Murshidabad and Nadia

Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir, Mayapur

Murshidabad (Bengali: মুর্শিদাবাদ Murśidābād) and Nadia (Bengali: নদিয়া Nadiẏā) are two eastern districts of West Bengal.

Murshidabad was the capital of Bengal during the Nawab rule, which has become one of the major tourist centres in West Bengal.

Nadia is known for the two Hindu pilgrimage sites Mayapur and Nabadwip, and also the royal palace in Krishnanagar. Once known as the "Oxford of Bengal", Nadia has made many contributions to Indian philosophy, such as the Navya-Nyaya system of logic and is the birthplace of the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Cities

Hazarduari Palace, Murshidabad

Murshidabad

• 1 Baharampur — headquarters of Murshidabad district, fortified British cantonment with Dutch, French, Mughal and Portuguese architecture and reminiscences
• 2 Jangipur, Dhuliyan and Farakka — three towns in northern Murshidabad district
• 3 Jiaganj Azimganj —
• 4 Murshidabad — former capital of Bengal under the Nawabs

Nadia

• 5 Krishnanagar — headquarters of Nadia district

• 6 Kalyani — a planned township
• 7 Nabadwip and Mayapur — two temple cities and heritage towns, home to the Hare Krishnas
• 8 Palashi (Plassey) — famous for the historical Battle of Plassey between Nawab Siraj-ud Daula and British East India Company

• 9 Ranaghat

• 10 Santipur —

Other destinations

• 1 Bethuadahari Wildlife Sanctuary — wildlife centre

Get in

By train

The railway stations on the western side of the Bhagirathi River (Azimganj, Nabadwip) have more train options than the ones on the eastern side, the latter have trains from Kolkata only, although the trains are frequent.

By car

NH 12 runs north–south in Murshidabad and Nadia and it is probably the best way to get into the region from Kolkata or North Bengal. The highway covers major cities like Ranaghat, Krishnanagar and Baharampur. SH 6, also known as STKK Road, is another way to get into the region via Nabadwip.

See and do

The major attractions in the region include the Hazar Duari Palace in Murshidabad, the historic site of Palashi and Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur. Besides these attractions, you can take a boat ride across the Bhagirathi River. There are numerous ferry terminals on both banks of the river, where you can rejoice in the beauty of the river.

Stay safe

The ground water is normally unsafe for drinking. So you are better off drinking from the municipal or panchayat (village administration) supply of surface water or bottled drinking water of reputed companies, here and there in Murshidabad or Nadia, even if those are cheaper by ₹2 per litre.