A lake older than Jodhpur
Our grandmother, who grew up hearing stories of Mandore, used to say that the lakes of Marwar were its real treasures, worth more than any jewel in the fort. Spend an evening on the embankment, with the hills turning purple and the water perfectly still, and you will understand her.
Before the Rathores: this part of Marwar belonged to the Parihars, a Rajput clan who ruled from Mandore, a few kilometres north of present-day Jodhpur.
- The lake
- Twelfth century, by tradition 1159
- The palace
- Seventeenth century
- Built by
- Maharaja Jaswant Singh I
- Setting
- Orchards on the Mandore road
- Good for
- Families and slow travellers
- Getting there
- Under half an hour from the old city
- Water first: every desert ruler's first concern. In the twelfth century an embankment was raised across a valley in the rocky hills here to hold the monsoon rain.
- Balak Rao: local tradition credits this Parihar ruler with the work and dates it to 1159.
- The name: samand means a sea, which is how people in the desert have always spoken of any large sheet of water.
- Built for Mandore: the reservoir supplied the old capital for centuries.
- After 1459: when Rao Jodha moved the Rathore capital to Mehrangarh, Mandore declined into a place of gardens and royal cenotaphs. The lake stayed, feeding the wells and orchards below.
- Still here: a long, quiet stretch of water between low hills, and in a good monsoon year it fills to the brim.
- Other ways to save water: our page on stepwells explains the desert's other great solutions.
A palace built to greet the rain
The builder: Maharaja Jaswant Singh I of Jodhpur, who ruled in the age of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, when the Rathores were among the great generals of the Mughal empire.
Mughal taste: a pleasure pavilion made not for war or ceremony but for leisure, picnics and the enjoyment of water and gardens.
Carved red sandstone: balconies, arched windows and jharokhas, the projecting screened windows of Rajput architecture, look out over the water.
- Built
- Seventeenth century
- Built for
- Maharaja Jaswant Singh I
- Stone
- Jodhpur's red sandstone
- Purpose
- A pleasure pavilion for the monsoon
- Known as
- A monsoon palace
- Intimate, not grand: not a fortress or a seat of government but a retreat, and it feels like one.
- Seeing unseen: our journal piece on what a jharokha is explains how these windows let the women of the court watch the world outside.
- The monsoon court: the royal family came here above all in the rains, celebrating the first downpour at the lake.
- The goth: in Marwar such outings have a name, a goth, a feast in the open air.
- Still alive in Sawan: in this rainy month families still head out to lakes and gardens with food, music and swings hung from the trees.
- Teej: the festival of Teej, when women in green and leheriya, the wave-dyed cloth of Rajasthan, sing for the monsoon, belongs to the same season.
From royal retreat to heritage hotel
Too many houses: after Jodhpur became part of Rajasthan in 1949, the royal family could no longer maintain all of its houses, lodges and retreats.
Restored and opened: Bal Samand was modernised and opened as a heritage hotel.
- Who runs it: Jodhana Heritage, the hotel company associated with the Jodhpur royal family, under the WelcomHeritage name, which also covers other historic hotels in Rajasthan.
- The old palace: by the lake, with a small number of rooms in the traditional Jodhpur style, with alcoves, window seats and the feeling of a royal pavilion.
- The garden wing: a larger building set among lawns and roses elsewhere in the estate, with more space. Often the better choice for families.
- Lake views are few: few palace rooms look directly over the water. The hotel allocates rooms, so we don't promise one, but we ask.
- The same family: staying here connects you to the story that runs through Umaid Bhawan Palace and the museum at Mehrangarh.
- How old houses survive: our journal pieces on the Jodhpur royal family and the royal families today explain it.
Orchards, waterways and peacocks
A private estate: gardens and orchards run down from the lake around the palace.
Lime and pomegranate: long rows of trees, watered by old channels and an aqueduct that carry water from the lake, as they have for centuries.
In winter: the lawns are wide and green, and bougainvillea spills over the walls.
