Rani Mahal, Jhansi

Rani Mahal is so called because it was the palace of the famous warrior queen of India, Rani Lakshmi Bai, popularly known as Jhansi Ki Rani. It was built by Raghu Nath-II of the Nawalkar Family. The palace was the epicentre of the patriotic forces led by the Rani and the Maratha chieftains Tantya Tope and Nana Sahib who fought against the ruling British armies during the first war of Indian Independence in 1857.

Rani Mahal is a two-storied building with flat roofs, built opposite a quadrangular courtyard. There is a well on one side of the courtyard and a fountain on its other side. The palace has six halls including the famous Darbar Hall. These halls are built along with corridors that run parallel to each other.

There are a few small rooms as well. The walls of the Darbar Hall are decorated with motifs of a varied flora and fauna painted in bright colours. A large part of the huge building was destroyed by the British artillery. The palace has now been converted into a historical museum.