Murshidabad and Nadia

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

Map of Murshidabad and Nadia

Murshidabad

24.188.251 Baharampur — headquarters of Murshidabad district, fortified British cantonment with Dutch, French, Mughal and Portuguese architecture and reminiscences
24.456188.10722 Jangipur, Dhuliyan and Farakka — three towns in northern Murshidabad district
24.2388.273 Jiaganj Azimganj —
24.1888.274 Murshidabad — former capital of Bengal under the Nawabs

Nadia

23.488.55 Krishnanagar — headquarters of Nadia district

22.97588.4344446 Kalyani — a planned township
23.40882288.3657367 Nabadwip and Mayapur — two temple cities and heritage towns, home to the Hare Krishnas
23.7897788.258288 Palashi (Plassey) — famous for the historical Battle of Plassey between Nawab Siraj-ud Daula and British East India Company

23.1888.589 Ranaghat

23.2588.4310 Santipur —

Other destinations

23.58188.4051 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.

Eat and drink

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.

This region travel guide to Murshidabad and Nadia is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!