weekend@murshidabad : some snapshots

for people interested in indian history-murshidabad in west bengal is a good place to visit. this town has a number of old enigmatic palaces and monuments, some restored and others in the state of ruin, some narrating tales of royalty and some concealing the secrets of a time gone by.

we spent a weekend traveling to different sites and monuments in and around behrampore court, murshidabad and cossimbazar.

multiple palaces of nawabs, mosques, temples, dutch cemeteries of important residents, british cemeteries of soldiers who died in the battle of plassey, the tombs of the nawabs and their families all dot the landscape of these small charming towns.

some of the palaces are being restored by the erstwhile Bengali royal families. a small stroll in the gardens, rooms and stairways of the palace can completely transform you to a different era.

a few of the palaces could seem artificial and tacky - but the more beautiful monuments are those which have not been airbrushed.

The byaspur temple has interesting terra cotta work - similar to the temples of Bishnupur. the carvings in the temple represent Ramayana and the lives of goddess durga, lord krishna, lord hanuman among others.

the dutch cemetery is beautiful with its well manicured greens and monuments in faded whites. most of these sites are in a quiet corner of a street between other houses. you might mistake them to be a part of the city.

the cemetery for the british troops who died in the battle of plassey also has the tombs of first wife and young daughter of viceroy warren hastings.

probably an important monument during its time - the place is more or less deserted - except for local children who come there to play.

buried in the tombs are innumerable stories of a time gone by. the cemetery of the nawabs and their loved ones is located at a walk able distance from the famous Hazarduari palace. the cemetery is now shady, empty and has a chilling eerie feel to it....good for an evening stroll.

the Hazarduari palace grounds have a clock tower, a large imambara (which is closed for public) a mosque and the imposing palace. cameras are not allowed in the palace.

the grounds are a good place to unwind and relax after a tour of the sites in the town. the palace looks like an imposing roman monument - more like the town hall of a british raj city.

the katra mosque and temple structure is over 3,000 years old. you might not really need a guide to navigate through these monuments. but a small book on the city would be handy for you to know what lies where.

most of the sites are clean and well maintained. the palaces and cemeteries have their own guide - who navigate you through the ruins for a paltry sum.

would recommend a lazy walk through all the monuments on a quiet afternoon or evening (since summer heat can be quite cruel)

if you are looking for a laid back and interesting weekend trip - take a train from Kolkata. Summers might not be the best time to enjoy the views of the place (from personal experience), but the rest of the year should be find.

Book your hotel room in advance as the town doesn’t seem to have too many options.