Okay, I’ll admit to a bit of poetic licence here. In Jaipur, Jal Mahal is actually referred to as the Water Palace so it’s not confused with the other Lake Palace about 400 kms to the south west in Uidapur. That one was built in 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II. It is now an exclusive hotel.
I can be forgiven though, because a number of businesses around the shore line of the artificially-constructed Man Saga Lake in Jaipur, which is the one we viewed, are named Lake Palace “whatever”.
Jal Mahal was built in 1799 and has undergone various renovations. Presently only the top level of the castle is visible above the water line. The most recent renovation, in 2000, found that the four underwater levels of the palace had sustained little seepage and remained in good condition.
The Palace is not open to visitors but can be viewed from the road around the lake shore.
Haiku:
Lake water covers
Secret palatial levels.
No visitors please.
Caenys Kerr, Author 
I support your use of poetic license – sometimes we need to squoosh a bit to make our posts fit the letter…
Now, of course, I want nothing more than to be able to see inside that palace!
Happy A-Z’ing
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Thanks Jz!! 😀 Much appreciated.
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That’s so interesting that there are hidden levels underwater. Were they built to be underwater in the first place, or has the palace sunk or the water risen?
Black and White: L is for Leviathan
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Hi Anne, my understanding is that the palace must have been built in the water. The river was first dammed in 1596 and the dam was later extended to create Man Sagar Lake. Jal Mahal was built in 1799. The level of the lake fluctuates through drought and release of the water from the dam, so there are times when more of the levels are visible.
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