The lakes of Udaipur are not only an engineering feat, they’re also evidence of the foresight of the Maharanas of Udaipur. Historically the lifeline of the city, and the reason for its distinct charm, the lakes have suffered in recent years. The amount of building and development in catchment areas is one of the reasons. Civic bodies are trying to work together to come up with a viable plan to safeguard what is the city’s source of tourism but in the meanwhile, the rains have been plentiful for the first time since 2006, and the lakes are full! What a sight, and it’s only now that you get the full impact of the floating island-palaces. Eka is doing our monthly visit to Udaipur just now, so here’s some live feed from EarthTV of Pichola, the oldest lake, for you to enjoy and coverage from the local online magazine with pics showing how they’re celebrating the plentiful rain this year !