Hawa Mahal

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Lore & Background

According to people's belief, once Raja Pratap Chandra Barua, the then ruler of Gauripur, was hunting in the forest and saw a frog which was eating a snake. He was surprised to see this unnatural thing. Being a very strong devotee of Goddess Mahamaya, he believed that it was a message for him from Mahamaya. Afterward, he constructed a temple for Goddess Mahamaya and named the place Gauripur after the alias 'Gauri' of Mahamaya. In January 2023, the Government of Assam acquired the palace at ₹ 15.20 crore to preserve it as a heritage site and museum in memory of Pratima Barua Pandey. The Chief Minister of Assam announced that the restoration and preservation of the palace for conversion into a heritage site and museum would be administered by the state's Department of Cultural Affairs.

Reader's Guide

The driving distance from Dhubri to Gauripur is 9 km, and from Guwahati to Gauripur is 261 km. The nearest railway station is at Dhubri. Well-connected airports are at Guwahati (261 km) and Bagdogra (226 km). Notable residents of the palace include Pramathesh Chandra Barua, Indian actor and director of Devdas fame; Jamuna Barua, Indian actress; Pratima Barua Pandey, Indian folk singer and Padma Shri awardee; and Parbati Barua, Indian animal conservation activist and Padma Shri awardee.

Did You Know?

• Construction began in 1904 and was completed by 1914.
• The palace was acquired by the Government of Assam in January 2023 for ₹ 15.20 crore.
• It was the royal guest house and summer residence (Hawakhana) of the Gauripur royal family, also known as the 'Rangamati Baruas'.
• The palace is located on a small hill-top on the banks of the Gadadhar river.