Itachuna Rajbari: Your Turn to be a King/Queen this Weekend

Do you want to be a king/queen in the coming weekend? Did you ever wish to take breakfast, lunch or dinner in a king's palace and surrender yourself in the sweet slumber in the bed of the royal highness? Oops, you are not dreaming for sure, pinch yourself to realise you have read this in reality. Today, Life Breezy would introduce you with Itachuna Rajbari. Around two hundred fifty years ago, relatives of the royal family of Safallya Narayan Kundu established this palace.

Once you enter through the iron entrance of the palace, you would feel the time machine has taken you to the historic period of the kings and the queens. After a big courtyard greets you inside, you would find the Shreedhar Jeeu Temple, popular among the locals as the Rajbari Kuldebta (family deity)Temple. The regular evening prayer (Aarti), one notable event that gathers visitors here from far and wide. Several rooms located inside the palace and the most fascinating feature of these rooms are their names. These are known even today by the names these were called ages ago like Bilash Manjari, Bhaipo/Bhagney, Bonji, Bhaiji, Boroboudi, Chotoboudi, Thakumaa, Didi, Boropishi, Chotopishi, Chorda. All these names reveal the relations of a typical joint Bengali family and carry a lot of love, respect and warmth among the members.

If you think you could explore the palace within a few hours, you are wrong. Even a full daytime less to explore the palace completely. It has long stretching balcony, terrace and staircases. If you would try to make out the other end by standing on one end, you would not be successful. Now, coming back to the point of staircases, I must say it would take sometime before you get familiarise with the palace. It has several similar staircases for ascending and descending. Visitors often lose their way and that adds another interesting feature to the historic structure. However, once you get familiarise with the palace things become simpler and you would find your way much easier.

Take a bath in the morning by taking dips in the pond water. If you want to enjoy fishing, it has arrangements for the same. Besides, you could also enjoy activities like flying kites, gardening including several indoor as well as outdoor games. Moreover, you could also enjoy night walks in the fresh breeze under the starry night or having moonlight dinner with your near and dear ones. If you get tired after enjoying some of these activities and feel in desperate need of a body massage, the place would not let you down. It has a dedicated room and people for the service.

What would you eat? Of course, Life Breezy would ask you this since you are the king/queen visiting this palace. If you would opt for lunch/dinner, you would get complimentary breakfast. So, here goes your menu:

Breakfast Menu: Luchi/butter toast, potato curry, fried brinjal, tea and sweets.

Lunch/Dinner Menu: Veg meal (RS 180) and non-veg meal including egg, chicken, mutton (RS 210 to RS 250)

This weekend spot located close to Kolkata. Regular trains available from the Sealdah and Howrah Stations. Board a train of the Burdwan main line like the Barddhaman Local and get down at the Khanyan Station. Since it locates one and a half kilometres away from here, board a rickshaw to reach the destination. However, if you are self-driving then follow the Dasghara More via the Durgapur Expressway. Move further 19 kilometres to the Halusai More. Turn left and drive another four kilometres to reach the Itachuna Rajbari.

Several rooms (as mentioned before) available inside the palace for suitable lodging. List of some room names and the rents given below:

Bilash Manjari (Suite room) – Rent RS 6000

Bhaipo/Bhagney, Bonjhi and Bhaiji (non-AC) – Rent RS 990

Boroboudi, Thakumaa, Didi, Boropishi, Chhorda (non-AC) – Rent RS 3000

Chotoboudi (four beds) – Rent Rs 3600