Travel Guide

Chhota Udepur Attractions

Chhota Udepur was among the three princely states of eastern Gujarat. The founders of Chhota Udepur were the direct descendants of the famous Hindu king Prithviraj Chauhan, who bravely fought gainst the invaders and immortalized in “PrithvirajRaso” – a romantic heroic ballad, narrating the love of Samyukta and Prithviraj. The town is situated at the edge of a big lake, with blooming lillies and a boulevard with palm trees. The series of temples along the lake dotting the skyline makes a perfect setting for the colourful tribal haat.

The main tourist attractions in ChhotaUdepur are temples like the Jain Derasar and Kali Temple and the Kusum Vilas Palace and PremBhavan Palace.

Kali Temple

The Kali Temple is dedicated to the Goddess Kali and is worshipped by the royal family.

Jain Derasar

The Jain Derasar is a typical example of plaster-decorated buildings of Gujarat, imitating woodcarvings and figurines in plasterwrk, showing the influence of Victorian art. The arcades, with decorated pillars, the figures with musical instruments, ther dressing, headgears and hairstyles painted in an unconventional manner with bright colours, make a beautiful composition.

Kusum Vilas Palace

The Kusum Vilas Palace was designed by a famous architectural firm of Bombay – Bhatkar&Bhatkar in the early 1920. The design concept was to create a palace in a harmonious fusion of the architectural style of Champaner with modern amenities of an elevator and other functional requirements. A large porch, arcaded facade and balanced architectural treatment of the 5 storeyed central wing with receding volume, capped with a dome lends majesty to the palace. The interiors are a blend of east and west. The carved plasters, friezes gilded with real gold are the replicas of the such architectural elements at Champaner. The British made elevator has a foyer at ground level, enclosed by the series of exquisitely carved stone jalis bringing in aetheral light effect. The grand reception room on ground floor has large doors, a carved false ceiling, French furniture, Belgian mirrors and superb Italian marble statues. The wall paintings by an Indian artist, depicting the picturesque settings at ChhotaUdepur and previous capital Mohan are most remarkable.

PremBhavan Palace

The PremBhavan Palace is located in the same palace campus of Kusum Vilas Palace and has now been converted into a heritage hotel. This hotel offers excellent accommodation, food and package tours to nearby interesting places.