The Palace of Janbazar (locally known as Janbazar Rajbari or Rani Rashmoni Bari) is a historic 19th-century palatial mansion located in the Janbazar neighbourhood of central Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It served as the ancestral seat of the Marh family (also known as the Janbazar Raj), a prominent Bengali dynasty of Zamindars and merchants who were key influencers during the Bengal Renaissance. The palace is most famously associated with Rani Rashmoni (1793–1861), the celebrated philanthropist, social reformer, and founder of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple.
History The construction of the residential estate was initiated by Babu Pritiram Das (Marh), a wealthy merchant trader who rose to become the Dewan of the Natore Raj. Pritiram acquired the initial land plot of 16 bighas in Janbazar around 1777 through a marriage dowry. He began building the structure in 1792. Following Pritiram's death, his son, Babu Rajchandra Das (an influential landlord and businessman), expanded the estate. Rajchandra completed the main palace complex in 1813 at an estimated expense of twenty-five lakh Mohurs. In 1804, an 11-year-old Rashmoni married Rajchandra Das. Following Rajchandra's sudden demise in 1836, Rani Rashmoni took over the management of the vast zamindari and commercial estate from this palace. During her tenure, the palace became a focal point for social reforms, charity work, and active resistance against British East India Company policies, such as the abolition of the unfair fishing tax. The spiritual mystic Ramakrishna Paramahamsa frequently visited the palace, where he performed religious rituals and famously worshipped the goddess Durga in the mansion's courtyard.
Architecture The massive estate blends traditional Bengali mansion formats with grand European Neoclassical elements common in British-era Calcutta. At its peak, the palace contained:
Over 300 rooms spread across seven distinct wings (mahals). Six open-air courtyards. A grand Thakurdalan (an elevated, pillared altar used for religious festivals) supported by Roman-style arches. A Natmandir (dancing hall), a Dewankhana (royal court), a treasury, a guest house, an armory, and stables. An internal private lake.
Current Status Following the death of Rani Rashmoni in 1861, the property was legally split among the descendants of her three surviving daughters: Padmamani, Kumari, and Jagadamba. Today, the mansion remains divided into three distinct municipal addresses across central Kolkata:
13 Rani Rashmoni Road – Occupied by the descendants of Jagadamba Debi and Mathurmohan Biswas. 18/3 Surendranath Banerjee Road – Occupied by the descendants of Kumari Debi. 20 Surendranath Banerjee Road – Occupied by the descendants of Padmamani Debi. While parts of the structure suffer from lack of maintenance, the descendants continue to host the famous, centuries-old traditional Durga Puja and Jagaddhatri Puja annually, which remain open to the public.
See also Rani Rashmoni Preetoram Marh Rajchandra Das Mathurmohan Biswas Janbazar Dakshineswar Kali Temple Annapurna Temple, Barrackpore Giribala Thakurbari, Agarpara
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