A visit to Jal Mahal in Jaipur

By Anuradha Shankar
Posted: 13/09/2012 in DESTINATIONS

Think ‘Lake Palace’, and you think of Udaipur. However, not many know that Jaipur too has a lake palace – the Jal Mahal.

Jal Mahal is located on the Man Sagar Lake. On one side are the mighty Aravallis, dotted with ancient temples and forts. On the other side is the bustling city of Jaipur. The Jal Mahal was built in the 18th century, by Jai Singh II. It is a simple structure, with just a pavillion and a terrace garden, which was probably used by the royal family to enjoy the cool breeze on the lake.

Interestingly, what you can see of the palace is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. The palace is said to be five storied, with four floors remaining underwater when the lake is full!

The lake itself is much older. At one time, it was just a depression where water used to accumulate. Then, around 1596AD, a famine led to an acute shortage of water. The then ruler of Ajmer built a dam between the two hills, thus forming the lake as it is seen today.

Over the years, the palace was ignored and forgotten.�The lake turned into a dumping ground for effluents and the palace lay in ruins. Then, in 2005, the government of Rajasthan okayed the plans for restoration, and over the next six years, the lake has been cleaned up and the palace restored to its former glory. The terrace garden once again blooms, and visitors can enjoy the cool breeze and the wonderful view from over the Man Sagar Lake. The palace now plays host to exhibitions and photography enthusiasts, and may soon become just as famous as the Lake Palace at Udaipur!

The Jal Mahal palace is a must-visit on a trip to Jaipur. You can include a visit to the Jal Mahal on a day trip to Jaipur, while enjoying the royal comforts of the� Club Mahindra�s Roop Vilas Palace Resort in Nawalgarh, 140Kms away.

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7 Responses to “A visit to Jal Mahal in Jaipur”

sanjay khamkar says:
September 13, 2012 at 10:29 am

ALTIMATE
sanjay khamkar says:
September 13, 2012 at 10:31 am

SO NICE…
magiceye says:
October 4, 2012 at 2:53 pm

Oh did you manage to get in?
We could not last year. Was closed for renovations we were told
Anu says:
October 4, 2012 at 4:09 pm

No, Deepak, we couldnt get in… I didnt know that we could go in.. the people we were with told us that it was closed, but apparently it has now been opened
Soniya says:
November 7, 2012 at 5:57 pm

Now a days JalMahal has become one of the beautiful place to visit in Jaipur, we thanks for the Kothari group for such a renovation work. JaipurArts.com is also one of the site which do promote art and culture of Jaipur.
sugato tripathy says:
November 22, 2012 at 9:36 pm

dear anirudha, thanks for the info…would have liked the pics to be a bit bigger ….however, nice effort.

http://www.trip-o-graphy.blogspot.in
Vishal Rathod says:
December 23, 2012 at 1:02 pm

Thanks for the info Anu jee
I hope so in my visit I might get inside if I get time to visit.