Eklingji, Nathdwara and Haldighati in one trip from Udaipur

Eklingji, Nathdwara and Haldighati are the three names you will hear most often when anyone in Udaipur suggests a short trip out of the city. They sit on the same road heading north, they are close together, and between them they cover the faith and the history of Mewar: the Shiva temple of the royal family, the most revered Krishna shrine in Rajasthan, and the pass where Maharana Pratap fought the Mughal army in 1576.

The catch is timing. Both temples close for long stretches in the middle of the day, and arriving at a locked gate after an hour on the road is the most common way this trip goes wrong. The order you visit in matters more than anything else. Here is how we plan it.

The three stops

Eklingji

Eklingji is about 22 kilometres north of Udaipur, roughly 35 to 45 minutes from the city, in the village of Kailashpuri. The temple complex is dedicated to Shiva as Eklingji, who is regarded as the true ruler of Mewar, with the Maharanas governing on his behalf. The main shrine holds a four faced black stone image, surrounded by more than a hundred smaller temples inside high walls.

Darshan runs in three windows: early morning from about 4:30 to 7 am, late morning from about 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, and evening from about 5 to 7:30 pm. Outside those hours the doors are shut. Phones and cameras are not allowed inside, and leather items such as belts and wallets are left outside too, so keep them in the car. Shoulders and knees should be covered.

Nathdwara

Nathdwara is 48 kilometres from Udaipur, about an hour on the highway, and home to the Shrinathji temple, a form of Krishna as a child. Darshan here follows the deity's day, with short slots for waking, dressing, meals and rest. The morning has several slots close together, then the temple closes in the middle of the day while the deity rests and opens again in the afternoon. Our Nathdwara guide covers the temple, the Pichwai painting workshops and the darshan routine in more detail.

Haldighati

Haldighati is a narrow pass in the Aravallis about 15 kilometres beyond Nathdwara, named for its yellow soil, the colour of turmeric. This is where Maharana Pratap faced Man Singh and the Mughal army in 1576, and where his horse Chetak, badly wounded, carried him out of the battle before falling. The Chetak Smarak marks the spot, and the Maharana Pratap Museum nearby tells the story with weapons, paintings and dioramas. The museum is open from about 8 am to 7 pm, so unlike the temples it fits wherever you need it.

Badshahi Bagh, close to the battlefield, is known for the Chaitri rose. Small shops around Haldighati sell rose water, rose sherbet and gulkand made from it, and they make a good thing to take home.

The half day: Nathdwara and Eklingji

This is the version most visitors choose, and it works neatly. Leave Udaipur at about 8 am and you reach Nathdwara around 9, in time for the morning darshan slots before the midday crowds. Give yourself an hour or two for darshan and the lanes around the temple. Heading back, Eklingji opens at about 10:30, and you reach it just as the doors open, which is when it is quietest. Forty five minutes there, and you are back in Udaipur by early afternoon.

It comes to about 100 kilometres and five hours, so it fits a half day hire, and your afternoon is free for the city.

The full day: all three

Adding Haldighati takes the round trip to about 125 kilometres and most of a day, and there are two good ways to order it.

Early and back by mid afternoon. Leave at 7:45 for Nathdwara and the first morning slots. Go on to Haldighati for the museum, the Chetak Smarak and the rose shops, then come back down the highway to reach Eklingji before its late morning window closes at about 1:30. You are in Udaipur by around 2:30, with time for lunch and a rest. This one runs to a schedule, so it suits travellers who like an early start.

Slower and back by evening. Leave at about 9 for Nathdwara, then Haldighati and lunch. On the way back, stop at the Saas Bahu temples at Nagda, three kilometres from Eklingji, a pair of tenth century temples with remarkable carving where photography is allowed. Then take Eklingji's evening darshan when it opens at about 5, with the evening aarti around 6:30, and drive back to Udaipur in the dark. It is a longer day but there is no rushing anywhere.

Either way this is a full day hire rather than a half day, and your driver stays with you throughout.

Practical notes

Dress once for all three: covered shoulders and knees, and shoes you can slip on and off easily. Leave phones, cameras and leather in the car at both temples, since the cloakrooms get busy. In winter, carry socks for the cold marble floors. Lunch is easiest at Nathdwara, which has plenty of simple vegetarian places, or at one of the dhabas near Haldighati.

Temple timings shift on festivals, Mondays at Eklingji and special occasions at Nathdwara, so check the day before. If they have changed, your driver can reorder the stops around them.

When to go

October to March is the most comfortable time, when the open ground at Haldighati is pleasant even at midday. Weekends and festival days are much busier at both temples, especially around Janmashtami and Diwali at Nathdwara and Shivratri at Eklingji, so pick a weekday if you can. In summer, take the early version and be back before the afternoon heat.

Getting there

The whole trip is on one good road, but it depends on being in the right place when the temple doors open. A driver who knows the timings and waits while you take darshan is what makes it easy. Aavre runs this circuit as a half day or full day hire at a fixed fare, agreed before you travel, with no surge and no negotiating. Tell us when you book which stops you want and how early you like to start, and the day is planned around the darshan windows. Current fares are on our fare page.

Common questions

Read more from Aavre: Udaipur to Nathdwara by cab and The best day trips from Udaipur you should not miss.