Jal Mahal is a Dream-like Water Palace in Jaipur

On my way back to downtown Jaipur from Amber Fort (or Amer Fort, as the locals call it), I saw dream-like water palace by the roadside. I had to ask my Uber driver sweetly if he’d be kind to stop for a while so I could see the floating palace in good, full view. Since the Uber price is already fixed, I told him I’d give him a tip in cash. 😀 He pulled over and told me to take my time.

It was a very cloudy day so these photos don’t really give justice to its dreamlike appearance. It’s different when you see it in your own bare eyes. I never had the chance to go back at night because I had to catch a train that afternoon. I have no doubt that Jal Mahal glows romance when darkness falls.

Jal Mahal is a Dream-like Water Palace in Jaipur.

It’s built right in the middle of an artificial lake built in 1610. Does it look like a floating palace, too?

You might think it’s a one-storey palace but, actually, there are four storeys submerged in water.

Only the top floor can be accessed but only few visitors are allowed to get in. According to my Uber driver, the top floor serves as an exclusive restaurant – but he’s not sure. 😀 What he’s sure of, however, is that there used to be boats and gondolas in the lake but the government decided to stop it – because a lot of people threw their trash in the lake.

Jal Mahal has a mix of architectural styles. Hindu, Persian, and Islamic blend together in this wonderfully-built floating palace which was intended to be a lodging house for the emperor and his friends for their duck-hunting parties.

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