Jaipur has so much that is in store and the visitors can explore a lot here. Out of the many cities in Rajasthan this is one of the cities that houses some of the most popular sightseeing locations. From palaces to museums and temples you will find a lot to explore here. And the best part about exploring such structures is to get an insight about the history of the location as well. So for the history buffs this becomes even more interesting to visit these locations. One such location is the Jal Mahal Jaipur. The Water Palace as the name suggests is located amidst a lake and almost looks like a floating palace. If not for anything else you must visit here once to enjoy the pristine view.
Jal Mahal Jaipur
The palace had always been a popular sightseeing location in Jaipur. But currently the visitors cannot exactly enter the palace. However there are still other ways by which you can explore the beautiful palace. The site of the palace from the lake itself is one of the exciting activities to enjoy here. Keep on reading this article as here I will mention everything that you need to know about the Jal Mahal Jaipur Rajasthan. This will be a helpful article for you if you are planning a trip to this palace in Jaipur Rajasthan any time soon.
Location: Jal Mahal, Amber Road, Jaipur Rajasthan
Timings: The Jal Mahal Jaipur timings are from 6 am to 6 pm
Jal Mahal Jaipur ticket price: There is no Jal Mahal Jaipur entry fee
How to reach
By air
If you are travelling by air then the nearest airport to reach Jal Mahal is the Jaipur International Airport. From the airport the location of the palace is located at a distance of 17.9 km. It would take you around 40 minutes to reach the location from the Jaipur airport. You can easily take a car or hire a cab from the airport to reach Jal Mahal.
By train
In case you are travelling in a train then the nearest railway station to reach Jal Mahal is the Jaipur railway station. From the railway station the location is located at a distance of 8.8 km. It would approximately take you around 30 minutes to reach the location from the Jaipur Junction. You can take local transport like auto rickshaws to reach the palace. Or else you can opt for a car or hire a cab as well to reach the location of Jal Mahal easily.
By road
The palace is located 4 km away from the main city so it is easily accessible from different locations. You can take buses to reach the location from anywhere from the city or beyond. Both private as well as government buses ply on this route to reach the city of Jaipur. You can take buses from nearby major cities and towns like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner etc to reach here. If you are travelling by bus then the Shahpura Bagh bus stop is the nearest bus stop to reach Jal Mahal located just 200 meters away. Also auto rickshaws are a common mode of transport if you are travelling within the city of Jaipur. Other than that you can take a car or hire a cab as well from any location to reach the Jal Mahal as well.
Overview of Jal Mahal
Jal Mahal Jaipur as the name suggests is also popular as the Water Palace and is one of the major sightseeing spots in Jaipur. Located amidst the Man Sagar Lake, this beautiful palace looks like a work of art. However as you look at the palace it will instantly give you a feel and an illusion of a floating palace on the lake. The sight of the palace atop the lake itself looks majestic. Once upon a time this place was the shooting lodging of Maharaja of Jaipur. Jaipur as it is popular as the Pink City is said so because of the many structures made of pink sandstone. However the structure of Jal Mahal is a little unique though as it is built of red sandstone.
Previously it was a popular sightseeing spot in Jaipur. But currently the government has stopped entry for the general public here and the palace is converted into a restaurant at present. At one point of time the palace was open for visitors but currently you can only look at the view of this beautiful palace. There is a pathway around Man Sagar Lake and from there the visitors can enjoy a view of this palace. Even if currently you cannot enter the actual palace, enjoying a glimpse of it is worth it. So make sure you are planning a trip to this beautiful palace in Jaipur.
Jal Mahal Jaipur History
There is no exact date or time about the construction of Jal Mahal Jaipur. However, according to legends Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh built this beautiful palace in 1799. The main aim of the king was to build a palace to serve as his hunting lodge for his duck shooting. This palace was therefore not a residential palace though. Along with that the origin of this lake also is attributed to him. The lake was formed here after a dam was constructed between the hills and that led to the formation of this lake here.
