Murshidabad

Capital of Bengal's last nawabs, where Hazarduari Palace, the Imambara and the Katra Masjid line the Bhagirathi River—tour the old dynasty's relics by horse cart or boat.

Murshidabad lies in northern West Bengal, India, on the east bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges, about 200 km from Kolkata. In 1704 Murshid Quli Khan, the Mughal governor of Bengal, moved his capital here, and in the 18th century it was the capital of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa; after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 it gradually came under British control, and today it is a quiet small town. Sightseeing falls roughly into three areas: first, the riverside Nizamat Fort complex, home to the Hazarduari Palace Museum, the Nizamat Imambara, the Medina Mosque and Wasif Manzil; second, the Katra Masjid, the Jahan Kosha Cannon, the Fouti Masjid and the Motijheel lake palace to the east and south; and third, to the north, Kathgola Garden Palace, the House of Jagat Seth, Nashipur Rajbari, and the sites linked to the Battle of Plassey—Jafarganj Cemetery and Namak Haram Deorhi (the "Traitor's Gate"). On the west bank are the Khushbagh cemetery, the Kiriteswari Temple and the terracotta temples of Baranagar. The best season is Oct–Mar; Apr–Jun is hot and humid, and the monsoon brings plenty of rain. Getting there: trains from Kolkata's Sealdah station to Murshidabad or Berhampore take about 4–5 hours. Locally, horse-drawn tangas or e-rickshaws are commonly hired by the half or full day to link the sights, and ferries cross the river to the west bank. Plan on 2 days. Note that Hazarduari Palace is closed on Fridays and photography is not allowed inside; local Murshidabad silk makes a good buy.

Top sights

• Hazarduari Palace – A 19th-century neoclassical palace on the bank of the Bhagirathi River, said to have a thousand doors (in fact one hundred real doors and n…
• Katra Masjid – A large mosque and caravanserai built in 1723 by Murshid Quli Khan, who was buried beneath its entrance steps.
• Nizamat Imambara – A white imambara about 207 metres long opposite the Hazarduari Palace, said to be the largest Shia commemoration hall in Bengal and in all…
• Madina Mosque – A small, colourful mosque between the Hazarduari and the Imambara; legend says Siraj laid its foundation with soil brought from Mecca.
• Bachhawali Tope – An ancient bronze cannon beside the Hazarduari. Legend says its firing was so loud it caused premature births nearby, hence its name, rough…
• Wasif Manzil – A 20th-century Nawab palace on the south side of the palace grounds, nicknamed the 'New Palace' for its appearance, with a garden and statu…
• Jahan Kosha Cannon – A giant bronze and iron alloy cannon cast in 1637, about 5.3 metres long and weighing around 7 tonnes; its name means 'destroyer of the wor…
• Fauti Masjid – A mosque said to have been attempted overnight by Nawab Sarfaraz Khan but left unfinished; its five domes are damaged, giving it the beauty…
• Motijheel – A horseshoe-shaped lake south of the city with the remains of a Nawab's palace gardens; now an ecological park with lake views, birdwatchin…
• Khushbagh – The Nawab family cemetery on the west bank of the Bhagirathi, where the last independent Nawab, Siraj ud-Daulah, lies buried.
• Kathgola Garden Palace – A 19th-century garden residence of the Jain merchant Duggar family, with a European-style palace, a Jain temple, statues and a pond.
• House of Jagat Seth – A museum in the 18th-century mansion of the Seth family, the 'Bankers of the World', displaying coins, costumes and the family's rise and f…
• Nashipur Rajbari – A 19th-century landlord's palace with a colonnaded façade, known for its use as a filming location for Bengali films, and with a Ram temple…
• Jafarganj Cemetery – The burial ground of Mir Jafar and his family; he betrayed Siraj ud-Daulah at Plassey and was later installed as Nawab by the British.
• Namak Haram Deorhi – The surviving gateway of Mir Jafar's mansion, where Siraj is said to have been killed; its name means 'Gate of the Betrayer'.
• Char Bangla Temples, Baranagar – A complex of 18th-century terracotta temples in Baranagar on the west bank of the Bhagirathi; four Bengali-style temples with curved roofs…
• Kiriteswari Temple – One of the 51 Shakti Peetha sacred sites of Hinduism, where legend says Sati's crown fell; it is among the oldest temples in Murshidabad.
• Cossimbazar Rajbari – Princely residences in Cossimbazar, an 18th- and 19th-century silk trading hub; both the large and small palaces can be visited, and part o…
• Plassey Battlefield Monument – A monument on the site of the 1757 Battle of Plassey, which began the British East India Company's control over Bengal.

Where to eat

• Hotel Hazarduari Family Restaurant – The most popular restaurant near the Hazarduari Palace, with Nawabi palace-style décor, mutton biryani and chicken tand…
• Moti Mahal Restaurant – A highly rated restaurant on Motijheel Park Road with a quiet setting, known for its tandoori chicken and grilled chick…
• Royal Beef Biryani – A local favourite biryani joint around Pilkhana, serving cheap and generous beef biryani; closed on Fridays.

Itineraries

• Bengal Terracotta Temples & Nawab Heritage – Depart from Kolkata to explore Bishnupur, Shantiniketan, Murshidabad, and Gaur.