Rani Kamlapati Palace

Rani Kamlapati Palace is the commemoration of the glorious past of Bhopal. The residence of Rani Kamlapati is a historical palace situated at the heart of the Kamla park. Queen Kamlapati was the wife of a Hindu Gond Tribe warlord - Nawal Shah. Bhopal was the territory of Gond tribes who owned the palace overlooking the Upper Lake and Lower Lake. Raja Bhoj built the palace over the massive wall of the dam separating the two lakes. Rani Kamlapati Palace is a secular architecture of the 18th century built of Lakhauri bricks, cusped arches over crumpled pillars. The merlons are shaped as water lotuses honouring the name of the Queen. According to the history of the palace, queen kamlapati committed suicide by jumping into the lake in 1723. Facing the west of the palace lies the remains of the Fatehgarh Fort built by Sardar Dost who took over the palace soon after the queen's demise. This monument is a maze of pillars and long stairs with lunging arches towards the garden and balconies facing the lakefront. The significant part of the living heritage is now the office for the archaeological survey of India who is its present custodians.