Yayawar monk, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Attraction · Udaipur
Jagdish Temple
A working Vishnu temple of 1651 at the top of the palace approach, and the one place in Udaipur where the old city is not performing for anybody.
Built1651
Dedicated toVishnu, as Jagannath
Time neededThirty minutes
StepsThirty-two to the entrance
About
Still a working temple
It was raised by Maharana Jagat Singh I in 1651, it sits just outside the palace gate, and it has been in continuous daily use ever since. That last point is what distinguishes it from most of what you will visit in Rajasthan.
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What to See
What to look at
A tall Indo-Aryan shikhara over a three-storey structure, carved throughout, on a plinth above the street.
The shikhara
- The tower rises in carved tiers of elephants, musicians, dancers and deities. From the street it reads as one mass; from the steps you start to pick out the registers.
The brass Garuda
- A brass image of Vishnu's mount stands in a shrine facing the main sanctum, which is the conventional arrangement and is done here at unusual scale.
The elephants at the steps
- Two stone elephants flank the flight up from the street. They are the meeting point everyone in Udaipur uses.
The aarti
- Morning and evening the temple fills for the ceremony. It is not staged for visitors and watching quietly from the side is both permitted and the best reason to time a visit.
Getting There
Getting there
It is on the way into the palace, which is why almost nobody has to make a special trip.
On foot
- At the top of the main approach to the City Palace, a couple of minutes from its gate and five to ten from most of the old town.
The steps
- Thirty-two of them from street level, and shoes come off at the top. There is no step-free entrance.
Fitting it in
- Best taken on the way to or from the palace rather than separately. Half an hour is enough unless you stay for the aarti.
Best Time
When to go
Twice a day it becomes a different place.
For the ceremony
- Morning and evening aarti. The temple is full, the bells and drums are loud, and it is the most alive half hour in the old city.
For the carving
- Mid-morning, when the tower is lit and quiet enough to look at properly.
Season
- October to March, like everything in Udaipur. The steps and courtyard are open to the sky.
Visitor Intelligence
Worth knowing
It is a place of worship first.
Shoes and dress
- Shoes off at the top of the steps; there is a rack. Shoulders and knees covered, for everyone.
Photography
- Generally fine in the courtyard and on the exterior, and NOT in the inner sanctum. During aarti, put the camera down — people are praying.
It is busy at prayer times
- That is the point rather than a problem, but it is genuinely crowded and not the moment to try to see the carving.
Leather
- Belts and bags in leather are sometimes asked to be left with the shoes. Easier to leave them at the hotel.
Nearby
Nearby
Two minutes in each direction.
Good to Know
Frequently asked
Yes. The temple is open to visitors of any faith and receives a great many, provided the ordinary courtesies are observed — shoes off at the top of the steps, shoulders and knees covered, and no photography in the inner sanctum. It remains an active place of worship rather than a monument, and behaving accordingly is all that is asked.
It is the best half hour in the old city. The temple fills, the bells and drums start, and nothing about it is staged for tourists — it happens twice daily whether anyone is watching or not. Stand at the side, keep the camera down and simply watch.
Thirty minutes for the carving, the Garuda shrine and the courtyard. It sits at the top of the City Palace approach, so it is normally absorbed into that visit rather than made into a separate trip of its own. Add another half hour if you time it for the morning or evening aarti and stay for the whole ceremony, which is the version worth planning for.
No. There are thirty-two steps up from street level to the entrance platform and there is no step-free alternative route, nor a lift. Shoes must also be removed at the top, which adds a further obstacle for anyone who cannot manage the flight in the first place. The exterior and the full height of the carved shikhara can be seen perfectly well from the street below, and for a visitor who cannot climb, that view is a reasonable substitute rather than a consolation prize.
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