TAJ LAKE PALACE

Leading Hotels
The Vintage coup glides to a stop at the lakes edge. Its hard to believe the
floating vision in marble is real. Blink, and indeed, there is a luminous palace
emerging from the mist. Suddenly you are in a boat, drifting ever closer and the
reality doesnt disappoint. With the Aravalli Mountains and city palaces as a
backdrop one gets an impending sense of enchantment.

Accommodations at Taj Lake Palace, a Leading Small Hotel, are as delightful as

the exterior. Every one of our romantic rooms holds a story and among the most
compelling is The Chandra Prakash Suite, meaning Lustre of the Moon. The
decorative gilt moldings, sculpted marble columns, and fine fretwork screens
impressed even the Maharaja who held court in this very room in the 1930s.

There are countless unique experiences to be had. Indulge in royal Mewar fare at
the Lily Pond, where courtesans once welcomed royalty into the folds of the
palace. Or sail into a purple sunset on a 150-year old ceremonial barge complete
with candlelight and resplendently dressed oarsmen. Indulge in a heritage walk
with a royal escort armed with caviar, pate and a bottle of bubbly. Soak in the
sounds and sights of the city as your royal butler accompanies you on a shopping
trip. In this royal dream, anything is possible.
Rooms & Suites
ROOMS & SUITES
Each and every one of the 66 rooms and 17 suites offer stunning views and
intricate dcor to envelop guests in royal mystique.
Hotel Address
HOTEL ADDRESS
P.O. Box 5, Lake Pichola
Udaipur - 313001
Rajasthan, India

ONCE UPON A TIME

Glowing moonlight. Gentle lakeside breezes. A whole entourage courtesans.
What young prince could resist? Certainly not Maharana Jagat Singh II. Legend

has it that the young prince indulged in moonlight picnics with the ladies of the
Zenana on the lake island palace of Jag Mandir. A pleasurable pastime - until his
father found out. With that option closed to him, there was only one solution. He
built his own pleasure palace on a different island in Lake Pichola. Begun in 1743
and inaugurated in 1746, the new palace was named Jag Niwas after his
highness Maharana Jagat Singh II, 62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar.

Jag Niwas, now Taj Lake Palace, is one of 4 lovely islands in Lake Pichola. And
each island has a story to tell. Mohan Mandir is the place from where the king
would watch the annual Gangaur festival celebration. Arsivilas used to be an
ammunition depot and later was used as a helipad by the royal family. And of
course, Jag Mandir is the location for the original pleasure palace of Maharana
Jagat Singh I.

The Royal Dynasty of Mewar had palaces to spare. In addition to Taj Lake Place
there was the City Palace, which used to be the official residential palace during
winters, the hill top Monsoon Palace also known as Sajjan Garh, and the
aforementioned Jag Mandir.

What may have begun as a princes rebellious gesture was turned into one of the
most romantic hotels in the world by Maharana Bhagwat Singhji in 1963. Then in
1971, with its legacy of hospitality, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces was the
perfect choice to carry on the royal tradition of the luxurious Lake Palace,
Udaipur. The palaces decadent reputation was cemented when the James Bond
film Octopussy was filmed on the premises. Taj Lake Palace was the secluded lair
of the films eponymous Bond girl.