I've said it once and I'm going to say it again, Siliserh Lake Palace is an amazing destination. It features as one of our most recurring weekend road trip too. Whenever, we want to escape the city's bustle and unwind in a place without shelling out much money and too much driving, we hit the road and aim for this lakeside jaunt. It's on the way to Sariska Wild Reserve (14
km from Sariska) and an oasis of peace and tranquility.
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| You can just about make out the tiny huts on the banks. |
Words fail to describe the barren beauty of the
surrounding hills and the soothing calm of the pristine expansive lake. This man-made lake was constructed under the orders of Maharaja Vinay of Alwar. The palace on its banks could have been a resting place for the queen while the Maharaja was hunting with his men, or it was a palace for the Queen who came from the nearby village to stay after losing her child. The source history isn't very clear o me.
Anyway, this palace has now been turned into a hotel. Wait right there, don't get ideas it's not all luxury dripping heritage palace, it's at best a rustic haveli with raw beauty. The rooms in the upper floor are ghastly with glass aberrations in the name of windows. The only ones worth any thought are the first floor ones facing the lake, with the balcony running along. The beds surrounded by four flat pillars and accessible through marble steps are just the royal touch I crave for. These rooms (two at each ends of the running gallery with private balcony space and two in the middle, where the doors open at thoroughfare) are the best bet and once you close the doors you cut out the whole world outside. Then its just you, the lake, and the royal bed.
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View from the room.
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The evening view.
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All we did was sit and stare and stare and…. There is zero noise, no
commercial establishments nearby—the nearest small shop is a kilometre away,
no jarring lights so that in the evenings the lake plunges in a
calming twilight of twinkling lamps and lights which are few and far in between. The Lake Palace hotel is the only
accommodation so it’s not scarred by modern concrete structures but a
palace which belongs to the scenery. On the other side of the lake, a cluster of huts make a
beautiful village. It’s almost like a
painting and is either acrylic, or water-coloured, or oil-based
depending on the time of the day you are looking at it. The two or three odd boats bob in the water on their moorings and a number of birds
dot the rippling waters, it’s a delight to gaze at. And curiously
enough, there are hordes of white butterflies, only white.
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| Early bird in search of a worm or two... |
Early in the morning, you would see boats crossing the lake towards the palace, they are laden with vegetables and produce for the hotel kitchen. It's charming to see lanky village boys paddling the still waters surrounded by a gray mist.
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I need a better camera...
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The drive to Siliserh is the same as Sariska, make a right turn at 14 km before reaching the reserve and drive parallel to the ruined palace boundary walls and the Aravalli range. It is an amazing drive, short but good.
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| On the road leading to the Lake Palace. |
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| He definitely has the right of way. |
Also, we suggest you carry your own drinks and snacks. Packaged food is available but not much is in supply. The hotel provides paneer and pyaz pakodas, soft drinks and ice cubes at best. Breakfast and dinner are of course good and a decent fare is served. There are paranthas and bread-omelette in the morning, and we have had the luck to taste the famous lal maans (Rajasthani Red Mutton Curry) for dinner everytime we've been there. The staff is absolutely polite and friendly and will also serve your food in the room, if you so desire. But eating at night in the open terrace over-looking the lake, is just too good to miss.
We will surely revisit this island of calm and we hope you book a trip too.
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