If you enjoy good architecture and being steeped in history and are looking for a weekend break from Kolkata, consider Bari Kothi - a unique luxury boutique heritage hotel at Azimganj on the banks of the Ganges in the historic town of Murshidabad.
Built in the late 1700s and with 15 luxurious heritage suites, this used too be the ancestral home of the Dudhoria family of Azimganj. The name translates to ‘Palace of the Elder’. Murshidabad’ first and only luxury heritage hotel, it is also a heritage revival project of sorts. Look out for details such as the grand white pillars crafted 200 years ago, the antique Belgian glass chandeliers and hand-painted stained glass panels imported from Britain.
Check out the beautifully carved Burma teak pillars at the Gaddi Ghar which was once the working area of the zamindars. Enjoy an elaborate five-course Sheherwali meal in the vintage surrounds of our grand Darbar (dining) Hall. You will get to taste preparations like chhaataka tarkari (vegetable prepared using lotus pod), kathbel chutney (wood apple paste), kache aam ka kheer (ram mango pudding) and borey ka boondiya (a sweet made of white bean powder).
You can also sign up for a special cooking session where you will pick up the art of cooking authentic Sheherwali dishes, spend a relaxing summer afternoon at the Mango Grove Indaara, enjoy the scenic beauty of the sunrise and sunset at the almost 100-feet ghat, and a have a memorable breakfast with a view of the Ganges on your verandah. Choose from three different categories of rooms - Heritage, Royal Heritage and Maharaja Heritage. The Music Room and Library building has an exhibit of musical instruments that the family members enjoyed and a unique collection of old books.
