Apurva Kothari Tale of Udaipur City

Dear Diary!

Today! You know, today I was just wondering how happy and blessed I am. I have been growing old quite gracefully and

beautifully. I am admired by millions for the charm of my streets, the spice in my food, the calm in my lakes, the complexity and

diversity of my culture and the beauty of my heritage. I am still referred to as ‘The Venice of the East’, ‘The City of Lakes’ and

‘The City of Palaces’. The Aravalli hills stand tall and strong, protecting me and providing a delight to the eyes of all my visitors.

My lakes are filled with water for all my people. The royal family is doing a wonderful job taking care of the royal residence

and the forts but mostly, I’m glad that my people look up to the royal family. It’s all going so well, tourism is booming which is

helping the economy. There are so many cafes and food carts around for the guests to have a taste of my food, my people are warm

and welcoming to my guests and that makes me proud. The breeze, the morning sun, the chirping birds, these old trees, the water,

the palaces and these people just make me want to live for years and years to come. I stand in the middle of all these and see that

they are a part of me and I am a part of them, they define me, they make me who I am. But sometimes I worry about them all,

especially my people. What will happen to them in this fast moving world? Will they be able to catch up with the rest of the world

out there?

Love, Udaipur