Lal kothi, now the seat of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council(DGHC) was once a place dedicated to Queen Bhawani Dewan Roy and originally known as ‘Gori wilas’. Maharajah Prasad Nath Roy had build it in the likeness of a western villa and was in fact the Maharaja’s own private ‘Taj Mahal’ dedicated to his beloved wife. During the British Raj itself, Giri. wilas became very popular among the British officers as the king and the queen hosted sumptuous parties. It is said that British officers would be seen hurrying towards Giri.wilas in caravans of rickshaws to attend one of such parties. Darjeeling also being the summer Capital of Bengal, even the Governor was said to have been a frequent visitor. However, the British fascination of the Palace and its surrounding eventually worked against the Maharaja as it was ultimately occupied by the British Government in 1942, who took possession of the same ‘out of reasons of the Maharaja’s inability to the maintain the palace’. In 19...
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