Tajhat Palace

Tajhat Palace was built around 1917 by Gopal Lal Roy, a zamindar whose family, founded by the jeweller Manna Lal Roy, had made its money in jewellery, which is where the name comes from, and it is one of the grandest of the late estate houses: a long two-storey front of columns and arches behind a formal approach, with a central marble staircase of Italian stone, a dome above, and grounds with tanks and lawns. It served for a period as a court building, which preserved it, and it now houses the Rangpur regional museum, with black stone sculpture, terracotta, manuscripts including Persian and Arabic documents, and coins displayed in the main rooms. The building itself, and the staircase in particular, is the larger half of the visit.

History

The palace was built by Maharaja Kumar Gopal Lal Roy, whose estate is said to have taken the name Tajhat from his jewelled crown, or taj. From 1984 to 1991 it housed a Rangpur bench of the High Court, in 1995 it was declared a protected monument, and in 2005 the government moved the Rangpur Museum into its second floor (Wikipedia, Tajhat Palace).

What to look for

• The Italian marble staircase - the centrepiece of the interior.
• A columned two-storey front - the long facade behind the approach.
• The regional museum collection - sculpture, manuscripts and coins.
• Tanks and lawns in the grounds - the estate setting kept open.

When to go

November to March. Two hours. It closes on some days and Friday hours are short. Weekends bring Rangpur families to the grounds. Mornings are cooler.

Before you go

The museum collection is modest and labelling is largely in Bengali. Upper floors are closed. The grounds are busy at weekends. Rangpur is far from other sights.

Nearby

Rangpur town is north-west; Dinajpur lies west.

Key facts