Team News Riveting
Bhopal, November 14
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the redeveloped Habibganj railway station renamed after Rani Kamlapati on Monday.
The world-class railway station has hogged the headlines but what has found more space is the history of the brave and fearless Queen Kamalapati of the Gond kingdom and the last Hindu queen of Bhopal, whose kingdom was usurped by Afghan commander Dost Mohammed by deceit.
Rani Kamlapati, the Gond queen of the region in the 18th century, was the widow of Ginnorgarh’s chief, Gond ruler Nizam Shah. Rani Kamlapati (or Kamlavati) was one of Nizam Shah’s seven wives and daughter of Chaudhari Kirpa-Ramchandra. Queen was known for her beauty and abilities.
She built the seven-storey ‘Kamlapati Palace’, which presently serves as an ASI-protected monument and overlooks the Upper and Lower Lakes. Rani Kamlapati Palace is a secular architecture of the 18th century built of Lakhauri bricks, cusped arches over crumpled pillars. The merlons are shaped as water lotuses honouring the name of the Queen.
According to Gond legends, she avenged her husband’s death by killing Alam Shah, Nizam Shah’s nephew. Alam Shah had poisoned his uncle. Nizam Shah was poisoned to death by his nephew, the Raja of Chainpur-Bari, Alam Shah (also known as Chain Shah), who wanted to marry Kamlapati.
Dost Mohammad Khan was offered a hundred thousand rupees by Kamlapati to safeguard her dignity and kingdom, as well as to avenge her husband’s death. Khan accepted the offer, and Kamlapati tied rakhi on his wrist. Khan led an Afghan and Gond army to fight and assassinate Alam Shah. The territory of the deceased king was annexed by Kamlapati.
However, later Queen lacked a hundred thousand rupees, so she paid him half the amount and gave the rest to the village of Bhopal. Khan was also named the administrator of Kamlapati’s state, thereby making him the head of the little Gond kingdom. According to the history of the palace, Rani Kamlapati committed suicide by jumping into the lake in 1723.
The redeveloped Rani Kamlapati Railway station is the first world class railway station in Madhya Pradesh. Redeveloped in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, the station has been designed as a green building with modern world class amenities that also takes into account ease of mobility for divyangjans. The station is also developed as a hub for integrated multi-modal transport.
During the event, Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation multiple initiatives of the Railways in Madhya Pradesh including Gauge Converted and Electrified Ujjain-Fatehabad Chandrawatiganj Broad Gauge section, Third line in Bhopal-Barkhera section, Gauge Converted and Electrified Mathela-Nimar Kheri Broad Gauge section and Electrified Guna-Gwalior section. Prime Minister will also flag off two new MEMU trains between Ujjain-Indore and Indore-Ujjain.
The Pictures of renovated railway station with world-class look and facilities:
