Lake Palace: Where Time, Tradition, and Tranquility Meet

Growing up in Mumbai, I never imagined that I would even visit the Udaipur Taj Lake Palace Hotel – let alone stay there. If you’ve been reading my articles in Desh Videsh, you know that I recently spent a few days in Udaipur.

The Lake Palace is what invariably comes up if you do a google search of Udaipur. It has become a de facto icon of Udaipur even though several other luxury hotels have been built there in recent years. When we were invited for an event in Udaipur this past December, we decided to arrive a few days early. While we explored several stay options, our fingers kept coming back – almost involuntarily – to the Lake Palace.

We did not regret that decision.

Managed by the Taj Group, the Lake Palace is a 280-year palace still owned by the Royal family of Udaipur. Many of its rooms have been converted into hotel accommodations, yet they retain their old-world charm, reflected beautifully in the décor. Situated in the middle of Lake Pichola, the only way to reach the hotel is by boat. The moment we were brought to the private jetty, the difference was unmistakable.

We were treated like royalty. Each family was escorted in a private boat to the hotel where we were treated with a Royal Umbrella welcome and rose petals showered around us. The staff greeted us with folded hands and “Khamma Ghanni” (many greetings) throughout our stay. Not once did we have to share a boat with anyone else. Not once did we have to wait more than a couple of minutes for a boat to take us to the other side.

The Taj Lake Palace hotel is one of only two Michelin Three Keys hotels in India – and it’s easy to see why. The service was impeccable. There were so many unique, thoughtful touches – a daily evening pooja performed at the garden temple by a Panditji, a flautist playing live on the rooftop every morning and evening, and a Rajasthani cultural show every night. Every evening, the staff also carefully lit 50-60 lanterns by hand and arranged them in a decorative pattern on the courtyard floor.

The experiences continued throughout the day – a heritage walk through the property each afternoon, and a sunset boat ride to Jag Mandir Island in the evenings. As we checked in on Christmas Eve, there was another surprise – Santa Claus arrived bearing gifts – but not through a chimney – he came by boat, accompanied by the melodious sound of sleigh bells! What an outstanding entrance!

Over the course of our stay, whether we were interacting with the concierge, dining at one of the restaurants, or simply hanging around with a gorgeous view of the legendary City Palace building, it was clear that the staff took immense care to ensure that guests wanted for nothing. But it was while simply sitting on one of the balconies, watching the white palace walls turn golden at sunset, that we knew we had chosen perfectly – and that this was an experience that would linger long after the trip was over.  

About the Author:

Rema is an IT professional whose experience includes cybersecurity consulting and implementing financial technology solutions in highly regulated environments. She lives in South Florida with her husband. A proud mother of twin boys, she is also an active member of the local Indian community. Rema enjoys traveling to different countries and meeting and working with people of different backgrounds and cultures. Rema is actively involved in the South Florida community and serves as a Board Member of the Indian Regional and Cultural Center, and has also served on the Board of Trustees of the North Broward Preparatory School.

When the Picture Matters More Than the Place

Growing up in Mumbai, we had no social media. The internet did not even exist then. Today, of course, people practically live their lives on social media. I can understand wanting to share moments, milestones, or experiences online. What I still struggle to understand, however, is the rise in popularity of influencers — and wannabe influencers — who simply pose for photographs, post them on Instagram, and collect a flurry of likes.

This phenomenon, so common in Western countries, is now clearly visible in India as well. I witnessed it firsthand during a recent trip to Udaipur with my family. Recently, I was in Udaipur, India with my family. While seeing the sights in this beautiful city, we visited a garden called “Saheliyon ki bari”. As I was walking in, I happened to notice many young women also entering, with their respective friends or significant others. What caught my attention was how dressed up many of them were — skirts or dresses styled carefully, accessorized with belts, booties, jewelry, and more.  I assumed that there must be some sort of event at the garden which all these people were attending. Boy, was I wrong.

It soon became apparent that these young women were there for one purpose alone: to pose for photographs at the garden’s scenic spots, presumably to post later on social media.  At every site within the garden, in front of trees, bushes and fountains, we saw these young ladies posing, while their companions dutifully took photo after photo. It was quite hilarious because very few people seemed to want to enjoy the beauty of the locale – they only wanted to capture their own beauty. The men, in particular, seemed to have a very specific role – photographer – and I imagine that they were being critically evaluated on the quality of every shot.

Life is so busy as it is, that I sometimes wonder what the world has come to, when millions of people spend so much time scrolling through photos and videos of random strangers on the internet. Do we really have nothing better to do than to fuel this artificial popularity and provide so-called influencers with yet another way to earn an income?

In a world busy chasing likes and perfect pictures, I still find myself wondering when we stopped pausing simply to look around and take it all in.

About the Author:

Rema Deo is the Managing Director at 24By7Security, a Cybersecurity and Compliance Consulting firm. She lives in South Florida with her husband. A proud mother of twin boys, she is also an active member of the local Indian community. In addition to the professional responsibilities of her function, Rema enjoys the multi-cultural aspect of the job especially as it involves learning different languages, traveling to different countries and meeting and working with people of different backgrounds and cultures. Rema is actively involved in the South Florida community and serves as a Board Member of the Indian Regional and Cultural Center, and has also served on the Board of Trustees of the North Broward Preparatory School.