- Peacocks: everywhere, fanning their tails on the paths in the cool hours.
- An instant change: after the dust and noise of the city, you feel it at once.
- Water birds: in winter the lake draws herons, egrets, cormorants and ducks.
- Garden birds: the orchards are full of bulbuls, parakeets, sunbirds and hoopoes.
- Langurs: the long-tailed grey monkeys of Rajasthan sometimes pass through. Our page on wildlife around the temples explains how to behave around them.
- Horses: the estate was home to royal stables. Riding can sometimes be arranged, but offerings change, so we confirm before you travel.
- Serious riders: our Marwari horse safari journey is built around the stables of the Rohet family to the south.
What a stay here feels like
Slow mornings: breakfast in the garden, a walk by the lake, then a morning in the city.
Long afternoons: back for lunch under the trees and a rest through the heat.
- Late light: the red sandstone glows, and the lake turns gold before dusk.
- Night: little noise, no traffic, and stars clearer than in the city.
- The trade-off: every visit to the fort or bazaars means a drive, usually under half an hour. Our chauffeurs make it easy.
- If time is short: and you want to walk into the old city at dawn, RAAS Jodhpur inside the walls will suit you better.
- Old-building quirks: steps in the palace, thick walls that slow the wifi, and rooms that differ in size and shape.
- Level and spacious: the garden wing. If anyone in your party has limited mobility, tell us and we choose the right rooms.
Eating in the garden
The kitchens: Rajasthani and Indian dishes alongside familiar international ones, and used to cooking to request. Menus change, so we don't promise particular dishes.
Laal maas: mutton with fiery red Mathania chillies.
Ker sangri: the desert's dish of dried berries and beans.
- The rest of the table: gatte in yoghurt curry, kadhi and bajra rotis with white butter.
- In winter: look for dishes made with fresh fenugreek and mustard greens.
- Eat outdoors: breakfasts by the lake, lunches under the orchard trees, and private dinners on the lawns or by the water, in the spirit of the old royal goth.
- How we plan them: our page on private palace dinners explains.
- Eat in the city: a rooftop table facing Mehrangarh, or a street-food walk around the clock tower. Our Jodhpur food guide tells you what to look for.
- Dietary needs: tell us about Jain food or anything else before you arrive, and the kitchen plans around it.
Rest and wellness
Simple treatments: massages can usually be arranged, but offerings change, so we confirm rather than promise a full spa.
Yoga: the gardens are perfect for an early session.
- A dedicated spa: for that, or a longer Ayurvedic programme, we may pair a night here with a stay elsewhere. Our page on spas and Ayurveda explains the choices.
- The real wellness: a morning walk along the embankment, a nap in a cool room with thick walls, and an evening watching the birds come in to roost.
- A pause: in a journey full of forts and bazaars, that can be exactly what is needed.
What to do from Bal Samand
Mandore, the old capital
Distance: a few minutes away.
- What you find: the red sandstone cenotaphs of the Rathore rulers, temples, and the hall of heroes carved from the rock.
- Best time: early morning or late afternoon.
- Why go: it explains the history of the lake you are staying beside.
Mehrangarh and the old city
Early: drive into the city and be at the fort when it opens.
- On foot: walk down through the blue lanes to Toorji ka Jhalra and the clock tower.
- Lunch: back in the gardens.
Jaswant Thada in the late afternoon
- The cenotaph: white marble below the fort, glowing in the low sun.
- Easy to combine: a natural stop on the way back from the city.
Osian and its temples
The road north: past Mandore to the Hindu and Jain temples of Osian, built between the eighth and twelfth centuries.
- Beyond: the dunes.
- Allow: an easy half day.
The Bishnoi villages
Where: south of the city.
- Who: the Bishnoi community, whose faith protects trees and animals.
- What you see: blackbuck and craftspeople. A fine morning out.
Two days at Bal Samand, the way we would spend them
Day one, the fort and the bazaar
Early: leave after an early tea and be at Mehrangarh when the gates open.
