Shree Kutch Gurjar Jain Makpat Samaj – JAL MAHAL – Rajasthan Trip – Day 1

It was organized by Shree Kutch Gurjar Jain Samaj (Makpat Samaj to be more precise) and open to everyone belonging to this community at a nominal rate. However, registrations for the same had begun much prior to the date of tour.

Although this trip was not organized by self, it was a unique experience for me since I was travelling for the first time with a huge bundle of people from my family-in-law apart from other community members who were somewhat familiar to me.

Finally the much awaited day had arrived and we boarded Mumbai Central Jaipur Express train from Mumbai Central at around 7:00 PM and reached Jaipur on 9^th November, 2018; spending an average of eighteen hours in train.

Despite being tiresome, the long distance all the way from Mumbai to Jaipur seemed to be covered in no time with everyone being busy in talking with each other. While most of my time in train was spent in accompanying my daughter and playing with her, I still could realize the absence of my Husband who could not accompany us for the trip.

We alighted from train at around 1:00 PM and then got into private bus to reach Arihant Vatika where we stayed during our journey to Rajasthan. Soon upon lunch followed by power nap and early dinner (chauvihar) we were all set for exploring the city of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.

Since this trip was not just for roaming and exploration but also focused on pilgrim, the very first destination which we visited was the Nageshwar Parshwanath Jain Temple where we spent some time chanting religious songs and worshiping Lord. We were also explained about the history of this temple and what makes this scared place so special.

Devotees at Nageshwar Parshwanath Derasar, Jaipur

Next Destination: JAL MAHAL
Now, it was time for some exploration and we moved to the Jal Mahal located in middle of Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur.

Jal Mahal, meaning Water (Jal) Palace(Mahal), is a five storied palace originally built by Maharaja Madho Singh I and later renovated and enlarged by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber way back in 18th century. This palace is currently running as a four star hotel, popularly known as Regenta Central Jal Mahal.

Out of the five floors, usually only one(top) floor of this palace remains above water level however varies depending on tides in lake. The palace, lit with lights, indeed seemed enchanting with its mesmerizing reflection in water in dark. Entry fee to the Mahal is ₹50 per head and is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. However, since we visited it during night, we could only view this spectacular palace from outside.