It is situated high in the Bansdara peak in the Aravalli hills at a height of 3100 feet above the sea level. This hill side is thickly wooded and the kings preserved this place for hunting. The palace overlooks the Fateh Sagar Lake. The main idea was to build a five storeyed astronomical centre and not a palace but the king died very early because of his unfortunate premature death and this was constructed into a palace and hunting lodge. He wanted to give employment to the people through this astronomical centre. Maharana Fateh Singh was successor to the throne and he completed the construction of this palace.
The palace is built with white marble which has high turrets. There are guards regulating each of the towers. There are a lot of rooms and quarters inside the palace and it also has a grand central court. There are stairs connected inside the palace to reach various rooms. The palace has the support of the marble pillars, etched and engraved with a lot of motifs of leaves and flowers all over. Lime mortar is used to plaster the walls of the palace. The construction and architecture of the palace is aesthetically pleasing. It’s typically built in conventional Rajput architectural style. Also, the palace has an underground water storage system to harvest the rain water. The storage capacity of the water tank is around 195, 500 litres. It is in the very precincts of the palace. It was however later abandoned because the water scarcity of the city was not solved. At the foot hills of Monsoon Palace is Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
The view of the Monsoon clouds during the Monsoon season from this palace is epic. From the top of the palace, the panoramic view of the full Udaipur city is clearly visible. All the lakes, palaces, and also the countryside of the city are totally visible from the palace. In fact, the night view of the palace, lit with illuminating lights, is enchanting. It gives an amazing golden yellow glow at that time. The most beautiful view from the palace is of the sunset. It looks ravishing at the night time with fountains, domes, and jharokas that give a fairy tale beauty to the palace.
This palace was owned by the Mewar dynasty previously but now has been handed over to the Forest Department of the Government of Rajasthan. The palace has been recently made open to the public to explore. Earlier the entry into the palace was restricted for the commoners. These days few films have also been shot at the palace. The entry fee for the palace is Rs 10 per person for Indians, Rs 80 pp for foreigners, and Rs 20 for the video camera. It is open on all days of the week from 9 am to 6 pm for the tourists. People visit the palace especially during the Monsoon time to view the Monsoon clouds for which it is famous. The best time for the photographers to visit this palace is during the sunset time.