Photo: Davidbstanley, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tajhat Palace
About Tajhat Palace
Tajhat Palace stands in Tajhat, on the south-eastern edge of Rangpur city. It was built in the early 20th century by the zamindar Maharaja Kumar Gopal Lal Roy, and its name is said to come from a jewelled crown, or taj.
The two-storey palace faces east across lawns and trees, with a frontage of about 76 metres. A broad staircase of white marble rises from the portico to the upper floor, and a ribbed dome crowns the roof. From 1984 to 1991 the building housed a bench of the High Court, and it has been a protected monument since 1995.
Since 2005 the palace has housed the Rangpur Museum, with terracotta from around the 10th and 11th centuries, Sanskrit and Arabic manuscripts and black stone sculpture, mainly of Vishnu. Photography is not allowed inside the museum. Evergreen Bangladesh Tours visits Tajhat on private North Bengal tours; the Begum Rokeya Memorial Centre is nearby, and Rangpur Division has more of the region.
Things to do
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Climb the marble staircase
Walk up the grand white marble stairs from the portico, the most photographed feature of the palace.
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Visit the Rangpur Museum
See terracotta plaques, old manuscripts and stone sculpture from across the region in the palace galleries.
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Stroll in the grounds
The lawns and trees around the palace are a calm place to walk, and the facade photographs best from across the lawn.
Getting there
From Rangpur city centre: a short drive or auto-rickshaw ride of about 15 minutes.
From Dhaka: fly to Saidpur in about an hour, then drive about an hour to Rangpur. By road the journey takes around seven to eight hours.
Where to stay
Rangpur has the widest choice of hotels in the north, from business hotels to simple guesthouses, all within easy reach of the palace.
We suggest hotels that fit your budget when we send your tour price.
More to see in Rangpur
Tours that visit Tajhat Palace
None of our set tours stop here yet, but we can add it to a tailor-made trip.
Questions
Who built Tajhat Palace?
Maharaja Kumar Gopal Lal Roy, a zamindar of Rangpur, built it in the early 20th century.
What is inside Tajhat Palace?
The Rangpur Museum, with terracotta, Sanskrit and Arabic manuscripts and stone sculpture. The palace itself is known for its white marble staircase.
When is the Tajhat Palace museum open?
The museum is usually closed on Sundays and public holidays, and opens only in the afternoon on Mondays. Hours are shorter in winter, so check locally before you go.
How far is Tajhat Palace from Rangpur?
It is on the south-eastern edge of Rangpur city, a few kilometres from the centre and about 15 minutes by road.