Marble Palace

Marble Palace, a palatial nineteenth-century mansion in North Kolkata. It is located at 46, Muktaram Babu Street, Kolkata 700007. The mansion is famous for its marble walls and floors, from which its name derives.

The house was built by Raja Rajendra Mullick in 1835. The house continues to be a residence for his descendants, and the current occupants are the family of Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur.

The house is basically Neoclassical in style, while the plan with its open courtyards is largely traditional Bengali.

The house contains large quantities of Western sculpture and Victorian furniture, paintings by European and Indian artists, and other objets d’art. Decorative objects include large chandeliers, clocks, floor to ceiling mirrors, and busts of kings and queens.

The house is said to contain two paintings by Rubens, “The Marriage of St. Catherine” and “The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian.” There are also said to be two paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, “The Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpent” and “Venus and Cupid”. Also in the collections are paintings by Titian, Murillo, and John Opie.

Located next to the palace is the Marble Palace Zoo, the first zoo opened in India, also by Raja Rajendra Mullick. It now primarily serves as an aviary, including peacocks, toucans, storks, and cranes.

Permission must be obtained from the government tourist office 24 hours in advance to visit the Palace and photography is strictly prohibited inside.

Source: Wikipedia

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