Rani Mahal, Jhansi Overview

Rani Mahal in Jhansi, translating to the queen's palace, is the former residence and royal palace of Rani Lakshmi Bai. Built in the 18th century, a large part of this beauty was destroyed during the Indian Rebellion. However, it was later renovated into a museum with artefacts from the 9th century and life of Rani Lakshmibai.

The architecture of Rani Mahal is utterly alluring. It is a two-tiered building with six halls which also includes the famous Darbar hall. It gives an elaborate picture of the history of India, the rulers, their tradition and the events that took place during the medieval times and henceforth.

About Rani Mahal

The ancient palace lies amidst a bustling street at Jhansi, in the southernmost part of Uttar Pradesh. It is built with a quadrangular courtyard. On one side of it, is a little well and on the other is a decorative fountain. It is a two-storey building with a flat roof, and six beautiful halls, each of it accompanied by a parallel corridor. The arches on the aisle have a peacock and floral patterns shaped to such perfection that one can’t leave the place without giving it a second glance.

On the ground floor, several stone sculptures from the early medieval period are maintained. The most popular and aesthetic halls of all are the Darbar Hall on the second floor which is accompanied by a flight of stairs. The hall has beautiful wall paintings and artistic carvings of flora and fauna giving it a seemingly gorgeous look.

Although the palace has been refurbished into a museum in recent years, it lacks maintenance leaving the glorious palace with a washed out appearance. However, that doesn’t taper the number of visitors it attracts from all over the world. The primary reason behind it is the history it holds and the exquisite architecture.

History

Back in the times when Jhansi was called Balwant Nagar, Raghunath II of the Nawalkar family built this beautiful palace with great architectural works in the 18th century. It later served as a residence for the well-known warrior Rani Laxmi Bai until the death of Raja Gangadhar Rao, after which she was coerced to leave the Jhansi Fort.

This is an interesting place to check out for all the history and architectural enthusiasts out there. It is an assemblage of stone sculptures, wall paintings and artefacts dating from the Gupta to Medieval period. It has a touch of antiquity and looking at the construction of such beauty in ancient times would leave everyone enthralled. It is important to keep in mind that photography is strictly prohibited inside Rani Mahal.

Best time to visit Rani Mahal

Rani Mahal is open round the year but the best time to visit it would be between October to March. The weather during this time would be pleasant thus making the visit and travel more enjoyable.

How to Reach Rani Mahal

Rani Mahal is at a distance of about 2 kilometres from the centre of the city, and it takes approximately 7 minutes to reach it by car. Taxi, autos and local bus transportations are available to the Fort. Heavy vehicles will not be able to reach the exact point of destination as it is in a central interior location; some amount of walking has to be done after reaching a particular point.

It is less than a kilometre walk from Rani Mahal to Jhansi Fort and Dr Vrindawan Lal Verma Park, both of which are just a few metres away from each other. Even otherwise, autos are available for the commute.