Ranakdevi Palace, Junagadh, Gujarat.
Ranakadevi was a daughter of potter of Majevadi village near Junagadh, the Chudasama capital. she was born to the king of Kutch but she was abandoned in forest as the astrologer had predicted that whomever marry her will lose his kingdom and die young. The abandoned child was found a potter named Hadmat or Jam Rawal who raised her as his own daughter. Khengara (The King and His Husband) used to stay himself at the fort of Uparkot in Junagadh but kept his queen Ranakadevi in his palace in the hill fort of Girnar, a mountain near Junagadh.
Ranakdevi ka Mahal (Ranakdevi's Palace) which was converted into a mosque "Jammi-Masjid" by Mahmud Begada after he defeated the last Hindu ruler of Junagadh, Raja Mandlik III in 1473. It is better to call it the Palace of Rani Ranak devi as this structure and its 140 pillars are of her palace. It's courtyard has a roof with three octagonal openings.
Today, nothing much interesting of that palace is left except the folklores associated with the palace.
Picture Credit: Parth Vaghela
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