2. Lake Palace, Udaipur (Rajasthan)

Lake Palace in Udaipur has been immortalized across the world by the famous James Bond thriller ‘Octopussy’, which was filmed in this beautiful heritage property in Rajasthan. This palace was built by Maharaja Jagat Singh II in 1746 and the then prince named it Jag Niwas. This beautiful palace is located inside Udaipur’s Lake Pichola and is situated on one of the four islands in the lake. Legend has it that the young prince built his own pleasure palace on one of the four islands on the Lake Pichola after his father found out about his escapades with the ladies of Zenana on moonlit nights in one of the then Lake Island palaces.

By the middle of the 19th century, Jag Niwas almost got deserted, especially during the reign of Maharaja Sir Bhopal Singh. It was Maharaja Bhagwat Singh who refurbished the almost ruined palace and converted Jag Niwas to the first luxury hotel of Udaipur in 1963. The management of Lake Palace in Udaipur was transferred to the Taj Group of Hotels, Resorts and Palaces in 1971.