Murshidabad

Murshidabad has a rich array of beautiful and unique locally made handicrafts. Jute is used to make many products like carpets, bags, wall decorations and quality paper. Ivory and Woodcraft is also popular here, which has its origins during the reign of the Nawabs. Another renowned handicraft are the Sholapith items or items made from shola - which is a white coloured spongy wood and is lustrous with a beautiful texture. It is carved into many decorative items like peacocks, elephants, palanquins, garlands and also into exquisite jewellery. Sholapith items are especially on prominent display during the time of Durga Puja. Bell metal or Kansa is used to make utensils and is one of the other popular items here. It is also used to make good quality locks, iron chests and traditional betel cutters. There is also a Bengali tradition of gifting bell metal items to a bride during her wedding, which is considered to be auspicious. Murshidabad is also famous for its Baluchari silk saris, which are patterned with intricate designs of animals, court scenes etc. Floral motifs along the borders of the sari is a common pattern, and they are available in many gorgeous colours.

One of the major commercial hubs apart from Kolkata & Durgapur, Murshidabad is a reclusive city situated in the state of West Bengal. Once famous for its calico, Murshidabad is now rather a notorious city, owing to the notorious association of the same with the British rule, and the traitor of the Battle of Plassey named Mir Jafar. Founded by Murshid Quli Khan, the governor of Mughal ruler Mohammad Shah, this city also houses some of the most exquisite architecture, built mostly in the European way, including the Hazar Duari Palace. So if you're interested in a bit of history, do visit Murshidabad.  

Although Murshidabad is not particularly famous for any special cuisine, numerous hotels have decent eating places where you can enjoy a nice meal. However, be very careful about the water. Have only bottled water as the local municipal water is contaminated with arsenic. Murshidabad is also known for murgi biryani, Gobindo bhog chaal and Misti polao among a host of other Bengali and Muglai dishes.
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A day might actually suffice if you do not plan to cover Murshidabad in detail. After having sorted your accommodations, start off to explore Murshidabad's most famous place - The Hazar Duari Palace. The beautiful and huge palace will take up at least a few hours to cover. The Nizmat Imambara, Jafarganj Cemetery, Wasif Manzil and Madina Mosque, along with a few other places are all located in the same area. The best way to bask in its glory is to explore the entire region on foot, even if it involves covering a few kilometres. If you start off early and have just enough time, you may stop at a Bazaar in Behrampore and shop for some beautiful ivory handicrafts and silk sarees and then end the day by savouring the delicacies and varieties of mangoes Murshidabad has to offer.