But there are other legends associated with the palace too. According to beliefs Maharaja Madho Singh built this palace in the 1750s to serve it as a hunting lodge. Madho Singh II the son of Madho Singh also contributed and played an important role in enhancing the interior of this place during the 18th century. He also added courtyard grounds to these palaces and they are still a part of this beautiful premise. Later Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amer gave a makeover to this palace during the 18th century. But soon due to sewage and water logging the condition of the palace started depreciating. There were restoration works to bring the palace back to its current state.
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Architecture of Jal Mahal
Located right in the centre of the Man Sagar Lake, Jal Mahal Jaipur is a five storey structure. However only one storey is visible currently and the other four remain submerged in water completely. The depth of this lake is about 15 feet and the low areas have a depth of about 4.9 feet. This is a red sandstone palace that reflects a mix of both Mughal and Rajput styles of architecture. This is also a symbolic thing that reflects the presence of both the forces during those days. The palace has four corners and in each of the corners there are octagonal domes here. These are popular as Chhatris and along with that there is a large rectangular one that is at the centre of the terrace. People who had visited the palace earlier had explained about its beauty in different ways.
Things to do at Jal Mahal
Enjoy being in the moment
The beautiful ambiance of the location is something that the visitors should enjoy here. There is a boundary wall between the lake and the road here. And this is the exact location from where the visitors can enjoy the pristine views of the lake and the palace as well. You can definitely spend about an hour here if you want.
Photography
And as I have mentioned already that it is one of the most picturesque locations that you can visit here. So, one of the activities that you can enjoy here would be photography. Take out your cameras or phones and click beautiful pictures of the palace with hills at the backdrop. If you are visiting here a little late in the evening then also you will find a beautiful view here to capture.
Street Shopping
Near the adjoining wall at the footpath you will find various street hawkers selling authentic traditional Rajasthani items. From accessories to jewelleries to mojris you will find different items here to explore and buy. Apply your bargaining skill so that you can grab the best pieces. Buy things for yourself and also buy things that you can take back home for your friends and relatives as gifts.
Bird watching
The hills, the lush greenery and the lake make this a spot that attracts varieties of birds. Along with the beauty of nature you will also find a lot of migratory birds here some of them are common moorhen, blue tailed bee eaters, grey herons etc. Previously a lot of migratory birds like flamingos, kestrel, great crested grebe, pilchards, pintail etc used to visit here. But due to pollution a lot of these birds have stopped coming to this location.
Camel rides
The camel rides are one of the exciting activities that you can enjoy here. But if you are not ready for a ride you can just wear the traditional outfits and click pictures with the camels as well. You will find some photographers here too ready to take these photographs.
Other than these you can explore the various statues located near Jal Mahal Jaipur. You will find a lot of bronze statues here which are beautiful to look at. You can also enjoy the pristine sunsets here which are one of the major attractions of this location. And you will find some small stalls here as well that sell some packaged refreshments. So you can have those as well in between your tour to Jal Mahal.
Attractions near Jal Mahal
As it is not possible to enter the premises of the Jal Mahal people often club a visit there with other Jal Mahal Jaipur tourist places located nearby. You can visit the Amer Fort, City Palace and also Jantar Mantar nearby. Furthermore there are the Albert Hall Museum, Hawa Mahal, Jaigarh Fort and Rambagh Palace as well. Also you can visit the Garh Ganesh Temple, Birla Mandir, Govind Dev Ji Temple as well. All of these locations are located near this palace in Jaipur so do make a point to visit these locations too.
Wrapping Up!
So that was all about Jal Mahal Jaipur and now you can just plan a trip to this location as soon as you can. It will be an exciting visit to this palace even when entry is not allowed here currently. And for that I have mentioned all the other things that you can enjoy doing here. So now you can definitely plan a trip to this palace soon and enjoy the other sightseeing locations nearby. Tell me when are you planning a visit to Jal Mahal Jaipur? Also let me know if this article on Jal Mahal Jaipur Rajasthan is helpful for you in planning a trip to this location there.
