JHARGRAM RAJBARI At the close of the 16th century, around the year 1592, Emperor Akbar sent his famous Rajput commander Man Singh to the region then known as ‘Jangalkhand’, primarily to establish control over the powerful local tribal rulers of the Santhal, Bhumij, Lodha, and other communities, commonly known as ‘Mal (Malla) Raja’. Man Singh entrusted his longtime lieutenant and fellow Rajput Sarveshwar Singh with the job. Having penetrated deep into the forests of Jangalkhand, Sarveshwar vanquished the Mal Raja and established his own kingdom, with Jhargram as its capital. He also gave himself and his successors the title ‘Malla Deb’. It was not until the 20th century that Jhargram attained its golden era, under the leadership of Raja Narasingha Malla Deb, who was guided by his mentor and dewan, Rai Bahadur Debendra Mohan Bhattacharya. Narasingha Malla Deb developed Jhargram into a modern planned township, and revamped the royal palace in 1931, spread over 30 acres, thereby creating one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture in eastern India. About three km from the railway station, the palace continues to house descendants of the Malla Deb kings, but some parts of it are open to visitors. The main building is an extravagant Italianate structure, set amidst carefully designed lawns and gardens. The palace as a whole evokes several memories of the past, and the complex is also instantly recognizable from several popular Bengali films, such as ‘Sannyasi Raja’ and ‘Durgeshgorer Guptadhan’. The fully air-conditioned guest house on the ground floor offers a plush, comfortable stay, though you may need special permission to visit the rest of the palace. #themintwheels #solodrive #tatamotors #tatamotorsindia #tatatiago #tatatigor #westbengal #westbengaltourism #jhargram #heritage #history #indianhistory #maharajatimes #bengalhistory #roadlesstravelled #incredibleindia #visitindia #iloveindia #travelindia #exploreindia #travel #explore #live #forest #roadtrip #soloroadtrip #traveller #travelblogger #storiesfromindia @tatamotors @incredibleindia @discoveryindia https://www.instagram.com/p/CQlJwQTMOTZ/?utm_medium=tumblr
