Pushbanta Palace

Pushpabanta Palace
Map
Alternative namesKunjaban Palace
EtymologyLiteral meaning, Flowerful Palace
General information
TypeHistorical
Architectural styleRoyal
ClassificationCultural Museum
Town or cityAgartala
CountryIndia
Opened1917; 107 years ago (1917)
OwnerGovernment of Tripura
Grounds1.76 hectares
Design and construction
DeveloperBirendra Kishore Manikya Debbarman Bahadur
Known forRaj Bhavan till 2018, and a proposed museum


The Pushpabanta Palace also known as Kunjaban Palace is one of former royal palace of Tripura, it was built by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya in 1917. It was the Raj Bhavan of Tripura till 2018, which later shifted.[1] The palace is being developed as a national-level cultural museum.[2]

History

Pushpabanta Palace, the former Raj Bhavan of Tripura. It was built by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya Debbarman Bahadur (1909-1923). He selected a spot on a green hillock known as Kunjaban, which stands at a distance of 1 km north of Ujjayanta palace. The palace was constructed in 1917. It was named as Pushpabanta Palace and it covers a total area of 1.76 hectares.[3][4]

It also doubled up as a guest house for the Manikya kings. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who had close ties with the royal family, visited Tripura seven times. During his last visit to the state in 1926, Tagore stayed at the Pushpabanta Palace. Tagore's 80th birthday was celebrated in this by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya during a programme in May 1941.[5]

After the princely state merged with the Indian union in 1949, the 4.31-acre palace was converted into the chief commissioner's bungalow and then the Raj Bhavan till 2018. The Raj Bhavan was finally shifted to a new building in 2018. The southern side of the park has been made open to the public and has been named as Rabindra Kanan.[5][4]

The New Museum

Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, laid the foundation-stone of the digital museum at the former royal palace, the Pushpabanta Palace, on October 14, 2022. The Tripura government has sanctioned the budget for this ongoing project to boost tourism in the state.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tripura, Meghalaya governors sworn in". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Tripura's Pushpabanta Palace to be turned into museum celebrating royal history, Tagore links". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Tripura's Pushpabanta Palace To Be Turned Into A National Level Museum And Cultural Centre". August 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Tripura Palace To Become Museum Celebrating Rabindranath Tagore Links". NDTV.com. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b NEWS, NE NOW (31 July 2022). "Tripura: Pushpabanta Palace to be developed as museum". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  6. ^ Today, North East (24 September 2022). "President - Draupadi Murmu Likely To Lay Foundation Of Tripura's Digital Museum On October 14". Northeast Today. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

23°51′13″N 91°17′05″E / 23.853524°N 91.284766°E / 23.853524; 91.284766