The Monsoon Palace, formerly known as the Sajjan Garh Palace, is a hilltop residence in the city of Udaipur overlooking the lake Pichola. It is named as Sajjangarh after Maharana Sajjan Singh (1874–1884) of the Mewar Dynasty, who built Sajjangarh Fort in 1884. Sajjangarh fort is one of the most beautiful fort in Mewar region. It gives glow of golden orange at night. The palace was used in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy as the residence of Kamal Khan, an exiled Afghan prince.
It offers a panoramic view of the city's palaces, lakes, and surrounding. The Monsoon Palace provides a beautiful view of the sunset.
Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary, which encircles the palace, was established in 1987. It covers an area of 5.19 square kilometres. It is a well protected sanctuary now with concrete wall of Kishan Pol surrounding it. Sanctuary is a reserve for reptiles, tigers, nilgai, sambhar, wild boars, hyenas, panthers, and jackals and is also popular for bird watching. The reserve can also be approached by a trek starting from the Gorilla Point to the Jiyan Sagar or the Badi Lake to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Aravalli hills and the wildlife of the reserve forest. |