West Bengal

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You can spend a whole day sauntering across the huge collection of trophies and antiques in the Central Ballroom, Sabha Ghar, Sayan Kakhya, Malkhana, Pharash Khana, Clock Tower and other parts of the palace. However, staying a night in the rooms of this Murshidabad Rajbari with high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows and wooden beams would surely proffer a ‘new world’ experience.

The earliest recorded history of the Roy family dates back to about the year 1700, when Ajodhya Ram Roy of Pirojpur village near Bhagabangola came with his family to settle down in Cossimbazar. It being located near Murshidabad, the capital of Bengal Bihar and Odisha and the Seat of the Nawab, Cossimbazar was well protected and a port city providing excellent opportunities for business and livelihood. Ajodhya Ram Roy and his son Dinobandhu Roy were engaged in the business of silk exports and from this flourished the fortunes of the family. The annual performance of Durga Puja that was done at Pirojpur was continued at the Cossimbazar house.

Presently, the palace area comprises a temple complex, a clock tower, sprawling gardens, manicured lawns, huge ponds, a Durga Mancha, a tennis court, a heritage resort for guests and a museum in the main building with a very impressive collection of paintings, statues, antiques and period furniture.

Accommodation at Murshidabad Rajbari

There are 30 rooms spread across the heritage residential wing of the palace. Rooms have been categorized as State rooms, State Suites and Royal Suite rooms. This wing was completely renovated in the past couple of years with all modern facilities for the guests like Air Conditioning, attached bathrooms with hot water geysers, Televisions, WiFi and toiletries. Other amenities in this heritage resort include Multicuisine Restaurant, 24-hour front desk, Daily housekeeping and free self-parking.

Attractions around Murshidabad Rajbari

Apart from the heritage palace itself, there are numerous other attractions in Cossimbazar and surrounding Murshidabad. Built in 1837, the Hazarduari Palace is the most magnificent structure of Murshidabad. This palace, built typically in European styled architecture actually has 1000 doors of which only 900 are real. Presently, under the care and maintenance of the Archeological Survey of India, the palace has been converted into a grand museum featuring the historical past of Bengal. The Nizamat Imambara is the largest Imambara (congregation hall) in Bengal. It was built in 1847 by the Nawab Nazim Mansoor Ali Khan Feradun Jah on the banks of River Ganges. Surprisingly, this magnificent Imambara was built only in 7 months. The foundation of the beautiful Madina Mosque was built by Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula with a portion of the Holy soil of Mecca. The humongous Jahankosha Canon built in 1637 weighs about 7 tons and is 17 feet 6 inches in length and 3 feet in width. The cannon is made of a rust-free alloy.

The beautiful palace of Wasef Manzil was built by the last ruling Nawab of Murshidabad, “Nawab Wasif Ali Mirza”. The staircases and gorgeous marble statues of the palace are noteworthy. It has now been converted into a museum. Moti jheel is a scenic horse-shoe shaped lake located south of Lalbagh which was excavated by Nawazesh Mohammad. The area surrounding Motijheel was once the official residence of Warren Hastings when he became the Political President at the Durbar of the Nawab Nazim (1771 – 73 AD). It was also known as the ‘Company Bagh’ during the colonial era. The huge Katra Masjid, built in 1723 on 19.5 acres of land had four huge Minars built on the four corners of the quadrangle, of which, one in the north-west and the other in south-west are still surviving.

How to reach Murshidabad Rajbari

Murshidabad has a very well network of conveyance connectivity with Kolkata, many districts of West Bengal and direct connectivity with states like Mumbai, Chennai and Ahmedabad. Berahampur railway station is the nearest Junction railway station near Murshidabad. A 5 kilometre local trekker or auto ride will take you to the Rajbari. Overnight buses connect Bahrampur to Kolkata and other towns like Suri, Siliguri, Malda, Bolpur, Krishnagar and Durgapur. The N.S.C. Bose International Airport is the nearest airport at Kolkata from where the Rajbari is 210 kilometers by road.

Activities at Murshidabad Choto Rajbari

Sightseeing in the nearby town of Murshidabad and re-discovering other gems like 18th century terracotta temple of Baranagore built by Rani Bhabani of Natore or the famous 16th century Armenian Church at Saibad. You can also visit Sagardighi to witness the ruins of the Pala Dynasty of Bengal or drop at the twin towns of Azimganj and Jiaganj to comprehend the beauty of the Jain temples built between 11th and 18 Century. If you prefer to spend some moments to yourself then take a walk in our palace gardens, visit our museum or meditate in the temple.