INDIA NEWSLETTER
Embassy of India, Tel Aviv
No.36 January - March 2009
Republic Day Celebrations 2009
Th e 6 0t h a nn iv er sa r y o f t he Republic Day of India was celebrated at the Embassy residence on January 26, 2009. The event was attended by a gathering of about 600 people comprising the Jewish community of Indian origin, Indian b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y, I n d i a n students, Embassy staff and their families and other well wishers. Following the flag hoisting and the national anthem, H.E. Navtej Sarna, Ambassador, read out the address of Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, to the nation on the eve of Republic Day. Thereafter, a cultural programme wa s pr es en te d by Is ra el -b as ed Indian Jewish group “Namaste Israel” of Mr. David Nigrekar. The gathering was later served with a variety of Indian snacks.
Ambassador addresses the gathering
‘Namaste Israel’ in performance
Excerpts from Hon’ble President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s Address
For six decades we have been a democratic republic and have been guided by the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The concerted and well planned attacks in Mumbai stand out as an example of a ruthless operation undertaken to damage the confidence of India. The nation was outraged. However, contrary to what the terrorists had hoped, the event saw the emergence of a unified and strong voice from India. The elections that were held after the Mumbai attacks to the Legislative Assemblies of some of our States, including Jammu and Kashmir saw a large voter turnout, reaffirming the faith of the people of India in a democratic polity. Our Constitution is our charter of democracy and of the rights of the people. Individual freedom and dignity is guaranteed under the fundamental rights included in the Constitution. Universal franchise has given to the citizens the right to determine their political choices. The development process itself is becoming an increasingly participatory activity. All this places the citizen at the centre. On global economic slowdown, the traditional Indian ethics emphasizes saving wisely, investing productively and not borrowing more than the cap aci ty to rep ay. The se hol d valuable lessons for the business world. India is a young nation from a demographic point of view. The youth represent the hope for the future and are an invaluable asset to the nation. I would be amiss if I did not mention the laurels that the youth have brought to the nation in the field of sports in the recent past. The Olympics in Beijing last year saw medals being won by Indians. This, alongwith the commendable performances at various sporting ev en ts ar ou nd th e wo rl d, is significant. The launch of Chandrayaan-I has made every Indian proud. Our efforts at collaborating with the international community to reap the benefits of technology for the welfare of the nation continue apace.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Kick-off event of the “Shavit” program
“Shavit” programme). M/s BDO Ziv Haft have been appointed as Consultant to assist Israeli companies explore the Indian market and the vast opportunities it has to offer. A kick-off event was held on March 30, 2009 to promote the "Shavit" programme. The event commenced with the opening remarks by Ambassador Navtej Sarna, th e C ha ir ma n o f t he Bo ar d o f Directors of IEICI, the Director of Foreign Trade and Administration of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, and the Chairman of BDO Ziv Haft. Following the opening remarks, Mr. Avi Hefetz, CEO of IEICI, gave an overview of the “Shavit” program. The business seminar that followed the opening remarks and presentations included professional panels in three selected sectors: Telecommunications, IT, and Home Land Security. Each one of these three panels included an Indian professional guest lecturer who explored the vast potential and the numerous business opportunities which exist in these selected sectors. This wa s follo wed by c ase stu dy presentations of Israeli companies which are already active in the Indian market. An initial budget of US$ 30 million has been allocated by the Israeli Government for the “Shavit” program. It is expected that about 800 Israeli exporters will take part in the programme.
Photo by Tamar Matsafi
Ambassador addressing the gathering
The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) has chosen India as a target market (together with China and Brazil) for Business Cooperation with the intention of promoting and facilitating business opportunities, joint ventures and strategic alliances in three main sectors: Telecommunications, IT and Home Land Security (called the
“India – Now More Than Ever” Business Seminar
The Israel-Asia Chamber of Commerce coordinated a business seminar on India called “India - Now More than Ever” on March 19, 2009 at the premises of the State Bank of India in the Diamond Exchange Compound, Ramat Gan. Ms. Manjeet Kripalani, BusinessWeek’s India bureau chief, was the guest speaker at the seminar. Other keynote speakers included Ambassador Navtej Sarna, Ms. V. Sashikala, CEO, State Bank of India in Israel, Mr. Gil Haskel, Director of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Eyal Moskal, VP Marketing TCS Israel, and Ms. Anat Bernstein Reich, Deputy Chairperson Israel-India Chamber of Commerce.