- Morning: the palace rooms and ramparts, then down through Brahmpuri to the stepwell and the clock tower for a mirchi bada and a lassi.
- Afternoon: a late lunch under the orchard trees and a long rest.
- Dusk: walk the embankment as the birds come in, then dinner in the garden.
Day two, Mandore and the lake
Sunrise: binoculars on the embankment, then breakfast outside.
Morning: the few minutes to Mandore before it gets warm, for the cenotaphs and temples of the Rathore rulers.
- Midday: at the estate.
- Late afternoon: Jaswant Thada for the low light, or the museum wing of Umaid Bhawan Palace.
- Evening: home for a private dinner by the water.
With a third day
- Go further: a half day at the temples of Osian, or a night at a village fort.
- Other lengths: our Jodhpur itinerary has one- to four-day versions.
The season the palace was built for
October to March: warm, bright days, the lawns at their greenest, and the lake full of winter birds.
December and January: cold nights, so pack a shawl for dinner in the garden.
- Main season
- October to March
- Coldest nights
- December and January
- Hot season
- April to June
- Monsoon arrives
- Usually late June or July
- Book early for
- Folk festival, Diwali, New Year
- Busiest dates: the Rajasthan International Folk Festival at Mehrangarh in October, Diwali, and the Christmas and New Year weeks. Book early.
- April to June: severe heat, though the shade and the lake make Bal Samand gentler than the city.
- When the rains come: in a good year the hills turn green almost overnight, the water rises, peacocks dance on the lawns and the air smells of wet earth.
- Almost to yourself: travellers who don't mind humidity and the odd storm can have the palace nearly alone.
- Across the state: our page on Rajasthan in July explains what the monsoon months are like.
Who will love it, and who won't
Space and calm: you will love it if you want gardens and quiet within easy reach of the sights.
Families: children love the lawns, the peacocks and the room to run.
Birdwatchers and walkers: love the lake and the orchards.
- Older travellers: appreciate the peace and the short drives.
- Long journeys: the perfect place to catch your breath between busy cities.
- Want the old city at the door: choose RAAS.
- Want great palace grandeur: choose Umaid Bhawan.
- Want a lively bar: with many restaurants on site, you may find it quiet.
- Compare: our guide to luxury hotels in Jodhpur sets out all the options.
How it fits our journeys
A green base: in the Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur journey, it gives families calm between two big cities.
A family favourite: in our family journeys, children run on the lawns after mornings at the fort.
- Around the desert: in the desert triangle, it makes a peaceful first or last stop around the dunes of Jaisalmer and the forts of Bikaner and Khimsar.
- The fuller picture: pair two nights here with a night at a village fort such as Rohet Garh or Khimsar Fort.
- Compare the royal stays: our palace hotels guide covers the state.
Getting there
Into the city: the old city and Mehrangarh are a short drive, usually under half an hour depending on traffic.
By air: Jodhpur Airport (JDH) is on the other side of the city, usually about half an hour away. We meet you at arrivals.
- To the old city
- Usually under half an hour
- Nearest airport
- Jodhpur (JDH), about half an hour
- By rail
- Main station, a similar drive
- To Mandore
- A few minutes
- To Osian
- About an hour and a half
- By train: the main railway station is a similar drive, with trains to Delhi, Jaipur and other cities.
- Day trips: Osian is about an hour and a half north by road, and Mandore only a few minutes.
- Planning drives: our guide to getting around Rajasthan explains how we do it.
What we tell friends before they stay
Stay two nights: one night leaves no time for the gardens, and the gardens are the point.
Sunrise on the embankment: walk it with binoculars.
- Ask early for the lake: only a few rooms face the water.
- Mandore when it is cool: morning or late afternoon. It is only minutes away.
- Eat outside: at least one meal by the lake or under the orchard trees.
- Pack for the season: a shawl for winter evenings, insect repellent for the monsoon.
- Add contrast: combine Bal Samand with a night in the old city or a village fort.