Darbhanga House

The Darbhanga House is the palace constructed by the Darbhanga king in the city of Patna. The palace has been donated by the royal family to the Patna University. The university hosts the post graduate courses in the premises of the Darbhanga House.

The Darbhanga House was earlier the NavLakha Palace of the Darbhanga kings. It was built by the Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur who ruled from 1929 to 1947 when, after independence, the state was merged into the Union of India. The Darbhanga kings were known to promote education in the region. Schools were constructed by the various kings of the Darbhanga family. Apart from this, the Darbhanga kings made several contributions to the different universities like Patna University , Calcutta University, Benaras University and Allahabad University. An evidence of their generous contributions is the Darbhanga House in Patna.

Like the Darbhanga House, there are many other palaces of the Darbhanga royal family that have been donated to the promotion of education to various institutes. Some of these palaces are:

• Nargona Palace- this palace is now a part of the L.N.Mithila University.
• Lakshmi Vilas Palace- this is the seat of education for the Kameshwar Singh Sanskrit University.
• Bela Palace- The Postal Training College holds classes in this palace

A chief feature of the Darbhanga House is the temple built in the premises of the palace. The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Kali. The Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur himself was a dedicated devotee of the Goddess. Prayers were offered in the temple by the king himself. The temple still stands in the Darbhanga House and is visited by the students of Patna University.

The Darbhanga House is a seat of learning and also an evidence of the rich cultural and educational heritage of Patna.