Today, the walls of Raja Nahar Singh Palace at Ballabgarh vibrate again with the echo of drums and trumpets… With the eager feet of visitors… And the exclaims of delight at the sight of this beautifully maintained palace of the legendary Raja Nahar Singh.
The revolt of 1857 was an important milestone in the history of our country. Raja Nahar Singh, ruler of the small state of Ballabgarh, played a key role in India’s struggle for Independence.
The Palace : The earliest parts of Raja Nahar Singh’s palace were constructed by his ancestor Rao Balram, who came to power in 1739. This construction continued in parts till about 1850. Today, urban centres have come up around the palace. But, the beauty of the palace continues to charm the visitors.
The Retreat : Today the beautiful pavilions and courtyards of Raja Nahar Singh Palace glow once again with royal ambience carefully emphasised by six tastefully decorated guest rooms, restaurant, bar, lounge and public areas, beautified with antiques, relics of a bygone past, stone jallies and intricately carved arches, that take one back to the times of the Raja Nahar Singh.
The museum has six galleries, three each in two blocks. On display are stone sculptures, bronze castings, leaf etchings, miniature paintings, clay pottery and terracotta artifacts. An extension of this museum is the Multimedia Mahabharata and Gita Gallery set up by Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
An archaeological site museum, a first-of-its-kind in Haryana, has been set up here to enlighten people about the history of Thanesar, which was revealed by archaeological excavations carried out here by the Archaeological Survey of India. Many varied interesting things have been unearthed from the mound, such as stone and terracotta sculptures, coins, ornaments, ritualistic objects, etc. An exhibition at the museum displays these finding.
The core idea behind establishing Panipat Museum was to spread information and create awareness about archaeology, history, art and crafts of Haryana. Here one will have an opportunity to see antiquities, inscriptions, sculptures, arms and armours, pottery, old and valuable documents, jewellery, art and craft objects, which are on display in the museum. It also provides a rare chance to witness bravery of valiant and patriotic warriors who sacrificed their lives at Panipat battle through some write-ups, photographs and trans-slides.
These miniatures are from Baburnama and Akbarnama. These have been obtained from important places like National Museum of New Delhi, The British Library and Victoria and Albert Museum of London. Importantly, most of the traditional artifacts and other items are procured from various districts of Haryana.
It lies 40 kms. north of Yamunanagar town. It is approached by road via Bilaspur and is about 2 kms from the nearest village Kathgarh. It is located on the foothills of the Shivaliks. It is a picturesque location, abundant with natural beauty and tranquility. Three mounds of antiquities have recently been excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India.