Jag Mandir Island Palace Udaipur

One of the major tourist attractions of Udaipur is considered as the Jag Mandir Island Palace, being situated amidst the scenic Pichola Lake on a natural island, makes it more fascinating for the tourists visiting the Lake City.

History

The construction of the Jag Mandir Palace was commenced in 1551 by Maharana Amar Singh of the Mewar Kingdom; it was later continued by Maharana Karan Singh and finally completed by Maharana Jagat Singh.
It was initially named as Gul Mahal later after its completion it was renamed as Jag Mandir after the name of Maharana Jagat Singh.
It was utilized as a summer palace or a party venue by the royal family in their reign.

Elements of Jag Mandir Palace

There are in total 5 elements that constitute in the Jag Mandir Palace Udaipur stated below:

Entry Pavilion: One has to avail a jetty ride from the Bansi Ghat in City Palace that takes you around Pichola Lake to the Jagmandir Palace. There are several elephants carved in stone welcoming each guest at the entry pavilion, these elephants have been restructured because of the damages occurred to them in past, they face the Lake Palace.
Garden: Each palace must attain a lush green huge garden blooming with several flowers as per the palace standards that were set in the past. Jagmandir Palace also contains a large Garden Courtyard covered with black and white tiles, bearing several flowery plants including jasmine, moss rose, verbena, palm trees, frangipani trees, yew bushes and nasturtiums. There are also water pools, fountains, low marble handrails, crisscross walkways that complement the garden.

This garden can be rented for organizing lavish parties at significant occasions.

Bara Patharon Ka Mahal: The translation of ‘Bara Patharaon ka Mahal’ is ‘Palace of the Twelve Stones’, it is situated on the eastern wing of the palace, it is constructed with 12 marble slabs therefore was named the same.
Darikhana: Situated on the northern side of the island is an open terrace with marble column which has now been converted as a restaurant under the ownership of the present Maharana.
Gul Mahal: This was the initial structure that was built Maharana Amar Singh in 1551, it was a small palace built of yellow sandstone with a crown shaped dome on the top, the crescent of Islam is placed on its dome as the Mughal emperor Shah-Jahan (The one who built Taj Mahal) before being crowned as the king took refuge here. *Read the full story below in the ‘Mewar Mughal Affinity’ section below*. Gul Mahal is situated in the Jagmandir Palace.
Jag Mandir Palace: Jag Mandir Palace is the main palace that contains the Gul Mahal, residential suites, reception halls, and internal courts, there are towers at the corner of the palace that are octagonal in shape and topped with dome structures. The Jagmandir Palace is constructed in Mughal and Rajputi architecture. Adjoining the palace is ‘Zanana Mahal’ which is referred to the ladies chamber where the women used to reside. On the western end lies the ‘Kunwar Pada Ka Mahal’ which was considered as the palace for the crown prince.

Mewar Mughal Affinity

The Jagmandir Palace is one of the symbols of the Mughal and Mewar friendship that brewed in the early 60s.

The renowned Mughal Emperor Shahjahan who’s remembered well for his precious gift to his wife Mumtaz Mahal called as ‘Taj Mahal’ one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Before being crowned, Shahjahan who was also referred as Prince Khurram rebelled against his father Emperor Jahangir in 1623. The reason behind his rebellion was that he wanted to claim the Mughal throne and be his righteous heir.
While his rebellion campaign, he required a safe shelter when Maharana Karan Singh of Mewar provided him a haven at Jagmandir Palace which was back then referred as ‘Gul Mahal’.
Maharana Karan Singh extended a helping hand to Prince Khurram because the mother of the Mughal Prince was a Rajput.
In 1627, after the demise of Emperor Jahangir, Prince Khurram claimed the throne and was announced as Emperor Shahjahan.
Despite of the Mewar Mughal rivalry in the long past, Maharana Karan Singh extended affinity hand towards the Mughal Prince that resulted in peace that prevailed in future. Sometimes Aurangzeb surely sent threats but nothing major escalated.

Later in 1857, the Jagmandir Palace was again used as a shelter to provide refuge to the European women and children from Neemuch by the Maharana Swaroop Singh during the Sepoy Mutinity, which was considered as the first revolt for the independence against Britishers.

Additional Information:

One has to enter through the back gate of City Palace and buy ticket through the ticket booth on the right hand side after entering the back gate.
The ticket costs around Rs700 for Indians whereas it is higher for the foreigners. This ticket is considered as the entry amount and the jetty ride price.
One has to pay extra for the food and beverages availed at the restaurant inside the Palace.
If you’re travelling by a car or any vehicle you’ll have to pay the parking charges as well. The vehicle will be parked in the city palace complex near the Bansi Ghat.
You can organize a lavish wedding ceremony or any party in the Jagmandir Palace and woo your guests with the royal touch of Mewar.
Don’t forget to carry your best lenses, as it is an enchanting location for over the top photoshoots. Don’t forget to send us the iconic shots to us for a free shout-out.
Try to match up your timings with the sunset and witness the golden ball emerging in the Pichola Lake.
The timings for the general visit to Jagmandir Palace are 10 AM to 6 PM, whereas one can visit the palace for dinner by availing packages from the website of HRH Group or contacting them telephonically.

Website: http://www.hrhhotels.com/hotels/jagmandir_island_palace/

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