Please select your language
The history of the rise and fall of the Nawab of Bengal can be found in Murshirabad on the banks of River Bhagirathi. Scattered all over the place, the ancient monuments and buildings will take you to the Nawabi time all over again. The Lalgola passenger train from Sealdah at 11:30 pm will drop you off at Murshidabad station at around 4 am. You can also consider Hazar Duari Express which leaves from Kolkata station. Upon reaching there, you have to take a Toto to go to the Hotel. It is better to keep your visit mainly for at least two to three days if you want to see all the famous places in the history of Murshidabad.
You can take a Toto or Tom Tom car which is pulled by a horse. However, the thrill of going to Nawabi Darbar by horse carriage is totally impeccable. You would be able to see Jahan Kosha Cannon from the huge Iron Gate parole. During the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Subaddar Islam Khan of Bengal built the massive Iron Gate in 1836 with the help of a blacksmith named Janardan. It weighs about eight tons and is five and a half meters long. It could take up to seventeen kgs of gunpowder to fire the cannon.
Our next destination was Katra Mosque. During the time Nawabs it used to be an educational institution. There were guards in the domes. Now it is under the Archaeological Survey of India. You can find a tunnel here, the beauty of the interior can’t be expressed in words. Here is the tomb of Murshid Quli Khan which was built by Naban himself before his death and the tomb of her daughter Azimunnisa. Rumour has it that she was buried alive by the Emperor himself as she used to eat livers of human babies in order to get cure her ailments. Although there is no proof such incidents, many tourists still believe in this story and still flock to see the tomb of ‘Kalija Khakira’. Above it are two broken walls of a mosque. It is said that in a terrible earthquake the mosque was completely destroyed and only two walls remained, which bear witness to that day.
From here you have to go to Kathgola Palace. You have to buy a ticket to enter this big place of 155 bigha. It was built by Lakshi Path Singh Dugar, he built this palace here on the banks of the river Bhagirathi to look after his business, which has now turned into a museum. From British-era items to Nawabi-era couches, cooking utensils and more, it will take about an hour to see. One of the main attractions of this palace is the dance arena, Jain temple and an ancient tunnel in the open courtyard. The tunnel is now submerged in water. The other end of this tunnel merges with Jagat Seth’s house, although there remains no room for verification. but, standing on the other side of the iron cage, will submerge you into your fantasies and imaginations of the Great Nabwabi days.
The next place of visit was the house of rich businessman Jagat Seth, Jagat Seth is not the name of a person. It is a title given by the Nawabs, during the time of the Nawab’s, they used to play the role of a bank. They built a mint at home. Jagat Seth played a major role in shaping the conspiracy of Robert Clive, Amir Chand and Mir Jafar to defeat Siraj in the battle of Plassey in 1757.
Then there is Nashipur Rajbari which was built by Devi Singh. Devi Singh was very infamous for his tyranny. The house was built in the style of Hazarduari. Devi Singh used to live here, held judicial meetings, used to torture people if they could not pay the rent and even executed them by charging them with false allegations. Now there is a Krishna temple and some ancient paintings.
There is also Jafarganj cemetery where Mir Jafar, along with his entire family was buried. There are a total number of 1100 tombs here in which different members of the Nawab family are buried. You would lose track of time while seeing all these ancient history. You have got to visit Hazarduari in the afternoon or else your trip to Murshidabad would be futile. There is a clock tower. There was a time when the fishermen of Bhagirathi River used to it to keep track of time. There is also baby cannon. Rumour has it that the sound of this cannon firing was so loud and impactful that it caused mothers used to give birth to children.
The Hazarduari built by Siraj has been submerged in the waters of Bhagirathi. The present Hazarduari was built by Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah. It was built in the 19th century under the leadership of British architect Duncan McLyod. It is now a museum.
In the late afternoon, one must go to Khoshbagh on the other side of Bhagirathi, where the last independent Nawab of Bengal, Sirajuddollah is buried along with his beloved wife Begum Lutfunnesa in a tomb next to his. The guide would tell you many tales of betrayal of the Nawab, your eyes will unknowingly get wet after hearing the story of the heroism of the Nawab.
Lalgola passenger train from Sealdah station and Hazar Duari Express from Kolkata station to Murshidabad. Besides, there is a bus service from Dharmatala.
There are various budget hotels for staying. You can book in advance or you can book a hotel on the go.