Easy Tourist Guide

The historic city of Murshidabad situated on the bank of river Bhagirathi is one of the most visited historical places of Bengal. This city of Nawabs and their splendor is a silent witness to some of those events which have changed the course of Indian history. A visit to Murshidabad takes one down the memory lane to the era of Mughal and British rule in India. This historic city holds the ruins of several mosques, monuments and palaces of the Mughal era which are the main attraction for the visitors.

Where is Murshidabad?

Murshidabad town is in the district of Murshidabad in West Bengal, and is situated on the southern bank of river Bhagirathi, a tributary of River Ganges.

About Murshidabad

Murshidabad, the last capital city of independent Bengal was named after Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, the Dewan of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa who founded the city and made it the capital of Bengal. Murshidabad has witnessed perhaps the biggest treachery and palace politics, which finally resulted in passing off of Bengal into the hands of the East India Company and ultimately to British. Murshidabad was the first capital of British India till 1772.
Murshidabad is also famous for its silk sarees which is hugely popular not only in India but around the world as well.

Sightseeing in and around Murshidabad

There are a number of monuments, mosques and palaces to visit in and Murshidabad which are the prime attraction of this historic town. Some of the major attraction of Murshidabad are :-
Hazarduari Palace – This palace with thousand doors is the chief tourist attraction of Murshidabad. The palace was constructed by Duncan McLeod of the Bengal Engineers for the Nawab in 1837. Built in European architectural style this three-storey palace has 114 rooms, 8 galleries covering a total area of 41acres. It is now a museum and has an exquisite collection of armoury, splendid paintings, exhaustive portraits of the Nawabs, various works of art including beautiful works of ivory. The other attractions are Vintage Cars and Fittan Cars used by the Nawabs and their families.

Katra Masjid - The huge and impressive Katra Mosque was built in 1724 by Nawab Murshid Quli Khan on the same lines as that of the Great Mosque at Mecca. The gorgeous building has huge domes and high minarets. The tomb of Murshid Quli Khan is also in this mosque.
Kath-Gola – This was the palace garden of Raja Dhanpat Singh Dugar and Lakshmipat Singh Dugar. The famous Adinath Temple belonging to Jainism is located here. The walls of this temple are intricately carved lending a unique a beauty to this Jain temple. The site is visited by hundreds of tourists every day.
Motijheel - Motijheel is a lake, located 3 km from Hazarduari. The lake stands in front of a beautiful three-storied palace, built by Nawab Naoajes Mohammad Khan. People believe, treasures of the Nawab are still buried in the lake. Hundreds of tourist flocks to see this wonderful lake every day.
Nasipur Palace – The palace was built by King Kirtichand Bahadur in late 19th century. Within the palace compound are the Ramachandra temple and the Lakshmi-Narayana temple. Closely situated is the Ashram of Mohandas and Jafraganj Deuri. The two cannons present here are said to be gifted to Mir Jafar by Clive.
Wasef Manzil – This palace built by Sir Wasef Ali Mirza, Nawab of Murshidabad, lies near the south gate of Hazarduari palace. The staircases made of marble and beautiful statues of this Palace are worth visiting.

Imambara – Parallel to the north face of the Hazarduari Palace, stands the Nizamat Imambara, built in 1847 AD. by Nawab Nazim Mansoor Ali Khan Feradun Jah, son of Humayun Jah. The Imambara is the largest in Bengal, and is perhaps the largest in India. Apart from being a place of worship for Muslims it is also a rime tourist attraction of Murshidabad.
Jafargang Cemetery - About half a mile from the Hazarduari Palace is Jafarganj the ruined palace of Mir Jafar. The Cemetery contains the tombs of the Nawab’s Nazim, from Mir Jafar to Humayun Jah. This cemetery was built by Mir Jafar, over an area of 3.51 acres.

How to reach Murshidabad?

By Air - The nearest airport is NSC Airport, Kolkata. Murshidabad is around 182 Km from Kolkata.
By Rail – Berhampore Court is the nearest station and is well connected Kolkata. Kolkata in also very well connected to the rest of India. It takes around 6 hours from Kolkata to reach Berhampore via rail route.
By Road – Berhampore and Kolkata are very well connected to the rest of India via roadways network. Buses ply frequently from Kolkata to Murshidabad and Behrampore.

Where to stay at Murshidabad?

A number of options for staying are available in Murshidabad, Berhampore and Lalbagh. These include luxury, budget and government owned hotels. Lodges, guest house are also available in here. Some of them are :-
Netaji Abas (Booking contact number – 0348-270033)
Hotel Manjusha (Booking contact number 0348-270321)
Hotel Indrajit (Booking contact number 0348-271858)
Hotel Anurag (Booking contact number 0348-270629)