operation. But we would have so much loved to.

Behind the pool is a long array of changing rooms. But just like everything else here, they are not just ordinary changing rooms. Pipelines run upto the roof of these rooms carrying water. And then the water falls into the pool from the beautifully carved openings from the roof. If you picture it all in totality – a pool of water with a beautiful fountain in the middle sprinkling water all over,.Then water falling from the room from behind. If I were in the middle of this pool, I would no doubt feel like enjoying in a beautiful pond in the middle of heavy rain 🙂

The rain water sprinkler fountains of Sahelion ki Bari

As you step out of the bath area and venture towards the left of it’s entrance, you arrive at yet another interesting part of the garden. This part is called “Savan Bhado”. Actually, Savan and Bhado are the names of two months in the Hindu Calendar. And these months get the maximum rainfall. It is a well maintained garden with fountains all around. These fountains act like water sprinklers when turned on. So, as you walk through the garden while these fountains are in swing, you will get the feel of walking amidst the greenery in the soft drizzle. And thus, the name “Savan Bhado”. I wonder how much thought went into producing the different kind of rain experience in this garden , that also amidst nature. And I also couldn’t help but wonder how ingeniously the name of this section of the garden was choosen.

The lotus pond of Sahelion ki Bari

Next, crossing the Savan Bhado area, you arrive at an area with a huge pond like water body in the middle, surrounded by garden on the sides. It is located just behind the changing rooms of the bath area that you visited before. This is called “Lotus pond” because, as obvious from the first look of it, the water body is full of beautiful lotus plantation. It is, definitely, one of the most prominent structures inside Sahelion ki Bari Udaipur. Again, in the center lies a beautiful fountain, marked by the sculpture of a standing lady. And the sides are marked by beautiful marble elephant statues. By the time we arrived in this area, it was almost getting dark.

The place looked so beautiful in the light of the dusk accompanied by the lighting in the park that were being gradually turned on. The lotus are in full bloom in the pond. Looks like it is very well maintained.

Walking a little further you will spot a pretty sitting area. I don’t know why but it is fenced now, so, visitors don’t have the liberty of enjoying a seat here, like the maidens and queens would have done in the past. Guess it is done to preserve and maintain the structure better since it is centuries old now. Nevertheless, it is beautiful. And we managed a few beautiful snaps through the fencing 🙂

The manicured garden of Sahelion ki Bari

As you walk further, gradually you will make a full circle of the whole Sahelion ki Bari garden. Throughout your walk, you will be passing through beautiful greenery that is very well maintained to date. It comprises of beautiful trees, bushes and flowering plants. Although I can understand how easy it is to maintain a garden as of today. But to think of this lush green garden maintained in the era when Sahelion ki Bari was originally conceived! It must have taken an ingenious set of devices to do so, and a lot of labor as well. Also, given the fact it gets really hot during the summer months in Udaipur, with sun scorching high and burning most of the plantations dry, I couldn’t help but wonder how the garden would have been maintained at that point of time.

However, that’s the whole point of Sahelion ki Bari. The message that I carried from here was that nothing is impossible if you want and get determined to make it happen. And secretly I did wish I were a princess for sometime – wherein some of my own impossible dreams like this rain all the time, any time, could be fulfilled without me having to work so hard towards it 😀 . No wonder – we all want to be a princess (or at least treated like one) for some times here and there in our life.

Overall , Sahelion ki Bari is a refreshing, delightful compact garden to visit in Udaipur city which otherwise bustles with lots of palaces, forts, temples and lakes. We loved the evening that we spent here and I am sure you too will love yours.

Tips on visiting Sahelion ki Bari

1. Since it is an open garden, best will be to visit it early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is not so harsh.
2. Also, it requires around 1-2 hours to walk through the garden at a slow pace , stopping and admiring the beauty around.
3. And this is one structure that is open till late in the evening (8pm), so you can plan to stop here by the end of your trip. We did the same.
4. The garden is located quiet close to Fateh Sagar Lake and Shilpgram. You can conveniently club a visit to Sahelion ki Bari along with these two. You can have a boating done on the Fateh Sagar Lake, visit Nehru Garden that is in the middle of the lake and then head to Sahelion ki Bari next.
5. While, there is a minimal entrance ticket, it can be conveniently purchased at the entry gate of the garden.
6. You can hire a guide at the entrance of the garden who can walk you around, filling you in with stories that are relevant to different sections of the garden. But the choice is up to you. You can as well visit on your own. Since the place is very well designed and not so huge. So, you won’t have any problem navigating through it.
7. Wear comfortable cotton cloths and comfortable walking shoes.
8. Also, carry a bottle of water with you.

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