Hazarduari Palace
Hazarduari Palace, earlier known as the Bara Kothi, is located in the campus of Kila Nizamat in Murshidabad, West Bengal. It is situated near the bank of river Ganga. It was built in the nineteenth century by architect Duncan Macleod, under the reign of Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
The foundation stone of the palace was laid on 9 August 1829, and that very day the construction work was started. William Cavendish was the then Governor-General. Now, Hazarduari Palace is the most conspicuous building in Murshidabad. The construction was completed in December 1837. The palace is built in the Italian and Greek styles of architecture and has three storeys. The name of the palace that is Hazarduari means "a palace with a thousand doors". Hazar means "thousand" and Duari means "the one with doors"; thus, the total sums up to "the one with a thousand doors".
In 1985, the palace was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India for better preservation. The palace has now been transformed into a museum which houses collections from the Nawabs like priceless paintings, furniture, antiques and so on. The famous one is the mirror and the chandelier. The Durbar Hall of the palace which houses the furniture used by the Nawab has a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. It is the second largest chandelier in the world, after one in Buckingham Palace. It was given to the Nawab by Queen Victoria. Ranging from Siraj-ud-Daula's prized swords to the vintage cars owned by the Nawabs, this destination has amassed the life and times of Mir Jafar's dynasty. A visit to palaces takes us to the glorious past of the place the royal lifestyle led by the rulers of those times.
Posted on: 7/11/2020
