Fateh Prakash Palace, sleeping above the Durbar Hall of Mewar

The palace of a long reign

• Keeping his distance: Fateh Singh in particular was known for staying away from the imperial durbars in Delhi.
• A great builder: in his reign Fateh Sagar was rebuilt after floods and took his name, the Monsoon Palace was completed, and the guest house of Shiv Niwas was finished next door.
• Built for ceremony: Fateh Prakash rose at the southern end of the City Palace for receptions, durbars and the rituals of a court that still took them seriously.
• A late chapter: Maharana Udai Singh II began the City Palace in 1559, when he founded Udaipur. Fateh Prakash is one of its later additions, built more than three centuries on.
• The name: it means, roughly, the radiance of Fateh.
• The other Fateh Prakash: at the old capital of Chittorgarh, a palace built in his time now houses the fort's museum. The two share only their builder. On this page we mean the hotel in Udaipur.

The Durbar Hall, where the court gathered

• The gallery above: from here the women of the court, who lived in seclusion, could watch the ceremonies below without being seen.
• A meeting of worlds: high ceilings, proportions and symmetry from Victorian and Edwardian Britain, with portraits, arms and ceremonies that belong entirely to Mewar.
• The same instinct elsewhere: in the great Rajput halls of the period, from Bikaner to Jodhpur. Our guide to reading Rajasthani architecture explains how the princely states absorbed European ideas.
• A wedding venue: today the hall hosts banquets and grand events, and is one of Udaipur's most sought-after venues. Our destination weddings team can tell you what is possible.

The Crystal Gallery, a treasure that waited a century

• Sajjan Singh's other legacy: in 1884, the year he died, he commissioned the Monsoon Palace, Sajjangarh, on the hill west of the lake. Fateh Singh completed it.
• Where it is now: along the upper level overlooking the Durbar Hall.
• The effect: astonishing and slightly surreal, Victorian furniture of glass sparkling in a Rajput palace above a lake in the Aravalli hills.
• What it tells you: late nineteenth-century princes ordered Europe's luxuries with the same confidence their ancestors had ordered Persian carpets and Chinese tiles.
• Separate entry: the gallery is ticketed apart from the main City Palace museum, and photography rules change from time to time, so we check before your visit.
• Fitting it in: our City Palace guide explains how to add it to a palace morning.

From royal functions to a hotel

• The first: the island palace of Jag Niwas, now the Taj Lake Palace.
• The 1980s: Shiv Niwas and Fateh Prakash followed, both converted into heritage hotels.
• Who runs it: for many years the former royal family's own hotel company. More recently the Taj group, as Taj Fateh Prakash Palace, while it remains part of the City Palace complex.
• We confirm each time: names and arrangements in the hotel world change. The building, its halls and its view do not.
• The headship: disputed between branches of the family since 2024, and we take no side. The palace remains cared for, lived in and used for its old ceremonies.
• Read more: our piece on the Mewar royal family tells the public history of the house.

Terraces over the lake

• Straight down: the water, and across it the island Lake Palace.
• The island below: Jag Niwas, built between 1743 and 1746 for Maharana Jagat Singh II, and a hotel since the early 1960s.
• To the south and west: Jag Mandir, and the green hills of the far shore with the Monsoon Palace on its summit.
• The Sunset Terrace: tea or a drink here in the late afternoon is one of the loveliest things to do in Udaipur. We suggest it to guests whether or not they are staying.
• Inside the complex: walk the outer courtyards early, before the museum opens, and come home through quiet gates after dark.
• All on foot: the museum, the Crystal Gallery, the boat jetty and the lanes of the old city.

Rooms in a royal wing

• The outlooks: many rooms look over Lake Pichola, others face the palace courtyards.
• They vary: in size, shape and light, and some are compact.
• What we ask for: a lake-facing room, because the water outside your window is the heart of the experience.
• The quirks of age: steps, long corridors, thick walls and bathrooms fitted into old spaces. We tell you before you book.
• In return: you sleep a few steps from the Durbar Hall, in a wing built for the court of Mewar.
• No room categories or numbers: they change, and the best room depends on you. Tell us what matters, and we ask the hotel for the best match on your dates.

Dining in the palace

• Safed maas: mutton in cream and ground nuts.
• Maas ke soole: smoky meat skewers.
• Also try: gatte ki sabzi and dal baati churma.
• By season: in winter, maize breads with ghee and jaggery, and in the monsoon season of Teej, ghevar.
• Vegetarian and Jain: vegetarians eat superbly in Mewar, and the kitchens cook without onion and garlic. Tell us in advance and we brief the hotel.
• Eating out: easy from the old city. We book private palace dinners on Jag Mandir, meals on a boat mid-lake, and rooftop tables above the ghats.
• Read more: our food of Udaipur guide has the full story.

Rest, the palace way

• A spa afternoon elsewhere: several resort spas on the western shore welcome non-resident guests when they have space, and we arrange it.
• Read more: our spas and Ayurveda page explains the traditional treatments.
• History and wellness: we often pair two nights here with two at The Oberoi Udaivilas, whose spa is one of the finest in India. The palace for the city, the resort for rest.

Everything within a short walk

Who will love Fateh Prakash, and who may not

• Festival dates: ideal for Holi, when the royal bonfire is lit in the Manak Chowk, or Gangaur in spring.
• Modern rooms and gardens: for large rooms, gardens and a full resort spa, the western-shore resorts such as Udaivilas or The Leela Palace Udaipur suit you better.
• Limited mobility: talk to us first. Historic palaces have steps and long walks.
• Silence day and night: the island Lake Palace is quieter, since inside the City Palace you hear the city by day.
• Choosing between the two palace hotels: a happy problem. Shiv Niwas for its crescent courtyard and pool, Fateh Prakash for the Durbar Hall, the Crystal Gallery and its terrace.

How Fateh Prakash fits our journeys

• Shorter routes: on Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur, a stay inside the City Palace makes the most of a few nights, because so much is on foot.
• For romance: on our Udaipur romance journey, a night here pairs beautifully with a night on the island and a last night in the hills at RAAS Devigarh.
• Onwards: our Mewar lakes and temples journey continues to Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur and the castles of the countryside.

Getting to Fateh Prakash Palace

• Arriving: through the City Palace complex. Your chauffeur drives you in and your luggage is carried to your room.
• By road: Jaipur about six hours, Jodhpur about five via Ranakpur, and Chittorgarh about two. Our getting around guide explains how we time the drives.
• Getting about: in the old city most sights are on foot. For Saheliyon ki Bari, the Monsoon Palace and day trips north, your chauffeur waits outside the palace gates.

What we tell friends before Fateh Prakash

• Book the terrace for sunset: even on nights when you plan to dine elsewhere.
• Book months ahead: for October to March, and earlier for Holi, Gangaur, Christmas and New Year.
• Check for events: ask us about weddings and banquets in the Durbar Hall during your stay if you want a quiet evening.