Search the Internet          Tips  Sites: Finance, Investment

Bid results for Jaipur lake palace hotel by November

Soni Sinha in Jaipur

The winner from among leading hotel chains bidding for a medieval lake palace in the Rajasthan capital will be announced by November.

"By the end of September we will be in a position to identify the bidder and by November first week we shall be able to declare the bid," said S K Goyal, senior executive engineer at the Jaipur Development Authority.

Major national and international hotel chains are in the race for the Jal Mahal Tourism Infrastructure Project. Worth more than Rs 80 million, the bid has attracted chains like the Oberoi, Le Meridien, ITC, His Royal Group of Hotels, Park Hotel and Tulip International.

Situated on the way to Amber fort in Jaipur, Jal Mahal stands in the middle of the Mansagar Lake. Built in 1707, the palace has lately fallen into disrepair due to insufficient funds with the tourism ministry for the upkeep of monuments.

"The proposal of developing the Jal Mahal area is a step toward conservation of a heritage property as well as promoting tourism," Rajasthan Tourism Minister Bina Kak said.

"In the past, efforts were made toward archaeological conservation of the Jal Mahal monument and for the ecological restoration of the Mansagar Lake. However, due to various reasons, the project did not fructify till this year. The project aims to be developed with active private sector participation," she added.

The lake palace's prime location, its proximity to a number of tourist spots and its aesthetic beauty together present an opportunity to develop the whole area as a potential tourist center, Kak said.

The components proposed to be included in the project after architectural restoration are rooftop cafes, boating, tourist cottages and club, a heritage village, a craft market, a floating restaurant and light and sound shows. There are also plans to promote water sports in the lake.

"The proposed project includes archeological conservation of the Jal Mahal monument. The project will provide a means to renovate the structure in its original form and to develop sustainable tourism and recreational facilities," said JDA's public relations officer Brajesh Parekh.

"Another important objective of the project is the ecological restoration of the Mansagar Lake, highly silted due to the wastewater coming from the residential neighborhoods of nearby areas," said a senior official of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation.

"The project would provide a means to improve the water quality of the lake for recreational water sports as well as maintain the quality and water level for a longer period."

"The development of the Jal Mahal area as an added tourist attraction will have a snowballing effect on the commercial development of the tourism infrastructure in the vicinity, which includes places like Amber, Jaigarh and Nahargarh," said a senior executive of the ITC hotel chain.

Indo-Asian News Service

Money

Business News

Tell us what you think of this report