History & Background
Built in the early 20th century by Maharaja Gopal Lal Roy, a wealthy jewel merchant turned zamindar reputedly of Punjabi Hindu Khatri descent, Tajhat Palace was designed with a grand marble staircase and Greco-Roman style columns intended to rival the finest colonial-era mansions of Bengal. Abandoned after the family left during Partition in 1947, the building fell into disrepair before being restored and reopened in 2005 as the Rangpur Divisional Museum, now displaying artifacts, coins, manuscripts, and sculpture from the region's history.