Garasyas, a native race that lives in the Mewar Hills. Tall, with good physiques, they are unflinchingly loyal to tribe, friends, and employers.

Garba, a traditional and popular folk dance from Gujarat for about four or five centuries. It was introduced to Udaipur around 1984 as part of the Navratri celebrations where it is performed during a street carnival, and consists of simple repetitive steps.

Garbor (village): see CHARBHUJA.

Garden Hotel and Restaurant, Udaipur, an HRH Group heritage hotel. The colonial style Household Transport Centre that originally housed the palace cars is opposite the Gulab Bagh (Rose Garden) near Shiv Niwas. This was transformed into the GARDEN HOTEL to house pilgrims visiting shrines around Udaipur. Today, although its inexpensive Gujarati vegetarian food restaurant remains open to the public, the Garden Hotel is now used for staff accommodation. Recently a vintage car museum was added to the complex.

Garden Palace (City Palace): see BADI MAHAL.

Gardens and Parks of Udaipur. Udaipur is renowned as a garden city and, surrounded as it is by lakes, there is always water to maintain the many gardens. This penchant for gardens goes back to medieval times when the Maharanas of Udaipur took great delight in creating gardens for their subjects. Maharana KARAN SINGH II (1620-1628) was the first to develop a garden near what would later become the old Railway Station road, some 2 km. east of the City Palace. (The reason for the delay in establishing this first garden is that, although Udaipur was established by 1570, its founder, Maharana Udai Singh II died two years later. Then his successor, Maharana Pratap Singh I quit the luxury of Udaipur for a Spartan existence in the Aravalli Hills while he fought his guerrilla wars against the Mughals, and never returned to Udaipur. It was not until 1620 that Maharana Karan Singh made the city the capital once more.) Maharana AMAR SINGH II (1698-1710) is credited with building the Badi Mahal, a simple, peaceful garden within the City Palace. Around 1734, Maharana SANGRAM SINGH II (1710-1734) built the exquisite SAHELION-KI-BARI, a cool retreat with ponds and fountains for the ladies of the palace. Maharana SAJJAN SINGH (1874-1884) had the foresight to create the SAJJAN NIWAS GARDEN on what is now Lake Palace Road, beyond the southern entrance to Shiv Niwas Palace. Today it is a vast yet peaceful botanical garden, a virtual forest on the edge of the central city district, enjoyed daily by the citizens of Udaipur. At HATHI POL, the northern gateway of the old city, Seth Mohta, who was a City Sahukar (highly respected businessman), laid out a small public park in 1943. After Independence, the GULAB BAGH (Rose Garden) was developed within the Sajjan Niwas Garden, as was the ROCK GARDEN on the east bank of FATEH SAGAR. Other interesting parks and gardens worth visiting are Aravali Vatika; Guru Govind Singh Park (Rock Garden); Meera Park; Manikya Lal Verma Park; Maharana Pratap Smarak; Nehru Park Island; Nehru Municipal Children's Park; Patel Circle; Pandit Deen Dayal Upadyaya Park; RNT Medical College/Court Choraya; Sanjay Park; Sukhadia Circle; and Sunset Point.

garh, (Hindi) a fort, as in Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh.

Garibdas, Kunwar, second son of Maharana KARAN SINGH II (1620-1628) and brother of Maharana JAGAT SINGH I (1628-1652). Garibdas's sons held jagirs at Keria and Vaansda.

Garuda, the mount of Lord VISHNU; a mythical white-faced bird with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body and limbs of a man. Carrying the god on his flashing golden back, he was sometimes mistaken for the fire-god, Agni.

Gas Garh (Udaipur): see GHAS GARH.

Gates (Pols) in Chittorgarh (see individual entries for details). Today, the fort is reached by a zigzag road 1.5 km. long, leading from the southern end of the town below. This ascent to the fort passes through seven magnificent gateways built by Maharana Kumbha (1433-1468) to replace the ancient eastern entrance road. Starting from the base of the hill: 1. Padan Pol; 2. Bhairon Pol; 3. Hanuman Pol; 4. Ganesh Pol; 5. Jorla Pol; 6. Laxman Pol; and 7. Ram Pol, the final and main gate. Inside Ram Pol are two roads, one leads north to a village; the other towards the south and the major historical attractions of the fort. The ancient eastern ascent to the fort has only one gate, Suraj Pol, the original main gateway at the top. See also GATES (POLS) IN UDAIPUR.

Gates (Pols) in Udaipur. The city's ancient ramparts are extensive though no longer complete. Large sections have been demolished to make way for roads and shops, but nine main gates remain: to the west - Brahm Pol (named after the god Brahma), Amba Pol (dedicated to the goddess Amba), and Chand Pol (Moon Gate); to the north - Hathi Pol (Elephant Gate), and Delhi Gate; to the east - Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) and Udai Pol (named after Udai Singh II); to the south - Kishan Pol (named after Lord Krishna), and Jamra Pol next to Pichola Lake. The gateways and remaining sections of wall are in reasonable shape though poorly maintained, however major restoration work is being planned. It was common practice to have the gates at different places in the city's surrounding walls for the convenience of the people, and their safety and security. They were closed at an appointed time each day and no one was allowed to enter or leave until morning. If there was a need, they had to have special permission of the city's Kotwal (head of the Security Force).

List of all Gates (see individual entries for details): Amba Pol; Badi Pol; Brahma Pol; Chand Pol; Delhi Gate; Dund Pol; Hathi Pol (Elephant Gate); Kherwara Gate; Kishan Pol; Suraj Pol (Gate of the Sun); and Udiya Pol (also called Udia Pol).

Gau Brahman Pratipal, (Hindi) Protector of Cows and Brahmans; a glorification bards gave to Mewar rulers. See also CHATTIS-KUL-SINGAR.

Gau-mukh (Chittor): see GOMUKH KUND.

Gaumukh Temple: see ABU, MT.

Gauri, a Hindu goddess; consort of Lord Shiva.

Gayaki, an important and personal singing style in Indian classical music, two of its popular examples being Dhrupad and Dhamar. As this form of music contains all the Nav Rasas, Dhrupad singing is also known as temple music. The singer, while expounding his music, gets the audience involved through singing in total ecstasy, creating tranquillity and peace of mind. Well-known and distinguished exponents of music maintain that striking a vocal note, in absolute and total perfection, gives one a feeling of Nirvana. One of the most famous exponents of this style of classical singing was Ustad Ruidas DAGAR, for whom one of the annual MAHARANA MEWAR FOUNDATION AWARDS has been named.

Gazni: see GHAZNI.