Jal Mahal can be tourist hotspot

Ravinder Saini 

Jal Mahal in Narnaul city of Mahendragarh district is illustrious for its historical milieu and extraordinary architecture. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has planned to develop it as an Adarsh Samarak. It has recently identified 75 more monuments across the nation under its second phase of the Adarsh Samarak programme to upgrade the existing facilities at these tourist spots. In Haryana, besides Jal Mahal, Sheikh Chilli’s Tomb at Kurukshetra has been selected under the programme to be developed as a tourist place.

Jal Mahal was built by Shah Quli Khan, the then Governor of Narnaul, over 10 acres during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar in 1591. It stands in the centre of a large tank called Khan Sarovar. The entrance to the palace is in the north through a gatehouse, with rooms for guards constructed over a bridge resting on 16 arched-spans. The palace consists of a square central chamber with four small chambers on four corners.

Four staircases, two each on the northern and southern faces, give access to the upper storeys. The roof of the central chamber is crowned by an octagonal cupola surrounded by a hemispherical dome balanced on four smaller cupolas placed over the corner chambers. The walls of Jal Mahal were constructed with lime in those days but even today one can see the brightness of the walls. The layout of Jal Mahal shows a finely developed system of filling the huge water tank with rainwater with a provision for controlled discharge so as to prevent water from stagnating.

“The motive behind declaring Jal Mahal as an Adarsh samarak is to improve available facilities as well as promote tourism because it is not only a place of historical significance but also an architectural marvel of the Mughal era. Modern poles with LED lights will be installed to illuminate the monument. Other amenities such as parking for vehicles, a cafeteria, signboards, a library, modern toilets, especially for disabled persons, RO drinking water, souvenir and free Wi-Fi for visitors will be made available,” says Praveen Kumar, sub-divisional in charge of the ASI at Narnaul. 

The work for Wi-Fi facility, toilets and RO water is in progress and is expected to be completed next month. Around 200 people visit Jal Mahal every day while the number of visitors increases manifold on Sundays when besides city residents, people from surrounding villages and other districts come here. On other days, college and school students usually visit Jal Mahal. Private schools bring their students here to educate them about the historical importance and magnificent design of the monument.   

Jal Mahal has been in a state of neglect for long, as no sincere efforts have been made to develop it as a tourist destination. Even its tank had remained dry for a century, as a number of residential colonies have come up in its catchment area. Nearby roads obstruct water inflow from the Dohan river. Moreover, the Rajasthan Government has constructed a check dam on the Dohan at the border of Mahendragarh district.

The monument drew the attention of previous Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda when he visited Narnaul in 2010. He directed the district authorities to fill the tank with water up to the brim. He also told the authorities to prepare a project for its upkeep and further development to attract more visitors.  

It was no less than a wonder to fill water in the mammoth tank of Jal Mahal located in the most dry and sandy area of Narnaul that has been declared a dark zone owing to a steep decline in the groundwater level. The tank was filled with water in 2010 but it got dried after some months. Thereafter, no one paid attention to it for seven years. The district authorities in 2017 again filled the tank with water up to 11 feet during the rainy season.

At present, around 2 feet of water is available in the tank. It is for the first time that the tank has been filled with water during these days on the demand of locals who believe it has been instrumental in recharging of groundwater and improving the water table, says Satyavir, Executive Engineer (Irrigation), Narnaul. The availability of water in the tank is also essential from tourism point of view, as there is no logic to visit Jal Mahal without ‘jal’ around the 'mahal' (palace). Hence, he got it filled with water so that tourists could spend ample time here. 

Rajesh Sanwle, who along with friends has come from Mumbai to see the monuments in Narnaul, says he learnt about Jal Mahal from his friend, who lives in Delhi, when they arrived in Delhi some days ago. “The architecture of Jal Mahal is incredible. But we are disappointed that there is no guide here to make us understand its historical background. Also, there is no cafeteria and library and no proper arrangements for sitting, potable water, toilet, parking, security etc. It has the potential to be developed as one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region. Even surrounding roads are not in a good shape,” Sanwle says.

Rattan Lal Saini, an advocate in Narnaul, says Jal Mahal can be developed into a major tourist destination by ensuring availability of water in the tank throughout the year and improving all surrounding roads. Road connectivity to nearby places should be provided so that people from other places could easily reach here.  

“The authorities should also set up kiosks on the premises of Jal Mahal where its literature and that regarding other monuments of Narnaul could be made available for tourists,” says Saini.

Anil Kaushik, a social activist, says after Jaipur, Narnaul is the only place in north India where such a magnificent Jal Mahal is situated. “People come here from Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and other states to visit Jal Mahal but they feel disappointed due to lack of basic facilities,”says Kaushik. The business in Narnaul can also grow if Jal Mahal is developed as a tourist destination by making all basic facilities available for tourists.

Modern amenities

The work for Wi-Fi facility, toilets and RO water at Jal Mahal is in progress and is expected to be completed next month. The Archaeological Survey of India has planned to develop it as an Adarsh Samarak. Modern poles with LED lights will be installed to illuminate the monument. Other amenities such as parking for vehicles, a cafeteria, signboards, a library, modern toilets, especially for disabled persons, RO drinking water, souvenir and free Wi-Fi facility for visitors will be made available.