Jag Niwas, Udaipur, Rajasthan India

The Lake Pichola has two islands: Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4 km long and 3 km wide, originally dug by a gypsy. Maha Rana Udai Singh extended this pond and dug a massive manmade lake and named it as Lake Pichola. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace on Bansi Ghat. It was built in 1754 by Maharana Jagat Singh II of royal dynasty of Mewar –who gave his name to this elegant white structure. The Lake Palace was the summer residence of the rulers of Mewar.

The upper section of the palace is a perfect circle and is about 21 feet in diameter. The floor is inlaid with black and white marbles; the walls are decorated with different colored stones in a style similar to that of arabesque as in Taj at Agra. However the patterns are Hindu. There are a couple of other attractions in the island like the single block of serpentine stone sculpted into throne of Shah Jahan and a small mosque built in the memory of a Muslim Saint, Kapuria Baba

Today this pleasure palace is a luxury hotel, of 83 rooms and suites that are replete with white marble walls. The management transports guests to the hotel from a jetty starting at the City Palace. As both royal abode and luxury hotel, the Taj Lake Palace has captured the affection of the likes of Lord Curzon, Vivien Leigh, Queen Elizabeth and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.