Maleeha at 16:49, 4 April 2026

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{{short description|Palace in Jhargram district, West Bengal, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox building
|name= Jhargram Palace
|image=File:Jhargram Palace-Jhargram,Medinipur-West Bengal 721507-DSC 0013 04.jpg
|caption= The façade of Jhargram Rajbari
|latitude=
|longitude=
|location_town= [[Jhargram]], [[West Bengal]]
|location_country= [[India]]
|architect= Late Khytish Chandra Biswas, the then Chief Valuer of [[Calcutta Improvement Trust]]
|client=
|engineer=
|construction_start_date=
|completion_date=
|demolished_date=
|cost=
|structural_system=
|architectural_style= [[Italianate architecture|Italian]]
|size=
| website = http://www.jhargrampalace.com
}}
The '''Jhargram Raj Palace''', also known as '''Jhargram Rajbari''', is the current residence of the Malla Deb royal family. Situated in [[Jhargram district]], [[West Bengal]]. About 15 rooms on the ground floor have been converted into a Heritage Hotel managed by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.<ref>{{cite news |title=Royal retreats: Jhargram Palace/ Midnapore |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080705/jsp/personaltt/story_9503606.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920012322/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080705/jsp/personaltt/story_9503606.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 September 2008 |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=5 July 2008 |accessdate=16 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Shradhha |title=Durga Pujo beyond Kolkata: rajbaris to river cruises |url=https://www.cntraveller.in/story/durga-pujo-beyond-kolkata-rajbaris-to-river-cruises/ |access-date=4 April 2026 |work=Condé Nast Traveller |date=17 October 2023}}</ref>

==History==
Raja Man Singh, granted ''mansabdari'' of the entire region of Junglekhand to his victorious generals Sarveshwar Singh Chauhan and his elder brother, under suzerainty and subordination as a tributary vassal state to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He named his capital Jhargram which means 'a village surrounded by deep forests', hence the rulers of Jhargram assumed the title "Malla Deb".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.royalfamilyofindia.com/jhargram/ |title=Royal Families of India |access-date=26 November 2014 |archive-date=28 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928135503/http://www.royalfamilyofindia.com/jhargram/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="book">{{cite book |last1=Mondal |first1=Bikram |title=Broken Palace |date=7 September 2021 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=9781685544089 |pages=150-153 |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Broken_Palace/2ApyEAAAQBAJ?hl=en |access-date=4 April 2026}}</ref>

In 1799, the ruler of Jhargram, revolted against the [[East India Company]] along with rulers of Bishnupur and others and the revolt was termed as Chuar Mutiny. The ruler was forced to surrender and the status Jhargram kingdom made to a Zamindari estate under the British authority. The kingdom had eight sardars under the system and one Sub Zamindar of Beliaberah.<ref>[http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/j/jhargram.html Indian Princely States]</ref><ref name="book"/>

The royal family ruled their dominions and estates from Jhargram Palace. The kingdom had its golden era during the reign of Raja [[Narasingha Malla Deb]], under the guidance of his mentor and Dewan Rai Bahadur Debendra Mohan Bhattacharya, he developed Jhargram town into a modern planned township and commissioned the new Palace in 1931 which is one of the finest example of [[Indo Saracenic]] architecture in Eastern India and spread over 30 acres.<ref>{{cite news|title=JhargramEstate|url=https://cbkwgl.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/jhargram-estate/|publisher=WordPress.com|date=19 May 2014|accessdate=1 December 2014|archive-date=23 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223075649/https://cbkwgl.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/jhargram-estate/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=January 2025}}

==Architecture==
The Main Building is impressive. The Jhargram Raj Palace is an opulent [[Italianate]] structure, set in carefully laid lawns and gardens. The Palace was restructured in 1931 CE, by the [[Calcutta Improvement Trust]] during the reign of Raja [[Narasingha Malla Deb]] Bahadur. In the Palace campus, so evocative of a regal lifestyle, the past comes alive.<ref>{{cite news |title=Top Heritage Hotel in India |url=http://coveringindia.com/top-heritage-hotel-in-india/ |publisher=Covering India |date=27 January 2015 |accessdate=16 September 2015 |archive-date=28 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928152830/http://coveringindia.com/top-heritage-hotel-in-india/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Palatial Guest House is a part of the Jhargram Raj Palace it has been a host to several dignitaries right from its inception some of the dignitaries who have officially stayed in this building as per the records are:
*[[Lord Willingdon]], the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Viceroy]] of India
*[[John Herbert (Conservative politician)|Sir John Arthur Herbert]], the [[Governor]] of [[Bengal]]
*[[Richard Casey, Baron Casey|Lord Richard Casey]], the Governor of Bengal;
*[[Chakravarti Rajagopalachari]]
*[[Prafulla Chandra Ghosh]]
*[[Bidhan Chandra Ray]]
*[[Lal Bahadur Shastri]]
*[[Morarji Desai]]
*[[General Cariappa]]
*[[Uttam Kumar]]
*[[Saiyid Nurul Hasan]]
*[[Pranab Mukherjee]]
*[[Mamata Banerjee]]<ref>[http://www.jhargrampalace.com/about.php/Honored guests of the Royal family]</ref>

==Heritage tourism==
The proprietors of Jhargram Palace have converted a part of the palace into a heritage hotel.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Saurya |first1=Sengupta |title=Bengal's 'rajbaris' are slowly becoming boutique hotels |url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/in-the-palaces-of-memory/article24209001.ece |access-date=4 April 2026 |work=The Hindu |date=21 June 2018}}</ref> It is maintained by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, called the Jhargram Rajbari Tourism Project.<ref>{{cite news |title=Royal retreats, the heritage palace hotels of West Bengal |url=https://www.getbengal.com/home/story_detail/royal-retreats-the-heritage-palace-hotels-of-west-bengal |access-date=4 April 2026 |work=Get Bengal |date=29 December 2022}}</ref> Other tourism infrastructures in and around the palace which is boosting tourism in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite news |title=How heritage projects in locations like Jhargram Palace are boosting tourism in West Bengal |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/services/travel/how-heritage-projects-in-locations-like-jhargram-palace-are-boosting-tourism-in-west-bengal/articleshow/51221753.cms |publisher=Economic Times |date=2 March 2016 |accessdate=4 May 2017 |archive-date=26 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126002326/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/services/travel/how-heritage-projects-in-locations-like-jhargram-palace-are-boosting-tourism-in-west-bengal/articleshow/51221753.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Jhargram Raj]]
* [[Narasingha Malla Deb]]

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage}}

{{coord missing|West Bengal}}

[[Category:Palaces in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Heritage hotels in India]]
[[Category:Hotels in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Jhargram district]]
[[Category:Royal residences in India]]
[[Category:Italianate architecture in India]]

Jhargram Raj Palace - Revision history

Maleeha at 16:49, 4 April 2026