What Is the Jal Mahal?
The Jal Mahal, or Water Palace, is an old hunting lodge submerged in Man Sagar Lake!
What Makes It Historical?
The marvelousness of the Jal Mahal is that it was intentionally built on a lake! Raja Man Singh I had the Dravyavati River dammed in 1610 to create the Man Sagar Lake as a reservoir against droughts. This new body of water attracted all kinds of birds, and Man Singh’s great-times-five grandson, Madho Singh I, liked to hunt ducks.
Not what you would call a roughing-it kind of raja, Madho Singh ordered the construction of one heck of a hunting lodge in the 1750s, five stories in total with only one above the water’s surface! Like the Amer Palace, it combines Rajput and Mughal architecture styles on top and was so well plastered below that the lower levels haven’t really experienced water damage after almost 300 years!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
Man Sagar Lake, Jal Mahal, Amer
Jaipur, Rajasthan 302002
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
You can view the Jal Mahal any time you like from the shore, but it’s closed to visitors during restoration!