Malla Mahal is located in Almora district of Uttarakhand state. Almora, the stronghold of Kumaoni culture, is a major tourist attraction. Mainly tourists come here to enjoy the beauty of nature but Malla Mahal located in the heart of Almora makes one curious to know the history of Almora. Malla Mahal is also known as Ashta Mahal. This palace is located near the main market of Almora, Kachari Bazaar. This Malla Mahal, which was once the center of the Kumaon state, came under the authority of different rulers many times and today is a historical heritage of Uttarakhand.
History of Malla Mahal Almora
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| Malla Mahal Almora | Malla Mahal or Asht Mahal Almora |
Almora city is known as the cultural city of Uttarakhand. This city tells the story of its culture. To present this culture, there are different historical buildings in Almora city and one of them is Malla Mahal which remains a center of attraction for the people.
The history of Almora city is very old. Although this city is considered to be of Mahabharata period, but in modern history it was under the authority of Katyuri kings till about 15th century. King Baichaldev of the Katyuri dynasty donated a large part of it to a Gujarati Brahmin Shri Chandra Tiwari. During that time Almora was known as Rajpur.
The Chand kings established their capital in this city in the 16th century and then the Chand king Rudra Chand established a palace in the heart of Almora called Malla Mahal. Rudra Chand and Akbar were contemporaries. King Rudra Chand declared Almora as his capital and started governance from here.
In 1744, Ali Mohammad Rohilla took possession of it but he could not stay for long in the hilly place and he handed over this palace back to Chand Raja. In return, he had also demanded a heavy price.
In 1790, the Gorkha rulers defeated the Chand kings and captured Almora. For about 25 years, this palace remained under the rule of Gorkha rule. This fort was also known as Nanda Devi Fort during the Gorkha reign. Later in 1815, during the British rule, the British defeated the Gorkha rulers and took possession of it and then they continued their administrative work from here. Right now the renovation work is going on in Malla Mahal.
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Architecture of Malla Mahal Almora
Malla Mahal was built entirely by the rulers of the Chand dynasty using wood and stones. It also seems that before the Malla Mahal there were buildings built by the Katyuri kings. The thickness of the walls of Malla Mahal, the size of the stones used in the construction of the palace and the nets made for protection also seem to be made at different times and it is believed that the history of this palace is older than the Chand dynasty in Almora.
Along with the Malla Mahal, Rani Mahal, Ashta Mahal and Ramshila can also be seen in the complex. A tunnel leads to Talla Mahal from under the Malla Mahal. It is said that naulas were made there for the queens where the queens used to go for bath. There are two ways to enter the palace and on the way to the palace by the stairs, some paintings are seen on the wall which displays the customs and culture of that time. These paintings are also a main attraction here.
Temple group in Malla Mahal Almora
A group of temples is also established in the premises of Malla Mahal. It is said that first of all the construction work of Devi temple and Bhairav Baba's temple was done here. There is a high platform here where a group of 3 temples is established. A shrine is situated in the middle of the temple. There are three gates of this temple, where the shape of Nanda Devi temple is seen.
At the entrance of the temple, Gajalakshmi getting anointed by elephants is also visible. The images of Nav Durga are displayed on the outer walls of the temple, in which Nanda Devi, Patal Devi, Tripura Devi, Kasar Devi, Syahi Devi, Bandi Devi, Jakhan Devi, Ulka Devi and Nile Devi are prominent.
Some changes were made in its design even during the British rule.
Naga Architecture in Malla Mahal
All the doors of the temple are made of wood, on which carving work has been done with great workmanship. The workmanship of the temple is influenced by Naga style architecture. The temples were built on a high plinth where the Ramshila temple stands. Lord Rama's paduka was kept in Ramshila temple, due to which it got its name Ramshila temple. There is also a temple of Mata Nanda Sunanda Devi here. It is said that the Chand kings worshiped Nanda Devi as their Kuldevi.
It is said that the Chand kings built a temple for Nanda Devi who is revered as their Kuldevi. Later the idol of Mata Nanda Devi was installed in the present Mata Nanda Devi temple.
Rajasthani workmanship has been done on the stones of this temple. In the temple, the stones of the Ramshila temple have been taken out and re-carved in the same way and put back in the same way as they would have been at the time of construction.
There is a very old peepal tree in the temple. It is believed that this tree is also more than 400 years old around the same time. A large number of devotees can be seen here on the day of Ramnavami in the temple where devotees come and offer prayers.
Dashai ka Chaja ( Vijayadashmi Festival in Malla Mahal)
During the rule of the Chand rulers, the tradition of celebrating Dashain ka Chhaja was started inside the Raj Mahal. This is the festival of Vijayadashami which is called Dashai ka Chhaja in Kumaoni. Since then, on the occasion of Dussehra in Kumaon, tourists come to participate in this festival.
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Malla Mahal Museum
Malla Mahal has also been used as the District Court and Court Office during the British rule but now these offices have been removed from here and the restoration work of the palace is going on. A museum is also to be set up in the palace so that the cultural and historical heritage here can be preserved. Presently Malla Mahal is under the supervision of Uttarakhand Tourism Department and it is being developed as a tourist attraction.
In the palace, there is a plan to store swords of the time of the Chand kings, many useful things of that time and some documents of the time of the British. Perhaps in the near future, a big museum will be established in Malla Mahal, where the history of Kumaon can be well known. In this museum, information about many other aspects of painting, Epadh and Kumaoni culture will be given and their samples can also be shown.
How to reach Almora
If you are traveling by flight, you can reach Delhi's domestic or international airport and travel about 380 kilometers to Almora by road. For this, you can decide this route from Delhi by state transport bus, private tourist bus or taxi.
The nearest airport to Almora is Pant Nagar Airport in Uttarakhand. From here Almora is at a distance of about 115 kms which can be covered by taxi or bus.
The nearest railway station to reach Almora by train is Kathgodam, from where the distance to Almora is approximately 80 kms.
Almora is well connected by road and you can drive yourself, take a taxi or even take a bike to reach Almora.
Other attractions near Malla Mahal Almora
Almora is the center of Kumaoni culture and tourists keep coming here throughout the year. Snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas can be seen in and around Almora. Apart from this, Zero Point, Jageshwar Dham, Kasar Devi Shakti Temple, Chitai Temple, famous Sunrise Point Bright and Corner and many such natural and religious attractions are located in Almora.
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