Navlakha Palace

Rajnagar Palace
Rajnagar Palace
	Ruins of the Navlakha Palace
	Interactive map of Rajnagar Palace
	26°24′17″N 86°10′18″E / 26.404733°N 86.171718°E
Type	Palace
Location	Rajnagar, Bihar, India
History
Founder	Darbhanga Raj
Built	19th-century
Demolished	15 January 1934
Site notes
Area	1,500 acres (610 ha)
Architectural style	Mithila Art
Owner	Darbhanga Maharaja

Navlakha Palace, also known as Rajnagar Palace, is a royal palace in the town of Rajnagar, near Madhubani in Bihar, India. The palace was built by Maithali Brahmin Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Darbhanga.

History

It was built by Rameshwar Singh, the younger brother of Lakshmeshwar Singh, the Maharaja of Darbhanga, between 1884 and 1929 to serve as the administrative capital of Darbhanga Raj. This complex covers 1,500 acres (610 ha). It includes 11 temples to gods and goddesses, and several forts and palaces. It suffered significant damage during the 1934 Bihar–Nepal earthquake and has never been rebuilt.

Architecture

Up to 22 layers of carving were used in the construction of the monument, more than the Taj Mahal, which has a maximum of 15 layers. Its Kali temple is made of ivory and white marble that resembles the Taj Mahal. The portico has arches standing on four elephants built from cement and is allegedly one of the first cement structures in India. The oldest surviving Mithila painting is found in the Gasauni Ghar (the room where the family deity is kept) of the palace. Made in 1919 on the occasion of the Maharaja's daughter's wedding, there are very few written or photographic records of the palace.

Present condition

The palace is currently owned by the Raj Darbhanga. Following the 1934 earthquake, it was never repaired. It is continually suffering from encroachment. Locals have long demanded that it be turned into a tourist site.

References

↑ Manjari, Manisha (August 2, 2022). Phoenix Rising From The Ashes. Sahityapedia. ISBN 978-93-91470-12-8.
↑ Heinz, Carolyn Brown (August 18, 2023). Bihar Days. Austin Macauley Publishers. ISBN 979-8-88693-815-9.
↑ Sahay, Navneet (November 4, 2016). Patna: A Paradise Lost!: Saga of a 2500 Year Old City from Ajatshatru to Present Day Patna. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-946204-54-7.
↑ Bhattacharyya, Asmita; Basu, Sudeep (September 20, 2017). Marginalities in India: Themes and Perspectives. Springer. p. 165. ISBN 978-981-10-5215-6.
↑ Sinha, Gangananda (1936). The Bihar Earthquake and the Darbhanga Raj. Thacker's Press & Directories and Published by the Darbhanga Raj. p. 3.
↑ Addison, Henry Robert; Oakes, Charles Henry; Lawson, William John; Sladen, Douglas Brooke Wheelton (1910). Who's who. A. & C. Black.
↑ India, Geological Survey of (1907). Records of the Geological Survey of India. government of India.

External links

[1] Manjari, Manisha (August 2, 2022). Phoenix Rising From The Ashes. Sahityapedia. ISBN 978-93-91470-12-8.

[2] Heinz, Carolyn Brown (August 18, 2023). Bihar Days. Austin Macauley Publishers. ISBN 979-8-88693-815-9.

[3] Sahay, Navneet (November 4, 2016). Patna: A Paradise Lost!: Saga of a 2500 Year Old City from Ajatshatru to Present Day Patna. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-946204-54-7.

[4] Bhattacharyya, Asmita; Basu, Sudeep (September 20, 2017). Marginalities in India: Themes and Perspectives. Springer. p. 165. ISBN 978-981-10-5215-6.

[5] Sinha, Gangananda (1936). The Bihar Earthquake and the Darbhanga Raj. Thacker's Press & Directories and Published by the Darbhanga Raj. p. 3.

[6] Addison, Henry Robert; Oakes, Charles Henry; Lawson, William John; Sladen, Douglas Brooke Wheelton (1910). Who's who. A. & C. Black.

[7] India, Geological Survey of (1907). Records of the Geological Survey of India. government of India.