Bir Singh Deo Palace, famously known as Datia Mahal or Satkhanda Mahal is a magnificent fort-palace situated in the Datia city of Madhya Pradesh. It is a big, beautiful, and strong palace built by Raja Bir Singh Deo to welcome the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
The Datia fort has a total of 7 floors and it represents the Mughal architecture along with the Rajput architecture. The most interesting thing about this palace is that no member of the royal family has ever lived in this palace. But, why?
History of Datia Palace/ Satkhanda Mahal
Datia Palace was built in the year 1620 and while it is true that this palace is a non-living thing since then, the fact is that its builder or any other King had never occupied this beautiful old palace, certainly has a sentimental ring to it. After knowing this the only question that comes to mind is- why was it built?
Datia Palace was exclusively built by King Bir Singh Deo to welcome the Mughal Emperor Jehangir. Historical records suggest that it was Jehangir who made Bir Singh Deo the ruler of Bundelkhand. Hence, they shared a good friendship throughout their lives.
Datia Palace was never inhabited by any ruler. Yes, strange but it is a palace where no one from the royal family ever lived. No ruler including Bir Singh Deo lived in the palace. In fact, Emperor Jehangir never came for a visit even though the whole purpose of constructing this palace was to mark his visit.
My Trip To Datia Mahal From Gwalior
A few days back I visited this beautiful old palace in Datia town from Gwalior city with my friend. Actually, we came to Datia town from Gwalior city to offer prayers at Pitambara Peeth Temple. The palace structure can easily be seen from the nearby highway and it looks like a mysterious or haunted place.
Datia Palace is considered to be one of the finest examples of Bundela Rajput & Mughal architecture in the country. The palace is known by several different names such as Satkhanda Palace, Purana Mahal (Old Palace), Govind Mandir, Datia Fort, and Bir Singh Dev Palace.
Datia Palace is built on a hillock and it is made out of stone and bricks without any usage of wood or iron. The palace has a total of 7 floors with 2 floors positioned in the basement. Datia Mahal has more than 400 rooms with many courtyards. It took around 9 years to complete the palace structure.
How To Reach Datia Palace-Fort
After reading the history and interesting facts about the Datia Palace, one can get curious to visit it. But the question is what is the best way to reach the Datia Palace? Here I am providing you with a complete travel guide on how to reach the Datia Palace.
Datia Fort Address: MFF3+GMQ, Datia, Madhya Pradesh 475661
The Datia Palace is well connected by road and rail means of transport. The palace is situated near the Gwalior-Jhansi Highway in Datia town. The nearest Railway Station is Datia Junction and the nearest Airport is Gwalior Airport.
Below is the important information about the travel distance and the time taken to reach the Bir Singh Deo Palace from some of the main nearby locations-
The distance between Datia Palace and Gwalior is around 70 KMs.
The approximate travel time from Gwalior to Datia Palace is 2 hours.
The distance between Jhansi and Datia Palace is around 30 KMs.
The approximate travel time from Jhansi to Datia Palace is 40 to 50 minutes.
The travel distance of Datia Palace from Orchha is around 50 KMs.
The approximate travel time from Orchha to Datia Palace is 1:30 hours.
The travel distance of Datia Palace from Sonagiri is around 15 KMs.
The approximate travel time from Sonagiri to Datia Palace is 25 minutes.
The travel distance of Datia Palace from Dabra is around 30 KMs.
The approximate travel time from Dabra to Datia Palace is 40 to 50 minutes.
The above is the all-important and necessary information on how to reach the Datia Palace from different nearby locations. If you have any queries, please ask us in the comment section below.
Also Read: 40 Best Palaces To Visit Near Gwalior