PICHOLA LAKE

The panoramic lake that enraptured Maharaja Udai Singh, Lake Pichola is surrounded by hills, palaces, temples, bathing ghats and has two island palaces- Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir. It was later enlarged by the founder.

The placid Lake Pichola, has a masonry dam, known as the Badipol, and the lake is now four kms in length and three kms in width. Nevertheless, it remains fairly shallow and actually dries up in severe droughts and one can walk up to the island palaces from the shore.

The City Palace extends a considerable distance along the east bank of the lake. South of the palace runs down a pleasant garden, to the lake. North of the palace, one can wander along the lake shore, where one comes across some interesting ghats.

The sunset over this lake is absolutely blissful. Pichola is encircled on all sides by numerous palaces, marble temples, family mansions, dark hills and rows of bathing ghats, which is thronged by bathers at dawn.

The lake at places narrows down and both its banks almost touch each other. There are islands at regular intervals on the lake, which have either palaces or pavilions on them. The most beautiful and eye-catching are the Jag Mandir and the Jag Niwas, the exotic islands out in the lake.