Hazarduari Palace
A palace of a thousand doors, of which around a hundred are false, built to confuse anyone escaping through it.
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Murshidabad was the capital of Bengal under the Nawabs before the East India Company took control after Plassey in 1757, and Hazarduari was built in 1837 in Italianate style by a British architect for Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah. Its name means a thousand doors, and the count is close: around nine hundred are real and roughly a hundred are false, built into the walls so that anyone fleeing or intruding would be caught trying one that opened onto nothing. The building is now a museum holding the Nawabs' arms, portraits, palanquins, a large collection of paintings, and a mirror said to be positioned so the Nawab could see the door behind him.
What you actually see
- The false doors - roughly a hundred doors that open onto nothing.
- The armoury - the Nawabs' weapons including Siraj-ud-Daulah's material.
- The durbar hall - the audience room with its chandelier.
- The Imambara - the large ceremonial building opposite the palace.
When to go
October to March; Bengal summers are severe. The museum closes on Fridays. Muharram brings ceremonies at the Imambara opposite.
Honest expectations
Photography inside is prohibited entirely and bags are deposited. Murshidabad is a long trip from Kolkata with limited accommodation. Several other monuments in the town are ruined and unlabelled.
Nearby
Katra Masjid and the Nawabs' tombs lie nearby; Kolkata is south.
What to pack for Hazarduari Palace
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
