Rang Mahal Dalhousie , Dalhousie

Rang Mahal was founded by Raja Umed Singh who ruled from 1748 to 1764. It is one of the largest monuments and is located in Surara Mohalla, Himachal Pradesh, which is in Dalhousie. The architecture has a unique amalgamation of Mughal and British styles. During those times the western part of the monument was used as a royal granary and treasury. Although Raja Umed Singh laid Rang Mahal’s foundation stone, Raj Sri Singh built the southern portion of the monument much later. Until recently the walls of this 18th century monument were adorned by a lot of paintings of the Punjab Hill style. These paintings portrayed the life of Lord Krishna.

Changes have come in this historical place after the State Handicrafts Department decided to take control over it. It has moved some of the paintings to the National Museum located in Delhi. Besides that, some of the historical artefacts have been preserved in the Bhuri Singh Museum of Chamba. Still, one can find a lot of paintings on the walls of the building. Nowadays most of the rooms are being used for promotion of small-scale industries like manufacturing of chappals and handkerchiefs. To add to the pleasure of tourists, this monument has become a Himachal Emporium, which is an attractive shopping destination for exquisite hand-made goods.