The palace of the Bhawal Raj at Joydebpur — seat of one of Bengal's largest estates, and of the famous "sannyasi raja" mystery.
The Bhawal Rajbari at Joydebpur was the seat of the Bhawal estate, one of the largest zamindaris in Bengal, covering more than 2,000 villages. The town of Gazipur grew up around it.
It is best known for the Bhawal case. The second prince, Ramendra Narayan Roy, was declared dead in 1909; in 1921 a sannyasi arrived at Joydebpur claiming to be him. The court battle over his identity lasted some 16 years and reached the Privy Council, which accepted his claim. The story inspired the films Sannyasi Raja and Ek Je Chhilo Raja.
The palace is now used as government offices, so it is seen mostly from the grounds. The Bhawal temple and cremation ghat lie to its south.
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