The Jal Mahal Jaipur
The Jal Mahal Jaipur
Water Palace
As you may know, ‘Mahal’ in Hindi means palace, as in Taj Mahal, and ‘Jal’ means water and you may run into this in other cities in India where there are water palacces.
It was originally built as a duck hunting lodge by the king Maharaja Madho Singh I in the middle of Man Sagar Lake.
Beautiful but …
The Jal Mahal is in a beautiful setting, with the hills in the background.
The palace almost seems to float on the water, although there are a further 4 floors under the level of the lake.
Water buffalo can be seen cooling off in the water or browsing on the shore, but unfortunately the shoreline is peppered with plastic and bottles as is the lake, so you will have to dodge the rubbish to get a nice shot of the Jal Mahal, which is such a shame.
Visiting
The visit stops at the shoreline as the Jal Mahal is not open for visits any more, but is being transformed into a luxury retsaurant.
A good time to get a shot is around or before 6pm to catch the sun sinking behind the surrounding hills.
Bird photographers can get shots of water herons, storks and kingfishers here.
There is a beautiful sculpture on the promenade opposite the Jal Mahal of a king riding an elephant with his entourage, just watch out for the hawkers selling all kinds of tack to tourists.
Getting there
The Jal Mahal is a short distance from the centre of Jaipur, around 5 kilometers, which can be easily and cheaply done by tuktuk or if you are brave, the bus.
It is on the way to The Amer fort and is a nice stopover on the way or on the way back or to Gaitor, The Mausoleums of The Kings.
Food and drink
There are quite a few food and drink stalls along the shoreline, mostly catering for the locals and tourists.
There is also Chowpatty, street food market, where cold, fresh juices and lassis can be had along with the delicious Rajasthani street foods and snacks.
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More photos …
Jal Mahal Palace Jaipur
Jal Mahal and hills Jaipur
Reflections Jal Mahal Jaipur
Stork and Jal Mahal Jaipur
Water Buffalo Jal Mahal Jaipur
Elephant sculpture Jal Mahal Jaipur
