Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the revamped, ultra-modern Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in Bhopal during his visit to Madhya Pradesh on November 15. Previously, the railway station was known as Habibhanj Railway Station and has been recently named after the Gond queen. Modi will also flag off two new MEMU trains between Ujjain-Indore and Indore-Ujjain. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has thanked PM Modi for his decision to rename the railway station.
CM Chouhan while speaking to the media hailed Rani Kamlapti as the pride of the Gond pride and as the last Hindu queen of Bhopal. He further added that Dost Mohammad, an Afghan commander, took control of her kingdom.
Located in Bhopal city, the newly renovated Rani Kamlapati Railway Station is a part of the West Central railway. CM Chouhan, in a statement, said, “It is a moment of pride, joy and enthusiasm that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji got the railway station renovated with world-class facilities and now its name has been changed from Habibganj to Rani Kamlapati Ji of the last Hindu queen Gond tribe. We all thank the Prime Minister from the heart.”
Who is Rani Kamalpati?
In the 18th century, Rani Kamlapati was a Gond queen who reigned in the Bhopal region and was one of the seven wives of Gond ruler Nizam Shah. Her father’s name was Raja Kirpal Singh Sarautia of the princely state of Salkanpur, Sehore. She was known for her bravery and beauty, while her intelligence and courage is something people of Madhya Pradesh still talk about.
Rani Kamlapati was an expert horse rider, wrestler and archer and was a skilled Senapati. She used to fight the battles with her father’s military and her female team to protect her kingdom from invaders.
Nizam Shah was married to Rani Kamalpati, the son of Suraj Singh Shah who reigned over the state of Ginnaurgarh. As a token of love for his wife, King Nizam Shah had built a seven-storeyed palace in Bhopal for her in 1700 AD and after the death of Rani Kamlapati in 1723, Bhopal was ruled by the Nawabs, led by Dost Mohammad Khan.
Currently, the palace is under the ASI as one of the protected monuments in Madhya Pradesh. The palace architecture was secular and was made with Lakhauri bricks. The merlons in the palace were modelled on the shape of water lotuses in honour of the queen.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in his blog about the brave queen, wrote, “Gond Rani Kamalapati is relevant even today, 300 years later, and we are grateful for being able to honour her for her sacrifice. Every part of Bhopal narrates her story. The echoes of her sacrifice can be heard in the waters of the lakes here,” the CM has written, referring to her “Jal Samadhi”. “I have had the privilege of installing a grand statue of Rani Kamlapati at her Jauhar site outside her palace. On the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, a replica of her statue will be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modiji,” Chouhan had written.
Also Read: Who is Birsa Munda, Tribal leader who led revolt against the British feudal rule
Who are the Gond tribes?
The Gond tribe is one the biggest tribal groups in India, which accounts for around 1.2 crores. The tribe belongs to the Gondi Manda subgroups of the Dravidian language family from the South Central branch.