Overview
- Features: A large, placid lake with two lake palaces which can be reached on a boat ride
- Opening Times: 10am to 5pm, daily
- Best Time to Visit: Late October to early March
- Duration: 30 mins / 1 hour boat ride
- Travelled By: Boat
- Cost: 30-mins/1-hr/sunset Rs 200/300/500
- Address: Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
- Type: Lake
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Summary
Pichola Lake is a large, placid lake with Jag Mandir and Shiv Niwas (Lake Palace) set in it while its eastern shore is lined with the massive City Palace facade. A boat ride is the most scenic way to visit the lake palaces and gape at the vivid scenery from the lake. Locals enjoy bathing and washing their clothes on its eastern ghat near the City Palace.
Pichola Lake Udaipur
Fringed with picturesque hills, gardens, havelis, ghats and temples, Pichola Lake is the scenic focus of Udaipur. While the Jag Niwas or Lake Palace and the Jag Mandir Palace are set in it, the eastern bank of Pichola Lake is dominated by the massive City Palace which overlooks the romantic island palaces. Behind the lake front lively bazaars of the old walled city stretch out.
Pichola Lake was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II, following the foundation of Udaipur, by flooding Picholi village, hence its name. The lake is now 4km long and 3km wide but remains shallow throughout the year. Parts of Pichola Lake get covered periodically with vegetation, and the water level drops considerably during the summer.
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It is believed that Pichola Lake is home to a handful of crocodiles that reside near uninhabited sections of the shore making swimming in the lake a perilous option. However, it remains a hub of activity especially near the eastern shore line next to City Palace where people come to bathe and wash their clothes in the water of Pichola Lake.
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Both palaces can be seen on a boat tour of Pichola Lake. It’s possible to take an enjoyable boat trip from Rameshwar Ghat in the City Palace gardens, south of City Palace complex. It’s especially attractive in the late afternoon light. The views are stunning from the lake palaces.
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Jag Mandir, built on an island in the south of the Pichola Lake, is notable for the Gul Mahal, a domed pavilion started by Karan Singh (1620-1628) and completed by Jagat Singh (1628-1652). It is built of yellow sandstone with marble chambers exquisitely laid with coloured stone set in lush green gardens.
Between 1623 and 1624, Maharajah Karan Singh gave the young Prince Khurram (who later became the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan) refuge here when he was in revolt against his father Jahangir, cementing a friendly relationship between the Mewar Maharaja and the future Mughal Emperor. It is believed to have inspired many of his ideas for the Taj Mahal.
Refugee European ladies and children were also given sanctuary here by Maharana Sarap Singh during the Mutiny.
There is a lovely pavilion with four stone elephants on each side (some of the broken trunks have been replaced with polystyrene!). There are superb views from the balconies of Jag Mandir.
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Jag Niwas or the Lake Palace, built by Maharana Jagat Singh II between 1734 and 1751 was once a royal summer retreat and is now converted into one of the world’s great hotels. It is also a popular location for film shoots (including James Bond’s Octopussy).
Jag Niwas seems to float like a dream ship on the blue waters of the lake. The courtly atmosphere, elegance and opulence of princely times, the painted ceilings, antique furniture combined with the truly magical setting make it one of the most romantic buildings in India. There are superb views from the balconies.
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Pichola Lake comes alive for the festival of Kartik Poornima, the first full moon of the Hindu calendar year. The eastern ghats of the lake next to City Palace are set up for hundreds of people to attend the celebrations. Around 8:00pm, the activities begin which include skits and short plays for kids as well as singing and music for the adults. Dinner is provided to everyone (including us) as part of the full moon festivities so there is plenty of fun and frivolities to be had on the lake side on the night of Kartik Poornima.
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On this full moon night, it is considered auspicious for married women to fast and pray for the good health and fortune of their husbands. Female worshippers line the shore after sunset with offerings of flowers and diyas (oil lamps) which are put into the water to float down stream in the night.
The multitude of lamps light up the lake like tiny glittering stars which is beautiful to watch from the shore.
While Pichola Lake is beautiful at any time of the day, the best time to visit this lake is early in the morning and at sunset. A visit to Udaipur is not complete without seeing Pichola Lake and the stunning lake palaces either on a boat trip or from the shore.
