Nishat Mahal
| Nishat Mahal | |
|---|---|
نشاط محل | |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Indo-Saracenic and Victorian eclectic |
| Location | Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan |
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| Current tenants | Pakistan Army |
| Groundbreaking | 1905 |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Brick, stucco and marble |
| Floor count | 2 |
Nishat Mahal is an early twentieth century palace in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.[1][2] It was built between 1905 and 1911 for Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan V inside the walled Bahawalgarh Palace Complex.[2] The residence, together with the adjacent Darbar Mahal and Farrukh Palace, has been under a long-term lease to the Pakistan Army since 1966 and therefore stands within the restricted Bahawalpur Cantonment.[3]
History
[edit | edit source]Nawab Bahawal Khan V approved plans for a trio of companion palaces on 19 May 1904; Nishat Mahal was conceived as the principal domestic wing of this ensemble.[4] Foundation work began in 1905 and the palace was fully built by 1911, using revenues from the state treasury during a period of considerable prosperity for Bahawalpur.[2] After the state acceded to Pakistan in October 1947, the complex accommodated various provincial offices until financial pressures prompted the Abbasi heirs to lease it to the federal government.[3]
In 1966, control passed formally to the Pakistan Army's Thirty-Fifth Infantry Division, a transfer that closed Nishat Mahal to public access, although limited ceremonial visits are occasionally sanctioned.[3]
Architecture
[edit | edit source]Set on a raised square podium, the palace follows a central hall plan in which the principal chambers are octagonal and rise two storeys, while corner rooms remain single height, creating first-floor terraces recessed behind a continuous veranda.[4] The façades employ red brick relieved by white stucco bands and are organised into geometric panels pierced by multi-foiled arches whose spandrels carry fine stucco tracery.[4] Corinthian balustrades, fret-worked jali screens and balustered parapets evoke Victorian idioms, yet these European devices coexist with Sikh-period window compositions and Mughal chattris, producing a characteristically hybrid effect.[4] A British-inspired marble fountain fronts the triple-arched entrance, aligning with formal lawns that once linked Nishat Mahal to the complex's baradari and mosque.[4]
Interior surfaces retain vestiges of fresco painting and lacquered timber ceilings, although many panels were over-painted during army restorations in 2004 and 2007.[4]
References
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