Malerkotla’s Mubarak Manzil Mahal set to be govt asset soon

The state government is yet to take possession of the immovable and movable assets presently standing in the name of Begum Munnawar Un-Nisa, who died at the age of 103 years on October 27, 2023, without leaving any legal successor.

The last abode of Begum, Royal Palace, also known as Mubarak Manzil Mahal, is in a shambles as successive governments had failed to keep promises made to followers of late Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan to preserve and develop the premises as a monument.

Residents have been urging successive governments to adopt the complex as an architectural monument of ancient times and develop it for tourism under the aegis of the Department of Culture and Heritage.

The administration is learnt to have initiated a process for the transfer of Begum’s wealth in the name of the state government. Besides the palace worth crores, Begum had a fixed deposit of Rs 1.2 crore in the local branch of a private commercial bank. A portion of the property (Diwankhana of Sheesh Mahal) reportedly face a litigation over some dues.

The Director, Cultural Affairs Archaeology and Archives Museum, Chandigarh, executive engineer of the Public Works Department, Malerkotla, and executive engineer of the Municipal Council, Malerkotla, have been invited to attend a meeting regarding the procedure for transferring the property in the name of the Punjab Government. The meeting is scheduled to be held on November 5.

“You are requested to be personally present at the meeting scheduled to held on November 5 for transferring rights and possession of immoveable and moveable property of Begum in the name of the Punjab Government as there is no legal heir of her wealth,” reads the communiqué sent by the office of the Deputy Commissioner to all concerned.

The palace remained the royal residence of the Nawabs of Malerkotla, reflecting both their power and refined artistic sensibilities. Arched entrances, ornate balconies and elegant cylindrical columns blend Mughal elegance with Punjabi aesthetic responsiveness.

Begum Munnawar Un-Nisa died without her wish being fulfilled to see the pristine glory of Mubarak Manzil Palace restored. In 2021, then Congress government had approved the acquisition and conservation of the palace, which gave a ray of hope that the palace would get a new lease of life, but the restoration work never took off.