Lake Palace (Udaipur)
Formerly known as Jag Niwas, Lake Palace was built sometime between 1743 to 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II. Built to serve as a summer palace for the royal Mewar Dynasty of Rajasthan, it spans across an area of 4 acres on the Jag Niwas island, situated on the Lake Pichola, Udaipur.
The palace has been designed to face towards the east side so that the members of the Rajasthani royal family would be able to pray to the Sun at the crack of dawn. The floors of the palace are neatly tiled with black and white marble with the walls being embedded with vibrantly colored arabesques. The palace has a rich history of playing an important role in the 1847 mutiny, providing refuge to many European families who had escaped from Nimach.
In 1971 the palace was handed over to Taj Hotels and Resorts Palaces for the ease of maintenance. Currently, there are 83 rooms in the Lake Palace and have gained popularity as one of the most romantic palaces in India.