Raja Narendralal Khan Women's College
(Autonomous)

Our Legacy

Raja Narendra Lal Khan Women's College [Autonomous] is a rural college situated in a backward Junglemahal area of Kankabati Gram Panchayat, Paschim Medinipur district. The administrative building of the college, called the Gope Palace was built during the time of Raja Narendra Lal Khan, the king of Narajole in 1895. Raja Narendra Lal Khan supported the Indian freedom movement and contributed immensely in many works related to supporting underground organization who were revolutionary groups fighting against the British Raj and also in many projects like setting up of indigenous industries and purification plants for providing drinking water to Midnapore town. According to some historians, he supported Khudiram Bose the famous revolutionary and also gave financial assistance to Hemchandra Kanungo for visiting Paris to learn the technique of bomb making. Later, due to the active role of his son Raja Debendra Lal Khan in the freedom movement and as a member of the Indian National Congress, this palace was visited by many stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi who stayed in this palace twice, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Smt Kamala Nehru and Smt Indira Gandhi. Paintings by Hemchandra Kanungo, the famous revolutionary is displayed in the palace along with many rare photographs and antic items. Eminent scholars like Acharya Prafullya Chandra Roy and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhya also visited this palace. The palace has been declared as a Heritage Building by the West Bengal Heritage Commission (Act IX of 2001) in the year 2006. Our college began its journey on 22nd August, 1957 as “Women’s College” but was named as Raja N. L. Khan Women’s College in the year, 1961. Thanks to the generosity of Mrs.Anjali Khan,wife of Sri Amarendra Lal Khan of Narajole Royal Family. Our college began its journey from the Historical Gope Palace with a handful of students, with unstinting support and encouragement of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal. The Palace bears the rich legacy of hosting almost all of the great political leaders, eminent thinkers and many well known freedom fighters of the country, in the days of the British Raj. Over the years, our College has developed into an outstanding institution of higher education.

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