Jal Mahal in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, seen from the boulevard
The Jal Mahal (meaning ‘Water Palace’) you find just outside of Jaipur. On the way to Amer, the former capital of the historical region.
It’s formally unknown who built it or when. However, popularly believed is that Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh constructed the place in 1799.
And that the spot used to serve as a hunting lodge by the maharajas that went on duck hunts.
The palace is situated right in the middle of the peaceful Man Sagar Lake, a lake full of water birds – over 180 species!, f.e. herons and cormorants – and plants.
Apparently on the roof of Jal Mahal, there are also various plants, including a few fully grown trees that can be seen from the shore.
The lake is surrounded by the Aravalli hills range.
Trying krupuk with red pepper as afternoon snack
The whole boulevard is full of souvenirs and food vendors, serving the big number of tourists that come to enjoy the view.
The palace building seems to have only one floor. There are another 4 secret floors below the water level, though. It appears that these floors are just as beautiful as the visible part.
The view over the Man Sagar Lake from Jal Mahal Paal, on the other side
The disappearing of the palace happened in time. Back in the days, the water level was rarely increasing, usually when it rained for several days in a row.
In the 18th century, the king of Amer however decided to build a dam between the two surrounding hills to prevent any flood. Around that time the building was partially covered in water.
The redstone wall also functioned as background for this Tiktok clip, and we were invited to join 🙂
We read different stories about reaching the palace: some websites say it’s not possible to come close to or go inside the palace. That’s why we only took photos from a far.
But we also read a description of visitors getting to the palace by boat (specially designed to match the appearance of the building).
One website says about the inside of Jal Mahal:
"From the well preserved hand paintings that fill every hall and room to the stairs and the beautifully designed terrace on the roof, the Jal Mahal palace is definitely one of the greatest Indian creations that remained well preserved until the present day."
(Source: https://unusualplaces.org/)
However, seeing it in the middle of the lake, with its reflections on the water, is already an extraordinary view. Especially at the end of the day.
Jal Mahal, Amer Rd, Jal Mahal, Amer, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302002, India
Breuhuys 
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