Dubbed as the Taj Mahal of Nepal, it was built by Cdg. Gen Kadga Shamser Rana, then Governor of Palpa in 1983 B.S. in the loving memory of his departed wife, Tej Kumari.In 1887 General Khadga Samsher Rana was forced to drop his royal titles and was sent to Palpa-Gauda as the Western Commander in Chief of Nepal. At Palpa-Gauda in 1892 Khadga Shumsher's beloved youngest wife Tej Kumari Devi died and within a year Khadga built a palace and named after his wife as Rani Mahal (Literary translates as Queens Palace). He also named the nearby forest as Rani Ban (Rani forest) along with naming the Ghats as Rani Ghat. In 1902, Khadga Samsher Rana along with his family fled from Nepal to India abandoning Rani Mahal which resulted in negligence of Rani mahal and eventually this palace structure started crumbling.
As the Khadga Shumsher abandon the palace and fled to India, Rani Mahal was left behind without any proper owner or caretaker. The palace got out of concerned by both the government of Nepal as well as locals. Rani Mahal was largely turned into rubbles but by the end of 20th century. Very less visitors used to visit the palace those who have some peak concerns or interest on history of Nepal.
The Department of Archeology took it over and gave a facelift in 1998, however, since then, the Tej Mahal has neither been restored completely to its former beauty nor widely promoted. This Taj Mahal of Nepal is unheard of many people outside as well as inside the country and the beautiful and majestic tribute of love has suffered the negligence of the ever-changing ‘in conflict’ government.
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