Last abode of Malerkotla royals finally in govt custody

The Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Archives Museum has finally taken possession of the Mubarak Manzil Mahal here, the abode of Begum Munnawar Un-Nisa, the last heir of Nawab of Malerkotla, Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan. The Begum had died on October 27, 2023.

However, the public demand to convert the building into a monumnet may take some time. Some persons, claiming to be the heirs of the deceased Begum, have not taking their belongings kept at the mahal.

Executive magistrate Ritu Gupta said a team of officials from the office of the Director, Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Archives Museum, led by Gur Lal, had taken possession of the Mubarak Mahal. The entire process of taking possession of the property was videograped by the authorities on Thursday. Those claiming to be the heirs of the Begum were made to leave after a brief confrontation.

“Having received instructions from Deputy Commissioner Viraj S Tidke to get the possession of the mahal, we sought police protection and persuaded the occupants to vacate the premises,” said Ritu Gupta, maintaining that the belongings of Mehru Nisa, claiming to be the legal heir of the Begum, were kept in a part of the premises. The list of belongings was duly signed by all stakeholders before being kept in rooms till Mehru Nisa takes these away, said Gupta.

The administration had initiated a process for the transfer of the Begum’s wealth in the name of the state government over eight months ago as it claimed to have already paid compensation for the property to her during her lifetime.

Besides the mahal which is worth crores, the Begum had a fixed deposit of Rs 1.2 crore in a private bank and a portion of the property reportedly faces litigation over some dues.

The Mubarak Manzil Mahal remained the royal residence of the Nawabs of Malerkotla, reflecting both their power and refined artistic sensibilities.

Begum Munnawar Un-Nisa died without her wish of seeing the pristine glory of Mubarak Manzil Mahal restored, being fulfilled.

In 2021, the then Congress government had approved the acquisition and conservation of the palace giving a ray of hope to the residents that the palace would get a new lease of life, but the restoration work never took off.

Mehru Nisa, claiming to be a ‘grand-daughter’ of the Begum, had lodged her claim as an heir, a factor that delayed the acquisition of the property by the government.

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Ludhiana