Tajhat Palace
A white early-20th-century zamindar palace with a marble staircase, now home to the Rangpur Museum.
Tajhat Palace stands on the south-eastern outskirts of Rangpur city, its long white facade and central dome reflected in a pond in front. It was built in the early 20th century by Maharaja Kumar Gopal Lal Roy, whose family is said to have made its fortune in the jewellery trade. The grand central staircase of Italian marble is the building's most photographed feature.
After years of other uses, including a spell as a bench of the High Court in the 1980s, the palace was protected by the Department of Archaeology and the upper floor became the Rangpur Museum. Its galleries hold terracotta plaques, stone sculptures, coins and old Sanskrit and Arabic manuscripts. The lawns and mango groves around it are pleasant for a stroll.
How to go
Tajhat is about 3-4 km from the city centre (Jahaj Company Mor). A rickshaw or battery rickshaw takes 15 minutes (30-60 BDT).
Where to stay
Rangpur city has the Parjatan Motel and a range of hotels from 1,500 to 8,000 BDT.
