Two artificial lakes sit below Mehrangarh's eastern cliff, created by the Jodhpur royals as part of the city's historic water management. Ranisar was built by Rani Jassoji in 1459 and Padmasar by Rani Padmaji in the same era. They are modest in scale but the walk around them — with the fort wall rising sheer above and the old city lanes on the other side — is one of the more peaceful circuits in Jodhpur.
Early morning is the time to come for birdwatching. The lakes host cormorants, egrets, kingfishers, and migratory birds in winter. The circuit takes about 45 minutes at a gentle pace. There are no ticket gates and no crowds — most visitors to Mehrangarh don't make it this far.