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The picturesque Jal Mahal is a palace in water. 6.5 kms from the Jaipur
city on the road to Amber, it is situated amidst the picturesque Mansagar
Lake. It was built by Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 A.D who spent much of
hist childhood at Udaipurs's Lake Palace. Built for royal duck shooting
parties, Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber renovated both palace and lake
in the 18th century.
The lake is surrounded by the Aravalli hills on three
sides and one side is open to the plains. The view of the lake and the
palace from Nahargarh hills is breathtaking. During the monsoon, the lake
is a beautiful water hyachinth filled lake. The lake is home to a variety
of migratory and resident birds also.
This red sandstone palace is noted for its intricate
amalgamation of Rajput and Mugal stlyle of architectural design.
A five storied building, it has art and culture paintings
on chattari, display paintings representing Jodhpur, Udaipur and Kota's
Forts.
The first four floors of the palace is under the water
of the lake and only the top floor remains above the water level which
keeps the temperatures from soaring and maintains a cool ambience inside.
Jal Mahal has richly molded and gracefully carved balconies and arched
roofs. The main attraction is its terrace garden enclosed by arched passages
and at each corner, there is a semi-octagonal tower capped by an elegant
cupola.
A causeway from the main land, leads to this extremely
romantic palace. Jal Mahal offers a picturesque view of the surrounding
Man Sagar lake and the Nahargarh Fort. The lake is an ornithologist's
paradise and a favourite haunt of migratory birds.
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Monuments 
