Nestled on the banks of the river Bhagirathi, Murshidabad is known as the city of Nawabs.

Being the erstwhile capital of Bengal, the state presents a blend of historical past and cultural background. Possessing a magical charm and simplicity of its own, one of the first things that would strike the visitors is its historical monuments. The city also appears to be a farming and silk-weaving centre famous for its palaces, mosques, gardens, silk products.

History of Murshidabad

Originally Murshidabad was known as Makhsudabad.The city being close to Plassey, a historic battleground was supposedly founded by the Mughal emperor Akbar. It was Nawab Murshid-quli-Khan, who shifted the capital of Bengal from Dacca and renamed the city as Murshidabad. The dynasty fell with the fall of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey in 1757. However Murshidabad continued to be the capital of Bengal during the subsequent Nawab rule.

Tourism in Murshidabad 

The main tourist attraction of Murshidabad is the Hazarduari palace. This palace has thousand doors and hence the name Hazarduari (`hazar'' being thousand, and `duar'' being door). Murishidabad is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi. It took 17 years for Nawab Nazim Humayun Khan to construct this palace. Travel to the museum that is a part of the palace would be a stunning experience for the visitors.

The palace consists of 400 oil paintings, marble statues, portraits of Nawabs, big collection of armoury, beautifully ornate pillars and large collection of books and manuscripts.

Murishidabad tour would be incomplete without visiting the Katra Mosque. This is an impressive monument with huge domes and high minarets and the tombstones of the Nawabs below the front stairway. One can get a bird’s eye view of the surroundings from this place.

Two canons established by the Nawabs are the most important facets of the tourism industry in Murishidabad. Jahan Kosha, a huge canon is kept around 1km from Katra mosque. Another beautiful mosque Kadam Sharif situated near Jahan Kosha is a beautiful mosque and it is said that the replica of footprint of Hazrat Muhammad is kept in this mosque.  

Other important landmarks are Nizamatkila, which is an Italian style palace of Nawab Mir Jafar, standing beside Bhagirathi river and The Jain Parasnath Temple which is situated at Kathgola.

Festivals in Murishidabad

Bera-bhasan is celebrated on the banks of the Ganga river during September, however  Muharram appears to be one of the most celebrated festivals in Murishidabad. Travel to Murishidabad during festive seasons would be an added advantage to the visitors.

Shopping in Murishidabad  

Tourists would love to visit Murshidabad for shopping. It is famous for brass, metal ware, muslin and silk weaves and various silk products. One of the best Bengali sweets ''khaja'' made with lemon, sesame seeds and sugar is produced by Azimganj and Khagraghat.

The Best time to visit the city is anytime between the months of October and April. Weather will be very pleasant during this time and the beauty of Murishidabad is at its best.