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Town in West Bengal, India
Photo: Subhrajyoti07, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mahishadal and Geonkhali are two settlements in the southwest region of West Bengal. They are 5 km apart from each other.
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Like other Raj families in the area, Mahishadal also belonged to a Mahishya family. They belonged to the royal Bhumihar family and it was founded by Bhuiyan Ray Mahapatra. The zamindari was held for over a century by this Bhumihar family till the Permanent Settlement. The Rajbari complex consists of two palaces – the old one was built in 1840 and the new one in 1935. The new palace is known as Phulbagh Palace. You can see the grand corridors, majestic staircase, stuffed animals, hunting weapons of the 16th and 17th centuries, paintings and furniture. There are also two Hindu temples within the complex, Gopaljiu Temple and Ramjiu Temple, both were built by Rani Janaki Devi. Gopaljiu Temple is a nine-pinnacled (navaratna) temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and was built in 1778.
AC & non AC Rooms, Roof-top cafeteria. Booking office: Haldia Development Authority, New Administrative Building, City Centre, Haldia.
By car
Mahishadal is two hours' drive from Kolkata and half an hour's drive from both Haldia and Tamluk. Refer to the respective articles for getting into the aforementioned cities.
By ferry
You can also take a ferry from Diamond Harbour or Gadiara, which is a scenic way to arrive at Geonkhali.
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Kolkata · International · CCU
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