Do you know Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who built Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal was quite inspired by the mesmerising design architecture of Udaipur-situated Jag Mandir?
He made a brief stay at Gol Mahal here situated in Jag Mandir and twas so impressed by the exquisite design that he built Taj Mahal in Agra following similar theme.
Shah Jahan, known as Khurram in his young days, did spend some time in Udaipur in the year 1623-24 after rebelling with his father Jahangir for he wanted to be take over the Mughal throne.
The then Mewar Maharana Karan Singh gave a safe haven to Khurram in Udaipur as the latter’s mother was a Rajput princess Jodha Bai.
Image: BL Visual Arts
Initially, Khurram was stayed in City Palace however, later was shifted to Gol Mahal which is a domed pavilion and was specially built for Khurram by Karan Singh as Khurram was staying here with his wife, Mumtaz and two sons, Aurangzeb and Dara.
Later, Karan Singh’s son Jagat Singh enlarged and extended it and hence it was named as Jag Mandir on his name.
Historians claim that the Jag Mandir palace’s rich architecture made such an impact on Prince Khurram who took its design inspiration for making one of the most magnificent monument of the world, the Taj Mahal after being crowned as the Emperor Shah Jahan
After Jahangir’r death in 1627, Khurram was declared the emperor and the title of Shah Jahan was given to him in Udaipur at Badal Mahal for his crowning in ceremony as Mughal emperor.
Facts about Jag Mandir
The James Bond film, Octopussy released in 1983 featured the Jag Mandir in one of its main locations.
The magnificent Jag Mahal is situated on the lake Pichola,
This island hotel is the property of the Mewar ruler Arvind Singh.
The view from top of the hotel terrace is mesmerising with water surrounding on four sides and beautiful buildings seen on its banks.
Jagmandir Island Palace is often referred to as a swarg ki vatika or garden of heaven.