Anandbagh as illustrated in The Graphic Dec 1888 issue

Anand Bagh Palace (also known as Lakshmivilas Palace) is a palace situated in town of

Darbhanga Darbhanga is the fifth-largest city and municipal corporation in the Indian state of Bihar situated centrally in Mithila region. Darbhanga is the headquarters of the Darbhanga district and the Darbhanga division. It was the seat of the erstw ...

in the Indian state of Bihar. Anand Bagh Palace was constructed during the reign of

Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Maharaja Sir Lakshmeshwar Singh, Maharaja of Darbhanga (25 September 1858 – 16 November 1898) was the Zamindar and principal landowner of Darbhanga in the Mithila region, presently in the State of Bihar, India. His philanthropic works, admi ...

in the 1880s and was severely damaged during the

1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

. It was rebuilt thereafter. Anand Bagh Palace was donated to the Government of Bihar by

Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

for starting a university for promotion of Sanskrit language. Currently, this palace is the head office of

Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University (KSDSU) is a state university located at Darbhanga, Bihar, India, dedicated to the teaching and promotion of Sanskrit. History KSDSU was established in 1961, with the scholar Umesh Mishra as its ...

. Anand Bagh Palace was well known for its beautiful gardens surrounding it that have now disappeared.

Roper Lethbridge Sir Roper Lethbridge (23 December 1840 – 15 February 1919) was a British academic and civil servant in India and a Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892. Early life and education Lethbridge was the s ...

mentions about the Lakshmivilas Palace: "The new Palace at Darbhanga, with its immense stables, its botanical and zoological gardens, and its many beautiful surroundings, is well known in England by the sketches that have appeared in the London illustrated papers."Golden Book of India - Author - Roper Lethbridge. The garden surrounding the palace had several rare species of plants such as Branched palm having over 8 branches, Rudraksha, Sandalwood,

Mahogany Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...

, and others. Many species of orchids were also planted around the palace. The garden was laid out on the extensive grounds of the palace by Charles Maries, who was recommended by Sir Joseph Hooker to Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh for the post of Superintendent of the gardens of the

Raj Darbhanga The Darbhanga Raj, also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Khandwala dynasty, was a Maithil Brahmins dynasty and the rulers of territories, not all contiguous, that were part of the Mithila region, now divided between India and Nepal. The rulers ...

References

Palaces in Bihar Darbhanga Rebuilt buildings and structures in India Tourist attractions in Darbhanga district {{India-palace-stub