Udaipur, on all fours, is surrounded by paradise landscapes and shimmering water bodies and Jaisamand is one such place, with a huge water reserve fenced on all sides by mountain ranges, with numerous small and large islands contained within it.
About 52 km southeast of the main city of Udaipur, lies the water body with enormous capacity that makes it the second largest man-made lake in Asia. Also called as the ‘Dhebar Lake’ or ocean of victory (Jai-victory; Samand-ocean), Jaisamand was built in the seventeenth century by Rana Jaisingh of Mewar, across the river Gomathi, in order to overcome the water scarce conditions in this region. The lake covers an enormous area of 36 square miles (93 km2), and has the largest depth of 102 feet.
Taking the straight road from Savina, at a distance of about 25 km, will lead one to the dense Kewra forests, popularly known as ‘Kewra ki naal’. Climbing down, the serpent path, the road encounters a parallel water reserve, called the ‘Dhaya dam’. Leading forth straight on the path, beyond ‘Gatonr’, one would be stunned to know that the hills on the left side are all fencing the lake. This would certainly be astonishing, as the ranges have quite high tops. Another compelling fact cites that, about 97 rivers and canals disgorges into it, making it stand amongst the largest artificial reservoirs on the planet. On the road ahead, a typical Indian countryside market welcomes the visitors with numerous ‘dhabas’ serving tea, samosas and primarily ‘fried fish’. The pathway on the left-hand side ramps up to the marble Dam built across the Gomathi river, gathering immense reserves of the Jaisamand lake.
The marble embankment is 36.6 meters high, & provides an enormously picturesque view of the place. It has a Shiva shrine in the midst, and stairways leading down into the waters. The exquisite view from the dam site includes three islands, the two larger ones, ‘Baba ka Magra’, one of which has the Jaisamand island resort and a comparatively smaller one called ‘Piari’. The beauty of the lake is incomplete from the dam site and a boat ride to the inside intrigue would provide a unique panorama, especially if one can afford to stay at the island resort. The hilltops on both sides of the dam have palaces or ‘Hawa Mahals of the Mewar queens, one of which at the right-hand side, is popularly known as the ‘Ruthi Rani ka Mahal’. The route to the palaces are considered as good tracking sites for the adventure lovers, and again the sentiment would be unrelenting till the pinnacle.
Jaisamand supplies gallons of water each day to the lake city, as it is the main domestic supply and gives a large percentage of the net income to the fisheries department of Rajasthan, with the RTADCF (Rajasthan tribal Area Development Cooperative Federation) hatchery or seed farm. The downside from the dam, following the highway from the market, a countryside road on the left-hand side would lead us to a place called ‘machhi kanta’ where the fisheries business takes place. Near the place is another engrossing picture of the overflow site of the lake, as the glory of the victory ocean narrows into a serpent canal.
The best time to enjoy a blissful holiday here would surely be the monsoon season, cherishing the almighty nature’s beauty as the clouds settle and cruise through the masses, while they soak the remainder. There is also the Jaisamand wildlife sanctuary nearby covering about 160 sq km of the area, with a wide diversity of fauna which includes panther, wild boar, sloth bear etc. A tour of the ring road following the lake’s boundary would also be very delightful, measuring, how widely man has clutched nature for his own contentment. The route then leads to more destinations of interests, including Jagat and Jhameshwarji.