Imprints of Togetherness...

The Ruler : Maharaja Vinay Singh
The Year : 1845 AD
The Place : 13kms from the Alwar City in Rajasthan
The Problem : Water Scarcity in the Alwar City
The Solution : 10.5 sq km man made lake cum reservoir
The Laison : A fascinating lake chateau for Queen Shila
The Story : The lake was once a reservoir built by constructing a dam between the two hills to store the water of a small river called Ruparel by Maharaja Vinay Singh for the purpose of channeling the water into the Alwar City. A ruler so sensitive was quite a romantic as well. As a gesture of love for his lovely Queen Shila he gets build one of the most picturesque Lake Palaces of Rajasthan - Lake Palace, Siliserh which also served as the Royal Hunting Lodge. The cenotaphs or the chattris rightly complements its regal grandeur transforming you in time with it’s old world charm. It seems like a perfect illicit getaway in the Aravallis which is just 165 kms away from Delhi because of its magical and mysterious aura. More so because it’s rightly located hidden from view on three sides by the lush green hills and on the fourth side is the beautiful placid lake Siliserh.

Just rightly placed in the hills and overlooking the lake, this tastefully done up old chateau gives a breathtaking view of the water spread at the sunrise and sunset. As the sun rises, the lake looks absolutely a beautiful green because of the lush green Aravallis and turns into varied hues of peacock blue as the sun begins to descend. Winter is the best time recommended to experience a boat ride on this dreamy piece of azure lake let. The occasional visits of migratory birds add a lot of music and colour which is a welcome break before you slip into the blue green hypnosis again.

An ideal stopover in the way to Sariska National Tiger Reserve, this old palace is now maintained and managed by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. Nothing much can be said about the hospitality of RTDC, it’s just about OK and there is no choice. Delhi-Gurgaon-Dharuhera-Alwar-Siliserh is the route which you need to follow. The roads are good with few bad patches in the last couple of kilometers. You are practically in the hills in just four hours drive (unlike the 6-7-8-10 hrs drive to Uttarakhand or Himachal), which is just amazing if you have to kill a sudden hill craving over the weekend. Mobile networks is a problem - BSNL/ MTNL works but all others have a problem.

The serenity of the lake and the greenery of the hills around is all that you would need to forget the dust, grime and mad rush of the cities!