Kathgola Palace & Gardens, Murshidabad

Kathgola Palace is a magnificent four-storeyed mansion set in sprawling gardens in Murshidabad, built by the fabulously wealthy Jain merchant-banker family of Rai Bahadur Lakshmipat Singh Dudhoria. The palace in its present form was raised in the early 20th century (completed around 1933), though the family's connection with the estate goes back to the 18th century, when Jain bankers — successors to the legendary house of Jagat Seth — financed the trade of Bengal. The name 'Kathgola' is popularly traced to 'Kath-gola' (timber yard) or to the black rose ('kalo golap') gardens for which the estate was once famous. The elegant palace, with its Italian marble statues, Belgian glass mirrors, chandeliers, vintage furniture, family portraits and a private museum, offers a rare glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of the Jain banking aristocracy of Murshidabad. Within the gardens stands the beautiful Adinath Temple (built 1873), dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, with exquisite carving and a serene atmosphere — an active place of worship to this day. The complex also features a large stepped pond, a small zoo of earlier days, orchards, and the underground chamber connected with tales of the secret meetings of the conspirators before the Battle of Plassey. Local tradition holds that Jagat Seth and other magnates met the British here in the shadows of the garden — making Kathgola not just a palace of luxury, but a silent witness to the intrigues that changed Indian history. It is now one of the most visited and best-maintained heritage attractions of Murshidabad.