The ‘Thiba Palace’ which was the residing place of Bramhadesha’s King Thiba, is a major place of attraction in Ratnagiri city. Since 1885, for almost 132 years, the roots of Ratnagiri have been connected with ‘Bramhadesh’ which is today’s Myanmar.
King Thiba ruled Bramhadesha for almost 7 years and he was the last ruler of that country. The British army overtook the ruling and captured King Thiba’s entire region. In 1885, the British Army transferred King Thiba along with his family from Myanmar to Madras (today`s Chennai) and from Madras to Ratnagiri to make sure that he could not rebel against them. After that, in 1910, a huge Bramhi styled three storied palace was built for King Thiba in an area of 27 acres, the cost of which at that time was 1 lakh 70 thousand rupees.
After 30 years of imprisonment, King Thiba who was kept away from his motherland and his beloved people died at an age of 58 in 1919. The story of this unfortunate King upsets our heart.
There is a marble floored dancing hall at a ground floor in the ‘Thiba Palace’, which has witnessed many historical events. The palace is decorated with wooden flooring and windows look beautiful with the coloured Italian glasses. From the top of the palace one can get the glimpse of the beautiful Arabian Sea.
The archaeological museum is situated in the interior of the palace. The ancient idols on the ground floor are beautiful, and for the art lovers, the art exhibition on the upper floor has always been an attraction. The Thiba Palace is open for visitors from morning till 5 o’clock in the evening except Monday.
Near the Thiba Point, there is the Jijamata Garden. From this place it`s easier to get the great view of the entire area. There is always a rush to see the sun set from here. On the background, the Bhatye creek, the Rajivada port, the Bhagawati fort looks very stunning when the orange sun sets on the horizon.
But still in such a beautiful environment, the misery of the unfortunate Thiba King remains in the mind.