Mrs. Manjeet Kripalani, BusinessWeek’s India Bureau Chief, addressing the seminar
Business Seminar for MBA Students
A unique business seminar for MBA students from IDC (The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya) was held in the Embassy on March 5, 2009. This was the first time the Embassy held such a seminar aiming at MBA students, in order to introduce these students to the Indian economy and the vast opportunities which exist in this market. Ambassador addressed the gathering stating that this event should be only the starting point of a long jo urney a nd enco uraged the students to familiarize themselves with the Indian market and the enormous opportunities this market has to offer. Keynote speakers at the event included Mr. Sanjay Vyas, Second Secretar y (Economic and Commerce) and Mr. G i d e o n S n i r, C r o s s C u l t u r a l Negotiations consultant.
Mr. Gideon Snir addressing the seminar
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ECONOMIC NEWS
Ambassador visits NaanDan Jain Irrigation
As part of the professional tour for Ambassadors and senior diplomats serving in Israel (organized by the Is ra el Ex po rt & In te rn at io na l Cooperation Institute, the Economic Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affai rs and the Fore ign Trad e Administration of the Ministry of I n d u s t r y, Tr a d e a n d L a b o r ) Ambassador Navtej Sarna visited Kibbutz Naan on Thursday, January 29, 2009. During his visit to Kibbutz Naan, Ambassador visited the NaanDan Jain Irrigation Company, which is owned 50% by Kibbutz Naan, and 50% by the Ind ian com pan y Jai n Ir rig ati on. Ambassador inaugurated a new ma nu fa ct ur in g c en te r f or dr ip irrigation, which includes two new advanced and sophisticated irrigation machines.
Ambassador inaugurates the new manufacturing centre at NaanDan Jain Irrigation
Israeli delegation participates in MP Exportech 2009
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII ), in asso ciat ion with Madh ya Prad esh Laghu Udyog Nigam Ltd (MPLUN), co-organized MP Exportech 2009, from February 27 to March 1, 2009 at Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. MP Exportech 2009 was a Buyer-Seller Meet which focused on pharmaceuticals, ayurvedic & herbal products, engineering goods, processed food and textiles. The prime objective of MP Exportech 2009 wa s to est ablish firm li nks between the international markets and export industries in Madhya Pradesh. The Madhya Pradesh Laghu Udyog Nigam Ltd (MPLUN) sponsored the return airfare, local transport and hotel accommodation for selected buyers from all over the world. The Mission short-listed a number of leading Israeli companies from various industries, met with some, and finally nominated Orokia company of Israel and its CEO, Mrs. Lilian Halimi as a potential candidate for this event. Mrs. Halimi who was selected by the organ ize rs as a spo nso red buy er, participated at the event and met numerous Indian suppliers in the pharmaceuticals and ayur vedic industries.
HLS Delegation to India: The 1st India-Israel HLS Cooperation Forum
Mr. Gul Kripalani, President, Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce, addressing the gathering. At left are Ms. Orna Sagiv, Consul General of Israel, and Mr. Avi Hefetz, CEO, The Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute
India participates in IMTM 2009 Exhibition
Center in Tel Aviv on February 11 - 12, 2009. IMTM is the largest annual professional tourism fair of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean and it serves to promote incoming tourism, domestic tourism and outgoing tourism, as well as to strengthen cooperation among tourism bodies in Israel and elsewhere in the world. India participated in this unique international tourism exhibition, and a booth was set up by the India Tourism Frankfurt office (represented by Mr. Anil Oraw, Assistant Director).
The Indian Booth at the IMTM 2009 Exhibition
The 15th International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) took place in the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention
A delegation comprising 18 leading Israeli companies in the field of Home Land Security (HLS) technologies and equipment led by Mr. Avi Hefetz, CEO of IEICI and in collaboration with BDO i2i and Mahindra Special Service Group (MSSG), visited India for holding two days of activities in Mumbai (March 1617, 2009) and two days in New Delhi (March 18 – 19, 2009). In order to provide an ideal platform for Israeli security companies to exhibit their advance security systems to the Indian market and also forging new ties by entering into strategic partnership with industry leaders, the program for the delegation had been planned to encompass business seminars as well as one-on-one meetings with leading Indian security companies both in Mumbai and New Delhi. It was reported that during the delegation’s visit to India four deals were signed.
