Jaisamand Lake also known as Dhebar Lake is Asia's largest artificial Lake. Located in Udaipur, the city of lakes, this lake is spread over an area of 87 sq km.
History of Jaisamand Lake
Created in the 17th century by Rana Jai Singh, it also had a marble dam which is 300 meters long across the Gomti river to demarcate its premises.During the reign of Maharana Jai Singh, water was scarce for cultivation and this scarcity gave birth to Jai Samand Lake by embanking a small part of river Gomti with a marble wall 36.6 meters high. The lake was hence formed and named as Jaisamand Lake.
Features of Jaisamand Lake
The lake is 14 km in breadth and 31 meter deep with marble staircases leading into the water. The summer palaces made specially for the queens of Udaipur surround the lake from all sides giving it a grandeur look. The bund on one of its side is made of marble and has six exotic cenotaphs and a Shiva temple in the center. The northern side of the lake features a palace with a beautiful courtyard and the southern end beautifies the lake with a massive pavilion of 12 pillars.
This lake has a total number of 11 islands, which are 10 to 40 acres each of which 3 are inhabited by Bhil Minas, a tribe of Rajasthan. Some islands are home to wildlife and bird sanctuaries with many species of migratory birds.
The biggest island is 'Babaka Bhagra' and the second largest is 'Piari'. One of the islands is dedicated to Jaisamand Island Resort. The sanctuary which lies just besides the artificial Jaisamand Lake has an area of 62 sq km and welcomes a wide variety of birds and even crocodiles. The surrounding forest is known to have leopards, cheetal, chinkara and wild boar.
How to Reach Jaisamand Lake
Road Distance from Udaipur to Jaisamand Lake is 48 km. Udaipur City Railway Station is situated at a distance of 57 km from Jaisamand Lake. Dabock Airport is 22 km from Udaipur and the nearest to reach Jaisamand Lake.
When to Visit Jaisamand Lake
July to August is the best time to visit.But in case you want to visit Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary, the ideal time is between November and June.
Where to stay near Jaisamand Lake
Though one of the islands in Jaisamand lake is dedicated as an Island Resort known as Jaisamand Island resort, it is on the luxurious end. Other hotels around this lake are listed below which also offer speed boating services for enjoying the lake experience.
- Hotel Umaid Villa
- Rajputana Udaipur
- Hotel Valley View
- Inder Residency
- Devraj villa
Where to eat
Apart from the luxurious Jaisamand Island Resort, there are many budget eating joints and restaurants which offer relish-able food at affordable prices. Some of which are listed below:
- Tija Coffee House
- The Bridge
- Prem Pavitra Bhojanalaya
- Angeethi Restaurant
- Ice n Spice
Worth a sail around the lake are also certain places like Sariska Wildlife Sactuary, Siliserh lake, Karni Mata Temple and Bala Quila. So when traveling by road, these spots can be hit too for a while apart from the scope of the never ending lake that lies ahead.