Fri, 11 Oct

Disable Union Organisation at The City Palace Museum, Udaipur

A group of 12 physically challenged visitors were welcomed from the Disable Union Organisation, Israel. Our visitors arrived on wheel chairs and were hand-lifted up the staircase to the Mardana Mahal's lift and then each one was taken to the Mor Chowk.

Our day was made when we received the following comment in the visitors' book:

'Delightfully well maintained and very cooperative staff. Very nice very best of staff'.

Visitors from Disable Union Organisation, Israel at Mor Chowk,
The City Palace Museum, Udaipur

Museum Staff helping one of the visitor

Sun, 13 Oct

Ashwa Poojan 2013

The Navratri festival is celebrated over nine nights and culminates with Dussehra, an important festival for the Rajput warrior as he worships his horse and all his weapons on Dussehra. On the day before Dussehra, the Rajput celebrates his devoted and valiant steed, his most powerful symbol. The Ashwa Poojan Ceremony or 'Worship of the Horse' commemorates the bond between the Rajput and his horse. It marks a grand finale to the Navratri festivities at the City Palace in Udaipur.

Manek Chowk was decked up like a bride on 13th October while thousands of people eagerly waited for the ceremony to unfold. The to-be-worshipped 'Marwari' horses were also adorned in silver and groomed at leisure. They have been selected and bred according to the ancient guidelines on horse breeding, the Salotar.

The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) established by His late Highness Maharana Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar in 1969 has been facilitating the development of Udaipur as a heritage-city. In order to maintain its rich cultural customs, festivals like Ashwa Poojan occupy an important place in the calendar of regal festivals organized every year.

This year, MMCF completes 44 years in service to the people of Udaipur. Education and outreach programmes, health care, heritage preservation and conservation, museum management and preservation of places of religious worship are some of the key activities of the MMCF.

The foundation has instituted annual international and national awards granted for services of a permanent value rendered to society. In addition, MMCF has set up a number of subsidiary trusts for religious and charitable purposes to give assistance to the underprivileged without distinction of caste, creed or religion.