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CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Festival of India
Hanoch Saar containing pictures of India by Israeli photographers. Thereafter, presentations were made by Yantz Levi (a literature critic and scientific editor of the album), Aviv Naaman (tour organizer), P r o f . N u r i t ( Te l A v i v University), Moshe Shai (Photographer with Yediot Ahronoth), Maya Tevet Dayan (Tel Aviv University), Prof. Dan Adler (Technion) and Yigal Tzur (writer). The event also included a sitar / tabla recital by Yossi Alkabir and Ran Erez. It was attended by about 400 people including Israeli TV / Radio and media persons.
Visit to Wilfrid Israel Museum
Ambassador visited the “Wilfrid Israel Museum of Oriental Art and Studies”, Kibbutz Hazorea, on March 13, 2009. The visit was organized by Ms. Elissa Dvir, Director of the Museum. Ambassador went over the collections at the museum, which comprise traditional and contemporary Asian/Eastern treasures. He appreciated the museum’s rich collection and thanked the organizers.
Ambassador at the ‘Festival of India’ event. At right is First Secretary Sharad Srivastava
A “Festival of India” was organized by Saar Publishing House, Israel at Beit Zionei America Theatre, Tel Aviv on February 25, 2009. Ambassador addressed the gathering. The festival included a talk on the photo album “India-An Israeli Click” by Mr.
Visit of Kudiyattam Troupe in the Thespis Festival
World Hindi Day celebration, 2009
quiz in Hindi. The entire programme was conducted in Hindi by students. Ambassador appreciated the interest in Hindi in universities in Israel. Mr. Zvika Serper, Chairman of East Asia Studies Department at Tel Aviv University, emphasized the role played by the
Ambassador addressing students and guests Kudiyattam dance troupe performs at the event
The Embassy celebrated World Hindi Day in Israel on March 23, 2009 in association with the South East Asian Department of Tel Aviv University. The function was held at an auditorium in Gilman Building of Tel Aviv University. The celebration drew about 300 India enthusiasts with students from Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Haifa and H e b r e w U n i v e r s i t y, J e r u s a l e m participating in a range of activities in Hindi. The programme included a mock interview with Ambassador in Hindi, a short skit, songs and dance with background music of Bollywood Hindi movies, dubbing of Bollywood movie dialogues, TV news reading and a
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Students in a skit in Hindi
The Embassy associated with the Thespis Festival at Hebrew University Jerusalem, which was held from January 6-12, 2009. The Embassy arranged the visit of a composite group of Kudiyattam troupe from South India under ICCR sponsorship to perform at the festival. The troupe performed from January 7-11, 2009. The performance was attended by a large audience. Prof. David Shulman of Hebrew University coordinated the visit of the troupe on behalf of Hebrew University.
Hindi teachers, particularly Dr Genady Shlomper in generating interest in the language among students. The Embassy presented prizes to the winners of the quiz, Hindi books and instrumental/classical music audio CDs to the university library. The programme concluded with Indian snacks.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
11th Know India Programme (KIP)
Ambassador’s visits
During this period Ambassador visited: On February 20, 2009 – An art exhibition that showcased the paintings of Indian artist Rajul Mehta at the Burak & Mayar Art Gallery in Tel Aviv. On March 7, 2009 – The World Bahai Center in Haifa. He toured the Bahai Gardens and met with Bahai Officials. On March 8, 2009 – Haifa University. Met with the University’s President and senior faculty members. On March 18, 2009 – Eilat. Ambassador met with members of the Indian community. The visit was organized by Mr. Isaac Solomon, prominent Indian community member who briefed Ambassador about the activities of the Indian community in Eilat.
‘Know India Programme’ participants with Hon’ble President of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil
Three Israeli youth (2 girls and 1 boy) of Indian origin participated in the 11th Know India Programme (KIP) from March 21, 2009 to April 12, 2009 organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India, in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). They were joined by participants from all over the world. The participants were taken to Punjab and Orissa as a part of the KIP programme. They also visited Kolkata, Delhi and Agra apart from various places of interest in Punjab and Orissa.
