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It is one of the biggest artificial lakes in Jaipur. Unlike other water palaces in India, the Jal Mahal is not built on an island.
Standing amidst the center of Man Sagar Lake, the palace, when you first look at it, will give you the illusion of almost floating atop the lake.
Jal Mahal is a 288-year-old structure with five storeys. Its four floors are submerged in the water while only one is visible above the water level.
The palace shines like a gold jewel in the evening when the entire palace is lit up. Its golden reflection in the dark water gives illusion of multi storeys.
Though it is called a palace, there are no personal chambers inside. It was initially constructed as a picnic spot and a hunting lodge rather than a residential structure.
The whole structure was visible to the public when it was first built. But now there is no entry allowed inside the palace.
The palace was built with stones and the walls were built thick enough that no water seeps in through any pore to this structure.
It is also known as Romance Palace because of its exotic environment and architecture and Kings use to spend their leisure time in this palace with their ladies.
In the 15th century, when there was a famine in this area, it was decided to build a dam to collect the water coming out of the mountains of Amer and Amagarh. To drain the water, 3 inner doors were built underwater and the Mansagar lake was built.
Even after two centuries the palace seems intact and unharmed by dampness and seepage. The beauty of the palace was in ruins but was renovated and unfolded to the public in 2000.