Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur

JAI MAHAL PALACE adalah sebuah istana yang sangat indah yang terletak di atas danau/tasik ini juga dikenali sebagai 'Water Palace'. Ianya tidak boleh didekati, hanya boleh dilihat dari kejauhan saja iaitu dari pinggir jalanraya.

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Ianya tampak bagai tenggelam di air namun sebenarnya terdapat keunikan pada istana itu. Ianya dibina setinggi 5 tingkat, tetapi cuma yang nampak adalah satu tingkat sahaja. Tidak ramai yang mengetahui bahawa empat tingkat lagi tu terbenam di dalam air. Wowww...menarik kan?

Saya berkesempatan ke tempat lokasi istana Jai Mahal ini sewaktu lawatan saya ke Jaipur-Rajasthan yang terletak dalam kawasan Golden Triangle India pada bulan april yang lalu. Sungguh menakjubkan..dan kalau tak silap saya, ada juga shooting movie James Bond di situ... 😄

The most serene sight amidst the chaos of Jaipur is the beautiful Jal Mahal Jaipur, the Water Palace. This low-rise symmetrical palace, that once was a shooting lodge for the Maharajah, appears to float in the centre of Sagar Lake. The light sand coloured stone walls of the Jal Mahal Jaipur are at a stark contrast to the deep blue of the waters of the lake, while from the innards of the palace lush foliage sprouts.

Jal Mahal (meaning "Water Palace") is a palace in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, India. The Jal Mahal is 4km to the north of Jaipur and is located on the main Amer-Jaipur road. The palace and the lake around it were renovated and enlarged in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber.

The Jal Mahal palace is an architectural showcase of the Rajput style of architecture (common in Rajasthan) on a grand scale. The building has a picturesque view of the lake itself but owing to its seclusion from land is equally the focus of a viewpoint from the Man Sagar Dam on the eastern side of the lake in front of the backdrop of the surrounding Nahargarh ("tiger-abode") hills. 

Though the palace only appears to be a single story there are actual a further four submerged levels. The solid stone walls hold back millions of litres of water and the special designed lime mortar has prevented water seepage for over 250 years.

The Jal Mahal was constructed from pink sandstone and follows the classical Rajput symmetrical style which is found throughout of Rajasthan. It is a five storied building, of which four floors remain underwater when the lake is full and the top floor is exposed.
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