Forlorn and forgotten
A family visits the ruins of the Navlakha palace in Rajnagar, Bihar, reflecting on its architectural history and the 1934 earthquake that left it in disrepair. The narrative contrasts the palace's former grandeur with its current state of neglect.
Why it matters
The piece highlights the importance of heritage preservation and the cultural loss associated with neglected historical landmarks.
“ Is this palace complex 1500 acres? That’s almost 800 football fields!” Just as he said it, a ball rolled towards him. Some boys were playing football in the grounds of the Navlakha palace. Taran kicked it back to them.
Taran and his parents were at Rajnagar, near Madhubani in Bihar, to explore the ruins of the heritage palace. “That’s right. 1500 acres of palaces, ponds, fountains and temples. It was an administrative centre,” said Appa, as they approached the beautiful foyer with four arches resting on cement elephants. “It is said that this is one of the earliest modern cement structures. It was built by Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Darbhanga between 1884 and 1929.”
“It is so beautiful. But, if it was built only over 100 years ago, why is it in ruins?”
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