The parti cipan ts were expos ed to various facets of modern India and were also familiarized with Indian history, culture and heritage during the three week programme. They also got an opp ort uni ty to mee t the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan and other high dignitaries during the pro gra mme . The KIP pro vid es a unique forum for youth of Indian origin to visit India, share their views, expec tatio ns/ex perie nces and bond closely with contemporary India.
Indian Night by Shaan in Tel Aviv
An Indian show was organized by Mr. Moshe Primosher, Producer Arnon Paz Ltd., Israel, at Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2009. Singer Mr. Shaan with his band and a group of eight dancers from India were invited to perform at the show which included Bollywood Hindi songs followed by dance / songs by other groups. Ambassador attended the show and
Shaan regaling the crowd
appreciated the performance, which was attended by about 3000 people. Stalls of Indian food were also arranged at the event.
Shaan with his band and dancers
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CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Exhibition of Indian painting and performing art
The art gallery “Office in Tel Aviv” organized an exhibition of paintings and performing art of Indian artist Mr. Chanchal Banga from March 1821, 2009 in Tel Aviv. Ms. Rachel Sukman, Manager / Curator of the gallery and Editor in Chief of “Terminal - A Review of 21st Century Art” organized the exhibition at “David Gerstein Gallery” in Tel Aviv. Mr. Sharad Srivastava, First Secretar y, attended.
Popular Indian Recipes:
Rice Kheer Recipe
(Rice Pudding)
Corner Stone Laying Ceremony in Afula
A corner stone memorial ceremony in the memory of late R abbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivki Holtzberg was conducted at Afula on April 2, 2009. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivki Holtzberg were killed in the Mumbai attacks on November 28, 2008. Rivki was born and grew up in Afu la. Her fat her Rab bi Shi mon Rosenberg, who is a Rabbi of the community, decided to commemorate the tragedy by building a memorial house, similar to the house in which they lived in Mumbai. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Sharad Srivastava, First Secretary.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of grain rice (washed and drained) 4-5 cups of milk 2-3 cardamom seeds (crushed) (for flavor) 2 table spoons of shredded blanched almonds 1 table spoon of raisins 2-3 table spoons of sugar or as desired
FORTHCOMING EVENTS IN INDIA
India International Sign Show 2009 May 22-24, 2009, Mumbai www.biztradeshows.com Seed Agrochem & Irrigation Expo 2009 June 5-7, 2009, New Delhi www.biztradeshows.com International Livestock & Dairy Expo July 2-4, 2009, New Delhi www.biztradeshows.com India International Jewellery Show (IIJS 2009) August 6-10, 2009, Mumbai www.biztradeshows.com PenWorld 2009 September 4-7, 2009, Mumbai www.biztradeshows.com
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Method:
1. Put the rice and milk in a pan, bring to boil and simmer gently until the rice is soft and the mixture becomes thick. Stir occasionally at first and then constantly when the milk begins to thicken to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Simmer on low heat till rice is well blended and consistency is that of porridge. 2. Add the sugar, almonds, cardamom and raisins and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 3. Remove the rice kheer from heat and serve either warm or chilled.
