The Taj Lake Palace was founded as a summer retreat for the Mewar royal family in the 18th century, and was transformed into a heritage hotel by Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar in 1963. It stands in silken splendor, surrounded by the placid waters of Lake Pichola in Udaipur. Its piquant interior, gravid with troves of silk, velvet, and priceless rugs, is redolent of Mughal pomp.