On #WorldHeritageDay I showcase the soul of #Dogra people & the epicentre of their modern history. The images will also reveal how if you want to squash a voice, you erase their history & self-esteem. This site has been a victim of loot, pillage & arson. #MubarakMandi #Jammu 
The #MubarakMandi Palace complex holds 300 yrs of Dogra history within itself. With over 20 palaces built over 200 years starting at 1710 it is unlike any other. From here the Dogra rulers reigned over their sprawling kingdom.
For over 200 years, they ruled over an area that stretched from the Pir Panjal mountain range in the north, the plains of Punjab to the South to Ladakh & Tibet in the east.
In Rajdarshani written by 19th century historian Ganeshdas Badenra, it was Raja Hari Dev’s grandson Raja Dhruv Dev (1707-1733) who moved his residence from the old palace in the Purani Mandi area of Jammu, to Mubarak Mandi a more spectacular location overlooking the Tawi river.
#Dogra Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu & Kashmir, 1856-1885, renovated & enlarged the Mubarak Mandi palace in 1874. He added administrative offices around the palace was enlarged substantially, dwarfing even the royal residences.
Maharaj Pratap Singh (1885-1925) too built several buildings here, the most prominent being the Rani Charak Palace in 1913, which he built for his favourite Queen, Rani Charaki.
#MubarakMandi had a covered area of more than 4 lakh sq ft, with buildings like the Darbar Hall, the Sheesh Mahal, the Pink Palace, Royal Courts buildings, Gol Ghar, Nawa Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Toshkhana and the Rani Charaki Palaces.
The workmanship brings out the best of Rajasthani, Mughal and European styles, a melting pot of influences where Gothic arches coexist with Mewari jharokhas.
One of the more modern addition to this Palace Complex was a lift/elevator on the behest of one of the Queens.
Today, only one part of the complex is open to the public – the Dogra Art Museum that has 800-odd rare paintings from different schools like Kangra, Basohli and Jammu.
This complex also saw many intrigues some which personally affected the last Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh, who moved out of this complex in 1925 & moved to Hari Niwas Palace.
The once stunning #MubarakMandi Palace complex has been in a state of decline. We live in the hope that we will see the results of a much needed, honest restoration work on this seat of not just #Dogra History but #IndianHistory
All pics from my camera along with some beautiful watermarked pics from @SouravArts and elevator pics from Parmil Kumar, Jammu University.
