Neermahal

Neermahal stands in Rudrasagar Lake at Melaghar in Sepahijala district and is often described as the largest water palace in India. Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Debbarma, a ruler of the Manikya line, commissioned it as a summer retreat; work started in 1930 and took nine years. The British firm Martin & Burn designed it, mixing several architectural styles in marble and sandstone.

The palace has 24 rooms along with towers, pavilions, balconies, stairways and bridges, set among maintained gardens and lit up at night. It is divided in two: the western part, the Andar Mahal, was the royal family's living quarters, while the eastern part was an open-air theatre for performances staged for the court. Two staircases lead down to a landing on the lake, which hosts a large annual boat race festival. Boat trips offer views of the palace, local fishermen at work and, in winter, migratory birds.