The Lake Palace is a former royal residence, now operated as a luxury hotel, located on the island of Jag Niwas in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Built in the eighteenth century by the Mewar dynasty as a summer palace, it is today managed by the Taj Group of Hotels under the brand "Taj Lake Palace". The palace covers the entire four-acre island and is reached only by boat, giving it the appearance of floating on the lake.
| Type | Former palace; heritage hotel |
|---|---|
| Location | Jag Niwas island, Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India |
| Commissioned by | Maharana Jagat Singh II of Mewar |
| Original name | Jag Niwas |
| Current operator | Taj Hotels (Indian Hotels Company Limited) |
| Style | Rajput and Mughal architectural influences |
| Material | White marble and black granite |
Udaipur, founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II, served as the capital of the Mewar kingdom after the relocation from Chittorgarh. Lake Pichola, an artificial freshwater lake created in the fourteenth century, became the focus of royal architecture, with several palaces and pavilions built along its shores and on its islands. Jag Niwas is one of two principal island palaces in the lake, the other being Jag Mandir.
The palace was constructed under Maharana Jagat Singh II (reigned 1734–1751), the 62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar, and was completed around 1746. It was originally intended as a pleasure retreat for the royal family during the summer months. The palace is named Jag Niwas after its founder.
The structure faces east, in keeping with the Hindu tradition of greeting the sun god Surya at dawn. Successive maharanas of Mewar used the palace until the political changes following Indian independence in 1947, when the privileges of the princely states were progressively curtailed.
In 1963, Maharana Bhagwat Singh converted the palace into Udaipur's first luxury hotel, with eighty-three rooms ringing a marble courtyard. The architect Didi Contractor was associated with this conversion. The hotel was later leased to the Taj Group, which has since operated and renovated it. Major renovations took place in the early 2000s, restoring murals, frescoes and traditional craftsmanship.
The palace is built primarily of white marble, with detailed ornamentation in black and yellow stone. Its design includes courtyards, fountains, gardens, pillared terraces and pavilions such as the Bada Mahal, Kush Mahal, Phool Mahal, Dhola Mahal and Khush Mahal. Stained glass, hand-painted miniatures and inlaid stonework reflect a fusion of Rajput and Mughal aesthetic traditions.
The Lake Palace gained international visibility as a filming location for the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy, in which it served as the residence of the title character. The palace and the surrounding lake have featured in several Indian and international films and television productions.
The palace is one of the most recognised heritage hotels in India and a key element of Udaipur's identity as the "City of Lakes". It illustrates the conversion of princely-era residences into commercial heritage properties, a model that has been adopted across Rajasthan and other parts of India following the abolition of privy purses in 1971.