Marble Palace is a palatial nineteenth-century mansion in North Kolkata. It is located at 46, Muktaram Babu Street, Kolkata 700007. It is one of the best-preserved and most elegant houses of nineteenth-century Calcutta. The mansion is famous for its marble walls, floors, and sculptures, from which it derives its name.
History of Marble Palace
thumb|The Marble Palace in 1945
The house was built in 1835 by Raja Rajendra Mullick, a wealthy Bengali merchant with a passion for collecting works of art. The house continues to be a residence for his descendants, and the current occupants are the family of Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur. Raja Rajendra Mullick was the adopted son of Nilmoni Mullick, who built a Jagannath temple which predates Marble Palace, and still stands within the premises, but is only accessible to members of the family.
Appearances in fiction
The final scene of the French novel Le vol des cigognes de Jean-Christophe Grangé takes place in the Marble Palace.
Access
Because Marble Palace remains a private residence, photography is prohibited. Entry is free, and no permit is required for entry, now. Inside the house, there are guides who give visitors a tour of the house, although the parts of the house which are still inhabited remain off-limits. Marble Palace is open from 10am to 4pm on all days except Mondays and Thursdays.
References
Bibliography
- Chatterjee, Dinabandhu. "A Short Sketch of Rajah Rajendro Mullick Bahadur and His Family", Calcutta: Calcutta Print Works, 1917.
External links
- Marble Palace of Kolkata - Secret World