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| Making tracks
Murshidabad is 211 km from Kolkata. You can
get to Murshidabad by train (5-6 hours), bus or car. If you are coming here from cities in
Orissa, Behrampur (12 km from Murshidabad) is a convenient railhead. Taxis, buses,
auto-rickshaws and tourist cars are available from Behrampur, but within Murshidabad, only
cycle-rickshaws ply. There is a ferry service to take you across the river.
Best time to go
The best time to visit Murshidabad is in
winter, between October and April, when the weather is pleasant enough for you to spend
the day sight seeing. Carry cotton clothes for the day and a light woollen in case it is
cool at night. Mosquito repellent and sunscreen are always handy.
Room with a view
Murshidabad is a town with middle to low
budget accommodation options. There are a number of hotels, guesthouses and tourist lodges
both in Murshidabad and Behrampur.
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| From Kolkata Murshidabad, a town resonating
with history, a town of Nawabs and Dewans, a town on the edge of the battlegrounds of
Plassey where the history of India changed course. Murshidabad is a town so steeply
entrenched in history that you can almost hear the tinkle of bells on the feet of dancing
girls, the clink of wine glasses, the swish of houseboats sailing down the Bhagirathi, the
rumble of cannons and the thumping of feet running down the ramparts of the palace.
Murshidabad was named after Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, a Brahmin who worked up the ladder in
the Mughal army, till Emperor Aurangzeb made him the Nawab of Bengal in 1706. Nawabs came
and went; palaces and mausoleums marked their lives and deaths. But what endures is the
splendid Hazaar Dwari Palace and Khosh Baag on the banks of the river, the Imambara, the
Kaath Golar Bagaan estate, and the five-domed Katra Masjid, a mosque where 2000 people
could read the Quran together.
The Hazaar Dwari palace is now a museum with a collection of paintings, curios, china and
weapons, including the swords of Ali Wardi Khan and Siraj-ud-Daulah and the cannon fired
by Murshid Quli Khan. The skill of gifted craftsmen is still on display at the Khagra
Bazaar, but ivory carving has given way to sandalwood etching. Murshidabad is famous for
brass and bell metal ware, for traditional Bengali muslin and silk weaves, brocades and
Jamdanis. Azimganj and Khagraghat produce excellent Bengali sweets, especially 'khaja'
made with lemon, sesame seeds and sugar.
Murshidabad's enduring traditions are sure to capture your fancy and make you a prisoner
to it's charms. |
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