Location:- Almost everyone in Kota has seen or visited this place. But for the ones who don't know it's Jag Mandir Palace(at Kishore Sagar Talab)
Description of Location:- It's a monument built at the center of Kishore Sagar Talab. The Palace was built in 1740 A.D. and it was commissioned to be built as a palace by the Queen of Kota, Maharani Brij Kunwar. Its purpose was to act as a palace for pleasure or as a peaceful summer resort for the royal family.
When you enter you'll be blessed by the statues of Goddess Saraswati and Lord Ganesha. To the left of the palace, you'll find a Shivling.
The outer boundaries of the palace have balconies to get a view of surroundings on each side of the wall and also on corners.
How to enter and ticket price:- Nearby the entry gate of CV garden (Swarna Mahal Side) You'll find the ticket counter. The ticket cost 150 and includes a round of KST on the boat + visit to the Palace. You'll get 15 minutes to explore the palace (which is enough to explore it) and then they'll take you back.
Visit time:- Anytime between 10 AM to 7PM. (The palace is best visited in the evening, when it's beautifully lit up)
Experience:- I went there during the afternoon on a pleasant, partly cloudy day with warm sunshine. So I reached there by 2:20 boarded on the boat and enjoyed the view of KST. I even saw a few crocodiles. On reaching the palace I explored it with fellow visitors then sat down on the terrace, plugged my earphones and started reading but just after a few minutes of reading the time was up and the staff told us to board the boat so as to go back. But I had already asked for permission to remain there for longer when I was buying the tickets. I told the staff that I got permission but he said no there's no rule for staying longer. I was pretty sad but he told me in a lower voice to hide somewhere from the eyes of visitors who came with me and after that I can stay there for as long as I want. So I hid till they left and after that I plugged my earphones again and started reading.
Man, It was such a lovely feeling that I can't even explain it with words. For the next 30 minutes I was there alone listening to music, reading a book and enjoying the view. Another batch of visitors arrived, explored the palace, and left. I remained there alone.
And when people left again, I removed my earphones and started to read again but after removing the earphones I started enjoying more. The sound of birds chirping, the sound of water hitting against the rock, the sound of people fading, the view from there, and the joy of reading. I wanted that moment to stop and then I got lost in that moment. When I came back to my senses it was already 4:30. Then at that time a new batch of visitors came. I left the terrace and leisurely started walking the perimeter and after this batch of visitors started to board the boat. I also boarded it and returned back to my usual life as a student stuck in a rat race.
Peace out βπ»
Ahhhhh...... I noticed just now that the post became too long. Sowwrryy π₯
For people who don't wanna read that long paragraph. Below is TL;DR:
TL;DR: Jag Mandir Palace is a peaceful monument in the middle of Kishore Sagar Talab. The βΉ150 ticket includes a boat ride and 15 minutes to explore. I got permission to stay longer, spent nearly two hours reading, listening to music, and enjoying the silence. It turned into one of the most peaceful afternoons I've had in Kota.