A VISIT TO A PLACE OF HISTORICAL INTEREST
Last month some of my friends and I visited Murshidabad, the capitst of Bengal during the Nawab rule. We went there by train. First we visited the Khosbag where Alibardi and Sirajudaullah lie in eternal sleep. The grave of Alibardi is a magnificent one, while that of Siraj is an ordinary one, and does not become a Nawab. From the Khosbag we went to Motijhil and saw the remains of the buildings of Ghoseti Begum, a renowned beauty of her day and Siraj's sworn enemy.
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Next we saw the Hajarduari, a majestic palace containing one thousand doors. It is at the same time an art gallery, and museum, a library and an armoury. We saw there many famous pictures, the court-room of the Nawabs, mummies of many birds and many precious manuscripts in Persian. In armoury we saw the sword of Siraj which is almost five feet in length, the canon which suddenly burst to kill Mirmadan, and a number of spears. At last we visited the mosque of Katra. It was in ruins. Time has devoured all the small rooms where the Koran was once read incessantly. Only the lower halves of the two sky-kissing towers have survived the onslaught of time. We saw the grave of Murshid Kuli Khan, and we had to walk over it when we entered the mosqueyard.
The visit to Murshidabad left a sad impression on my mind. It opened my eyes to the mutability of earthly things.
