Jagdish Temple
Udaipur's Living Temple Beside the Palace
Overview
Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the heart of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, just outside the City Palace, in continuous worship since 1651, when it was consecrated by Maharana Jagat Singh I of Mewar. Built in the Indo-Aryan (Maru-Gurjara) style, its three-storeyed structure rises on a carved plinth of elephants and horsemen beneath a tall shikhara. The sanctum enshrines a black-stone image of Vishnu as Jagannath, faced by a brass Garuda shrine. Originally the temple of Jagannath Rai, it is Udaipur's principal living temple. MyTripMyTravel folds an escorted visit into the City Palace circuit.
Jagdish Temple is where Udaipur's grand palace architecture meets its everyday devotional life. Standing just outside the City Palace's main gate, it has been in unbroken worship since 1651, a working temple, thronged for aarti, rather than a monument behind a rope.
Maharana Jagat Singh I built it in the classic Indo-Aryan idiom: a soaring shikhara over the sanctum, a pillared mandapa, and a plinth carved with bands of elephants, horsemen, musicians and dancers. The steep flight of steps up to the entrance is guarded by stone elephants, and a brass Garuda shrine faces the black-stone Vishnu (Jagannath) within.
MyTripMyTravel sequences Jagdish directly into the City Palace visit, a few steps away, timing it for a morning or evening aarti so you experience it as a living shrine, with an escort to explain the iconography and the etiquette.
At a glance
Jagdish Temple in brief
What to see
Highlights
The shikhara
The tall, richly carved tower over the sanctum, visible across the old city.
Carved plinth
Bands of elephants, horsemen, musicians and dancers around the temple base.
Brass Garuda shrine
The metal Garuda pavilion facing the sanctum on the temple's central axis.
Vishnu as Jagannath
The single black-stone image of Vishnu that has been worshipped here since 1651.
Aarti atmosphere
The bells, lamps and crowds of the morning and evening worship, the temple at its most alive.
Visitor information
Our tips
Time it with an aarti, the temple is far more atmospheric during worship.
Combine it with the City Palace, which is only steps away.
Footwear comes off at the base of the steps; leave it with our escort.
Photograph the carved plinth and shikhara, but not the inner sanctum.
Good to know
Jagdish Temple, your questions
Is Jagdish Temple near the City Palace?
Yes, it stands just outside the City Palace's main gate, so we sequence the two together on one escorted Udaipur circuit.
Who is the temple dedicated to?
Vishnu, worshipped here as Jagannath. The sanctum's black-stone image has been in continuous worship since the temple's consecration in 1651.
How long does a visit take?
About 30 to 45 minutes, ideally timed to a morning or evening aarti for the full devotional atmosphere.
Can I take photographs?
Yes in the courtyard and of the exterior carving, but not inside the sanctum. Our escort explains where photography is appropriate.
Visit with us
See Jagdish Temple, properly.
A private, chauffeured visit with a licensed expert guide, timed for the best light and the smallest crowds. We fold Jagdish Temple into a wider Udaipur and Rajasthan Escapes itinerary, built entirely around you.
- Skip the queue where possible, at the right hour
- Licensed local guide who brings the story to life
- Private car and chauffeur, door to door
Plan your trip
Plan a visit to Jagdish Temple
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