Hazarduari Palace - A countdown of 1000 doors

Try counting it!

Yes, you heard me right. It is said Hazarduari Palace of Murshidabad has 1000 doors. The name of the palace couldn’t have been any better as the very name of it, hazar meaning ‘1000’ and duari meaning ‘doors’ suggests so.

Situated in the district of Murshidabad, a couple of hours’ car ride from Kolkata, India, Hazarduari is a perfect weekend getaway to indulge in the rich historic past of the land.

For a very long time, India including now the City of Joy, Kolkata has been the land of rajas (kings), maharaja (emperors), and nawabs (ruling price). Now that they are no more, they have left behind a strong reminiscence of their glorious days through palaces, architectural contributions, and many more. And Hazarduari tops the list and is regarded as the biggest site museum of the Archaeological Survey of India.

The colossal pillars, the façade of the building, and the lofty dome adorned with stucco ornamentation have a hint of Indo-European style. Influenced by European architecture, Nawab Nazim Humayun Jha commissioned the building of this palace in the 19th century by architect Duncan Macleod. Standing in front of the palace, you cannot help yourself but start counting the doors, 1, 2, 3, 4….

Today the palace has been converted into a museum. It houses many exceptional memorabilia from the days of the Nawab that shall definitely evoke your curiosity. As you stroll around the museum from one room to another (mind you there are 114 rooms!) your every step will be greeted with priceless antiques, ornate chandeliers, impressive oil paintings, and of course the doors!

As amusing as it may sound 100 doors out of 1000 are false. They were simply constructed to confuse any wrongdoers who would have entered the palace under false pretense and tried to escape.

Even with 900 doors if you try counting them on your visit be rest assured you will get lost. And you should for Hazarduari apart from the impressive door counts gives you an exclusive opportunity to glimpse into the rich lineage of the country when the royals still ruled with great pomp and show.