India International Travel Mart September 5-7, 2009, Mumbai www.biztradeshows.com International Foodtec India 2009 September 17-19, 2009, Mumbai www.biztradeshows.com International Arogya Fair September 18-21, 2009 New Delhi www.indiatradefair.com INDESEC Expo 2009 October 11-13, 2009 New Delhi http://indesec-expo.com Delhi International Leather Fair October 23-25, 2009 New Delhi www.indiatradefair.com India International Trade Fair November 14-27, 2009 New Delhi www.indiatradefair.com
ECONOMIC NEWS FROM INDIA
INDIAN ECONOMY: New FDI rules to bring in more dollars The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) adopted new guidelines for computation of foreign equity holding in Indian companies. This opens up the scope for additional foreign equity inflow into Indian companies and in the process dilutes the foreign investment ceiling that had earlier been imposed in sensitive sectors such as telecom, media, aviation, banking, defence and insurance. India emerges as drug testing hub In an indication of India’s growing importance as a clinical trial destination, multinational pharmaceutical firms are queuing up for approvals to test their new drugs here. At least a dozen global firms, including Roche, Pfizer and Astra Zeneca, got a nod from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct over 50 clinical trials on Indian volunteers this month. The global clinical research outsourcing market is projected to touch US$ 23 billion by 2011, with consultancy firm KPMG estimating that India will corner 15% of this in two years. India is ranked high on the list of world’s attractive destinations According to a report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on March 4, 2009, India is ranked high on the list of the world’s attractive destinations. India is ranked 11th in the (Asia-Pacific) region and 62nd overall, up three places since last year. The report said that India has a good air transport network and a reasonable gro und tra nsp ort inf ras tru ctu re. The rankings are based on the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which measures the different regulatory and business-related issues that have been identified as levers for improving travel and tourism competitiveness in countries. Nano enhances India as small car hub The launch of Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car, enhances India's position as a small car manufacturing hub and can potentially expand the domestic car market. With the on-road price to the customer estimated at Rs. 1.2 lakh (approximately $2,300), the Tata Nano will enhance India's position as a highly cost competitive manufacturing hub for small cars. Alternative low-cost car models launched worldwide in the past two years have been priced at least 50% higher than the price of the Nano. According to Crisil Research estimates, the new price point reduces the cost of ownership of an entry level car in India by 30% and to below 3 times the cost of owning a motorcycle. This will make the car affordable to an additional 14 million families, including a section of the 58 million two-wheeler owners. REAL ESTATE: Tatas in talks with Taiwan to set up Taj hotel in Taipei The Tata Group is in talks with the Taiwanese Government to open a Taj Group hotel in the capital city Taipei and to source electronic goods for its Croma stores. TELECOM / IT / BIOTECHNOLOGY: IT infrastructure offshoring likely to touch US$ 6 billion this year Remote Infrastructure Management Outsourcing (RIMO) has emerged as the growth engine for many Indian tech firms. According to Everest Research Institute, the RIMO market is expected to touch US$ 5.9billion in 2009 and US$ 8.6-billion in 2010. 3 Indian cities make it to the list of 31 global emerging IT destinations: KPMG Three Indian cities - Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Nagpur - have made it to the list of top 31 locations across the world as key emerging alternatives to the existing places for information technology (IT) and information technology enabled services (ITeS) industry, stated consultancy firm KPMG in its report, 'Exploring Global Frontiers - the new Emerging Destinations'. M&A deals in IT up 12% The cross border merger and acquisition (M&A) involving Indian IT and IT-enabled comp anie s inc reas ed by near ly 12 % between January 1 and December 15, 2008 to US$ 3.22 billion (in 98 deals) compared with US$ 2.88 billion (in 159 deals) in 2007. The average deal size in 2008 increased to US$ 32.86 million (US$ 18.15 million), according to Grant Thornton India. 113 million telecom users added in 2008 India added 113.26 million new customers in 2008. India’s cellular base witnessed close to 50% growth in 2008, with an average 9.5 million customers added every month. India had 346.89 million mobile phone users as of December 2008-end co mp ar ed to 23 3 m il li on in th e corresponding period a year ago. The total number of telephone connections (mobile and fixed) has touched 385 million as of De ce mb er-e nd , ta ki ng th e te le co m penetration to over 33%. This implies that one out of every three Indians has a telephone connection. Telecom industry marked the highest subscriber addition The Indian telecom industry clocked the highest subscriber addition in a month by adding 15.87 million subscribers in March, 2009. According to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), while the wireless (GSM, CDMA and WLL (Fixed)) segment witnessed addition of 15.64 million users, the wireline segment saw an increase for the first time in two years by adding 0.23 million users to its subscriber base. Indian pharma companies upbeat on biogenerics Indian drug companies, which have introduced biogeneric products or copies of biotechnology drugs in the country, are bullish over the marketing prospects of “biogenerics" after patents expire in developed markets. Companies such as Dr Reddy’s, Biocon, Reliance Life Sciences and Ranbaxy etc. are all in the process of strengthening their biogeneric portfolio to cater to future global demand. AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY: After Ford & Hyundai, GM to make India export hub General Motors is planning to make India its hub for exporting engines, power trains as well as cars to neighbouring countries, the US and Europe. GM India hopes to match last year’s growth of 10% even though the industry is expected to remain flat. The company, in addition to the launch of the new sedan (above Optra) Chevrolet Cruze and a premium mini car (on the same lines of Spark) will launch a number of different fuel models of the existing platform in India during 2009. Audi India sales rise three-fold in 2008 Audi reported a sale of 1,050 units in India in the year 2008, a three-fold rise compared with the sale of 349 units in the previous year. The company posted over two-fold rise in its sales in December last year at 76 units as against 31 units in the year-ago period. The year 2008 has been an exciting time for Audi India as they not only have achieved, but exceeded their projected targets despite the overall slowdown in the automobile market.
