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Madhubani's Naulakha Mahal: Built with 9 Lakh Silver Coins, More Intricate Than Taj Mahal

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News18•20-09-2026, 13:55
Madhubani's Naulakha Mahal: Built with 9 Lakh Silver Coins, More Intricate Than Taj Mahal
- •Madhubani's Naulakha Mahal was constructed with 9 lakh silver coins, giving it its name.
- •The palace is renowned for its intricate carvings, said to surpass the Taj Mahal, with its marble shine still intact.
- •British architect M.E. Corney pioneered the large-scale use of cement in India for its construction.
- •Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Darbhanga princely state built this historical palace between 1884 and 1929.
- •Located about 15 km from Madhubani district headquarters on the Kamala River, the grand palace currently suffers from a lack of maintenance.
Key Questions Answered
The Naulakha Mahal was built by Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of the Darbhanga princely state, with its construction period spanning from 1884 to 1929 according to historian JP Singh.
The palace is named 'Naulakha Mahal' because approximately 100 years ago, it was constructed using 9 lakh silver coins, amounting to 9 lakh rupees spent on its creation.
Unlike traditional historical buildings made of sandstone, granite, or bricks, the Naulakha Mahal is notable for its extensive use of cement, deployed on a large scale for the first time in the country by British architect M.E. Corney.





