MARBLE PALACE
AT
KOLKATA
Marble Palace is a
beautifully restored nineteenth century mansion, located in North Kolkata. It
was built by Raja Rajendra Mullick in 1835. He had great passion
for collecting art and antiques.
Marble Palace is one of the most famous
attractions of Kolkata. Built by the wealthiest merchant of his time. The
palace has intricately carved pillars and walls. The whole palace is made up of
marble giving it the name.
This place contains large volumes of western sculpture,
paintings and other antiques such as chandeliers, clocks, urns, etc. This place
is said to contain painting from famous artists such as Ruben, Sir Joshua
Reynolds, Titian, Murillo, and John Opie.
The marble place is a private residence, inhabited by the
descendants of Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur. Entry to this place is free, but
you have to get a special permit 24 hours in advance from 24 hours in advance
from the West Bengal Tourism Information Bureau at BBD Bag, Kolkata.
Being a
private residence photography is prohibited and the inhabited area is off
limits. There is also a zoo besides the palace, the first zoo opened in India.
It has birds and some species of deer’s and other small animals.
The whole place is built in traditional Bengali style
with thakur-dalan and open courtyards. The premises also has a rock garden and
a lake. This Palace is undoubtedly the most beautiful place in Kolkata.
This architectural masterpiece was built from superior quality Italian
marble, which endowed it with the sheer elegance. About 126 different types of
marbles were collected from nook and corners of the country to build this
architectural treasure.
Marble Palace houses a number of Western sculptures and Victorian
furniture.It is said that Marble Palace also treasures two exquisite paintings
of Rubens: The Marriage of St. Catherine and The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian.
Marble Palace boasts a collection of 82 different types of exquisite
clocks.The Marble Palace Zoo is reckoned as the first zoo opened in India by Raja
Rajendra Mullick.