Lake Palace of the East
Neermahal is one of the two lake palaces in India, in one of the two Udaipurs in India. Couple of hours (53kms) away from the capital of the easternmost state that I have been to – Tripura, this palace is quaint and interesting.
Parts of Tripura seem to be stuck in a bygone era – as seen by the small restaurants and our "still in 60s" hotel room at Agartala. The land of Tagore, SD and RD Burman had for our viewing one more interesting trip - to NeerMahal
The palace is encircled by the Rudrasagar Lake – used by fishermen (their activity makes for a good view from the boat) and also used by a large number of migratory birds in winters (their activity makes for a good view from the palace windows)
Built by the king of Tripura as a summer resort, purely only for his indulgence in 1930 – this palace truly reflects the splendor of its past glory. The view of the palace from the approaching boat is truly picturesque and leaves one spellbound.
The only way to get into the palace is through boats from Rajghat. The palace which almost looks like a floating castle is a fantastic example of Hindu and Muslim architecture.
There are two quarters – for the king and the queen. There are sections at the basement for menial staff. Entry to the palace is through the maharaja and maharani stairs.
The palace is over 400 mts long and has over 24 rooms – leisure rooms with beautiful windows, ballrooms, bedrooms with large balconies, chess rooms, and more.
Built over a period of 9 years, with no efforts left for luxury and convenience, this palace is worth a visit - of course if you venture to Tripura
There are places for boats to enter from the back entrance – keeping the beauty of the façade untouched.
The huge garden, which beckons the western side of the palace and the open spaces around still reflect the glory of the times gone by.