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India Calls – Udaipur:
Udaipur Set amidst three lakes and hemmed in by the lush Aravali Hills, Uda ipu r is an a llu rin g ci ty i n Rajasthan's far south, about 420 km from the state capital Jaipur. The legends of bravery of its Rajput rulers combined with the exotic locale, marvelous marble and sandstone palaces, beautifully laid out gardens, intricately carved temples and narrow lanes flanked by colourful stalls produce a mesmerizing effect on the visitor. Built in 16th century by Maharana Udai Singh, the ruler of the princely state of Mewar, Udaipur city embodies the ver y best in Rajput art, architecture, culture and tradition.
Tourist attractions
City Palace: Located on the edge of Pichola Lake, this palace with many beautiful structures built by successive ge ne ra ti on s of ru le rs wi th in it s confines, is the largest in Rajasthan. There is plenty to see in the complex such as Elephant Gate, Suraj Gokhada, Peacock Square, City Palace Museum, royal courtyards, Ruby Palace, Pearl Palace, Bari Mahal, and Lakshmi Chowk. Fateh Prakash Palace: In a separate enclosure within the City Palace complex are Shiv Niwas and Fateh Prakash Palace that have been converted into super luxurious heritage hotels. Fateh Prakash Palace also has a rare collection of crystals, including tables, sofa sets, dinning table, dressers, fountains, beds, and a whole array of washing bowls, decanters and perfume bottles. Lake Pichola: This picturesque lake, 4km long and 3 km wide, was enlarged by the city's founder and encloses Jag Niwas Island and Jag Mandir, with the City Palace as its backdrop on its eastern bank. Fateh Sagar Lake: Surrounded by hills and woodland, this lake to the north of Lake Pichola was constructed by Maharana Jai Singh in 1678 and later reconstructed by Maharana Fateh Singh. The beautiful Nehru Island as well as an islet bearing a solar observatory rises from the lake. Lake Palace: Located on the Jag Niwas Island and covering the whole of 1.5 hectare of the island in the middle of Pichola Lake, this royal summer palace dating back to1743 is now a five-star heritage hotel that retains much of its regal splendour. Jag Mandir: Also located in Lake Pichola, this complex was built as a hideout for Prince Khurram (who later came to be known as Shah Jahan), the estranged son of Mughal emperor Jehangir. Shah Jahan stayed here in 1623-24 and is said to have derived some of the ideas for the Taj Mahal from this palace. Udaipur's largest and most famous temple dedicated to Lord Jagdish (Lord Vishnu), and a museum, are also located within this island palace. Maharana Pratap Memorial: An impressive bronze statue of legendary Udaipur ruler Maharana Pratap astride his famous horse Chetak stands at the top of Moti Magri (Pearl Mount) overlooking Fateh Sagar Lake. Shilpgram or Craftsmen's Village: This ethnographic museum depicting the craft, art and culture of various Indian states, is housed in 26 huts spread over 70 acres of natural surroundings at the foot of the Aravali Hills. A colourful craft festival is held here during winter seasons.
How to reach
By Air: Debock airport is 24 km from city centre and is well connected to Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur. By Rail: Udaipur is directly connected to major Indian cities by rail. By Road: Well-connected by road from Delhi and other important cities.
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Climate Winter: Maximum temperature is 28 degrees Celsius, minimum is 11.6 degrees Celsius. Summer: Maximum temperature is 39 degrees Celsius; minimum is 29 degrees. Best time to visit: Between September and March. For more information on India tourism visit: www.tourindia.com www.udaipurtourism.com