Submerged in the waters of an artificial lake, in the “pink city” of Jaipur, in the state of Rajasthan, India, is the beautiful marbled palace of Jal Mahal, or “Water Palace”. Not much is known about its history, except the fact that it was constructed by Maharaja Madho Singh in the 18th century —the precise date is unknown— as a place for his duck hunting parties. Later, Madho Singh’s son, Madho Singh II, enlarged the palace by adding a courtyard. Then, it fell into disuse and remained terribly neglected for two centuries until its recent renovation in the 2000s.

Jal Mahal is a curious structure. It’s not exactly a palace, because there are no habitable rooms to stay. Just a terrace garden where the Maharaja took leisurely walks. The palace is actually five stories tall, but only the top floor stays above water. The lower four floors remain mostly submerged when the lake is full.

Photo credit: Russ Bowling/Flickr