Kaylana Lake lies a short drive west of the city amid bare rocky hills, offering wide open water views and a sky that turns dramatic at sunset. Locals come here for boating, picnics and to escape the crowded streets, while migratory birds visit in winter, giving birdwatchers another reason to stop. The lake’s stark surroundings—igneous rock slopes with sparse vegetation—make it feel closer to the Thar desert, yet it is one of Jodhpur’s main sources of drinking water. From viewpoints around the lake you can see how essential such reservoirs are for an otherwise dry landscape.
About this place
History & highlights
Kaylana is an artificial lake built in 1872 on the orders of Pratap Singh, then ruler of Jodhpur, by demolishing earlier palaces and gardens belonging to rulers Bhim Singh and Takhat Singh in the area. Fed today by the Hathi canal, which connects to the Indira Gandhi Canal, it became a crucial storage reservoir supplying water to Jodhpur and surrounding settlements. Recent reporting on Jodhpur’s rising groundwater levels notes that constant availability of water in reservoirs like Kaylana and nearby Takhat Sagar has changed the city’s hydrology, contributing to seepage and structural issues in some neighbourhoods—showing how historic water works continue to shape modern urban challenges.
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