Sambalpur, July 9: The renovation of the historical Rani Bakhri (Queen's Palace) here has begun.

The three-storey palace was built by 5th king of Sambalpur, Baliyar Singh, during 1650. It is said that Baliyar Singh had built the palace as a mark of love for her daughter.

The Rajasthani miniature paintings, which had been painted on the wall of the palace, used to make it a tourist attraction. However, because of lack of maintenance, it is now in a shambles. Water seeping from the roof of the palace has already erased the paintings on the wall.

The state government has sanctioned Rs 1 crore to renovate the historical site. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage is executing the work. "The renovation began on Friday. The repair of the outer wall of the structure will be carried out first, and later, the palace interiors will be renovated. The cracks on the structure will also be repaired as well as an art gallery will come up inside the palace," said member of the trust's Sambalpur chapter Deepak Panda.

"The renovation will be carried out without affecting the original structure of the historical monument," said Panda. The government had already released Rs 50 lakh for the renovation in the first phase. "The rest will be released later," he said.

Local residents have welcomed the government's initiative with regard to the historical site. "It was essential to renovate the structure, which throws light on the rich history of Sambalpur," said local resident Irashis Mishra.

"The renovated Rani Bakhri will once again be an added attraction for the tourists. They will get an opportunity to know about the history of this old city," said another local resident, Bikash Sahu.