RANI MAHAL
Jhansi ,city lies in Uttar Pradesh region where many battles have been witnessed, with some victories and some defeats. But still today this city is standing, even after so many struggles it would seen that no harm came to it and that to only because of a great woman, our Maharani Lakshmibai.
You could not imagine this city without Maharani Lakshmi Bai. She fought till her last breath to protect Jhansi. She had given her blood and sweat to the city and every Street building monument of Jhansi is a witness to this fact.
In this very struggle there was a place that supported her where she stayed when she was asked to leave the palace under the orders of the British government. Yes this place is called Rani Mahal (Queen's palace). So let's explore this palace.
Rani Mahal is situated in the heart of the old city of Jhansi .It was built by Raghunath -ll of the Newalkar family who was the Subedar at that time.
When Maharaja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi died in 1853 is adopted son was not recognized by the British under the doctrine of lapse policy due to which British captured Jhansi and Jhansi fort came under their control.
The English East India Company ordered the queen to leave the Fort and stay in the palace and because Rani lived in this palace it named as Rani Mahal.
This palace is a two-storey building with flat roofs and open courtyards it has six halls and parallel corridors with arches and some small rooms. The arches on the aisle has a peacock and floral pattern paintings which are so captivating that it complements the art of that time.
On the ground floor is stone sculptures from the early medieval period are sustained.
Ascend the staircase to reach the second floor where you will see the Darbar hall. The hall is painted with brilliant colors in floral and faunal designs of peacock, duck, bird, geometric shapes which makes it a point of attraction. The hall has painted wood paneled ceilings. It also has small galleries which are also painted in red color and carved with minute designs.
In this hall Rani Lakshmi Bai used to listen to The Sorrows and griefs of her citizens and solve them too. It is also said that in this hall Rani Lakshmi Bai along with her soldiers that they are Tope and other Revolutionary leaders land their strategies and their further attacks to which Rani Lakshmi Bai give and example of her bravery.
The palace have a quadrangle courtyard with a small well and the fountain. Some of the portion was damage during the 1857 war of Independence by the Britishers.
This site has been converted into a museum where there are some statues and sculptures from the Gupta period to the medieval period the site is huge and the Archaeological Survey of India has also taken some measures to conserve it. This place is still a tourist attractions about the architecture art artistic works of the 18th century.
