Restoration of the historic palace began in 2005 with a major clean-up of the 310-acre Man Sagar lake by de-silting and by preventing rain water and sewage from entering it. The lake's depth was also increased by 1.5 metres.
To restore the four-storey palace, the team of historians and conservation architects first set about researching the monument’s history which was very inadequately documented. It took a year for team to locate a ledger document at the Rajasthan State Archives in Bikaner which stated the cost and year of building the Jal Mahal: 30,000 monetary units in 1730 AD during the time of Jai Singh’s rule.
The renovation project included the workmanship of local artisans in restoring the domes, arched pavilions, latticework and murals - which are the hallmarks of Rajput architecture. An additional feature has also been added in the form of "char bagh" - a garden of jasmine and frangipani flowers.
Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net