Growing up, many of us watched our parents and grandparents save everything—from empty glass jars to plastic bags. They taught us to use items fully, hand them down, donate them, or creatively repurpose them. This practice is commendable, but it comes with a challenge: What happens when it’s time to downsize?

Our family experienced this dilemma firsthand when we realized it was no longer feasible for my father-in-law to manage his home in Gainesville, FL, by himself. My mother-in-law had passed away 15 years earlier, and my father-in-law was a retired professor. He had continued to stay involved in academics and frequently traveled internationally for work, so upkeep for his large home had fallen behind and became impractical. As a family, we agreed that a smaller home with social activities and freshly prepared meals would be a better fit.

Fortunately, through friends and family, we found a lovely Indian retirement community, ShantiNiketan, about 90 minutes away. He selected a brand-new sun-drenched corner unit that was being constructed and had the opportunity to select some of the finishes and make it his own.

Photo text: Downsizing – from a large custom home to a new retirement condo

The Move: More Than Just Logistics

The decision to move into a retirement community was made cautiously, as it was an unfamiliar path for our family. We visited the community, spoke with residents, and gradually grew confident that this new environment would offer the safe, social, and supportive setting he needed—and it did!

However, the logistics of the move were daunting. One challenge was that the condo unit was significantly smaller than the space he was used to. The retirement community’s 1,000 sq ft condo units are ground-level condos with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attached single-car garage. Perfect for a retiree, but not nearly enough space to hold 30+ years of memories and mementos from his 4,000 sq ft home.

In addition to the space constraints, we had time constraints. We were traveling down from Boston to Florida during summer vacation with our family of five, having just a week to clean out the large home and just under two days to set up the new space—it was overwhelming. Especially since I was determined to approach this task in an eco-friendly and respectful manner, honoring his legacy of resourcefulness.

The Art of Letting Go: Downsizing with Purpose

With a tight schedule, we had limited time to sort through decades of belongings. So, we took a triage approach, ensuring each item found a fitting new home.

Photo text: Cleaning out the home office – sometimes you have to start cleaning by making a mess

Here’s how we did it:

Photo text: Organizing – setting up designated staging areas to help with triaging

1. First, Set Aside What’s Essential: We identified which items would move with my father-in-law to his new condo. These belongings held immediate personal value or were necessary for his day-to-day life in the new space. We packed these items separately and set them aside for the local movers.
2. Second, Share with Family: Next, we considered which items he would not have space for but would have sentimental value within the family. We carefully boxed these family heirloom pieces and arranged for a national moving company to ship them out to each family member to whom he designated these pieces.
3. Third, Invite the Community: For the remaining items in good condition, we invited local friends, neighbors, contractors, and students to pick out any items they could use. This spontaneous ‘free yard sale’ was a way to give back to the community that had been a part of his life.
4.  Fourth, Donate to Charity: The larger pieces and usable items that remained were donated. We found a local thrift store that worked with a moving company. Not only did they arrange for a truck for our furniture pick-up, they also agreed to come back again to collect the remaining mattresses on our last morning, so we could use them until our last night there. It felt good knowing these items would continue to serve others in need.
5. Finally, the Last Resort – Discard: Only the unusable or broken beyond-repair items were discarded. During this final step, we also tried to recycle as much as possible. For the rest of the items that remained, we rented a U-Haul truck and disposed of the remaining items at the county transfer station.

Photo text: Loading up the U-Haul – getting ready to take items to be disposed to the transfer station

While a large amount of trash disposal was inevitable, we did our best to use this 5 step process to minimize our footprint and prepare the house for the next owner.

Photo text: Cleaning out of the garage – take a deep breath and clean piece by piece

Balancing Sustainability and a New Perspective

Among seniors who are used to maximizing every resource, what may seem to be a positive sustainability practice may morph into hoarding, so it’s important to understand the difference. Hoarding stems from a fear of loss, while sustainability is valuing and using what we have wisely.

This downsizing experience taught us that while it’s okay to cherish memories, it’s also necessary to let go, especially when space, time, and practicality demand it. We must consciously choose what we hold on to and how we release the rest.

If you’re facing a similar journey with a loved one, remember that you can encourage an environmentally mindful approach to navigating and redefining what’s valuable, both in our homes and in our hearts.

About the Author

Salina Shah is on a mission to empower Desi women navigating midlife and aging elders. A former actuarial executive and Senior Vice President at Aon, she is also a co-inventor of health benefits optimization software and a board member of the Actuaries for Sustainable Health Care nonprofit.

After losing her father and mother-in-law in her 20s, Salina has spent over 25 years juggling career, kids, and caregiving—balancing traditional Desi expectations with modern-day life. Realizing the need for a culturally relevant support system, she founded Desi Daughters, a thriving community dedicated to helping working professionals navigate the challenges of caring for aging South Asian parents in the U.S. and India.

To learn more, please connect via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/salinashah/, the website at www.desidaughters.com, or the community at bit.ly/desidaughters-community.