An Indian wonder hidden under water: the Jal Mahal palace

It is likely that most people haven’t heard of Jaipur and its man-made wonder known as the Water Palace. However, it takes nothing more than a quick look at the Man Sagar Lake for one name to become unforgettable: Jal Mahal.

Photo by Kannan Muthuraman/Flickr

Jal Mahal is a large dimension palace designed using architectural and painting patterns of the Indian culture, as it was a few centuries ago. It is situated right in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake, which is surrounded by the Aravalli hills range. The symmetrical building seems to have one floor and its reflection in the water gives visitors a spectacular view, especially in the night time. But there’s more to it.

The Jal Mahal palace has another 4 secret floors hidden under the water, and they are just as beautiful as the visible part of this architectural wonder. However, this happened in time, as it was initially built as an establishment for those who used to hunt in the area – particularly the Raja of that time. During those days, the area was only a depression and the water level was rarely increasing, usually when it rained for several days in a row.

Photo by Nagaraju Hanchanahal/Flickr

During the 18h century, the king of Amer – which is nowadays the historical region of Jaipur nearby the lake – decided to build a dam between the two surrounding hills to prevent any flood. It was then that the castle was partially covered in water. Nowadays, visitors can get to the palace using boats especially designed to match the appearance of the building. On the roof, there are various plants, including a few fully grown trees that can be seen from the shore.

Photo via tourmet.com

From the well preserved hand paintings that fill every hall and room to the stairs and the beautifully designed terrace on the roof, the Jal Mahal palace is definitely one of the greatest Indian creations that remained well preserved until the present day.