Kolkata's Marble Palace an eye-opener on 19th century grandiosity

Kolkata It might not be as grand as the Victoria Memorial perhaps the best known symbol of this eastern metropolis but the Marble Palace is one of the finest examples of European architecture with an Indian touch and an eyeopener on 19th century grandiosityApproachable through a dingy north Kolkata lane and perhaps not too well known because entry is restricted the mansion known for its marble flooring and marble decor wall panels houses 76 rare artworks brought in 1830 all the way from Italy and BelgiumThe palace is a treasure trove of valuable art objects collected over the past 180 yearsIt seldom gets visitors as entry is possible only after the West Bengal State Tourism Department issues a permit after asking searching questions on ones knowledge of art I got in on the basis of my press card This is just fine for the 15 people the descendants of Raja Rajendra Mullick 18191887 an affluent businessman who had the palace built between 1830 and 1835 who maintain the building Fewer visitors mean less maintenancePeople who value art culture and heritage have a knack about the European art and love the palace Hirendra Mullick a sixth generation descendant of the Mullick family told IANSMoreover people are less concerned about art nowadays Definition of art and culture has also changed Hirendra added citing the reason behind the restricted entry to the palaceThe palace is divided into five halls Reception Hall Painting Room Sculpture room Billiards Room and Thakur Dalan place of worshipThe palace takes one to the Victorian era with its beautiful deacutecor and eyecatching collection The museum has sculptures from Praxiteles to Phidias Venus to Apollo Homer to Diana and MossesThere is also an enormous Japanese bronze vase in the doorway that immediately catches ones attention The walls are adorned with fulllength Belgian glass mirrors enhancing the beauty of the palaceAlso on view is a twocornered bicorne of the kind Napoleon Bonaparte wore during his military campaigns It is said to be an original but no one is too sure about this or how it got hereResearch scholars who are interested to know about art are always welcome here Marble Palace is for those who are interested to know about the evolution of art Hirendra notedThe Reception Hall has sculptures depicting Autumn and Spring Agriculture and Commerce Summer and Winter and Dawn and Night Some of these are originals brought from the Italian and British schools while some are replicasThe collection is an effort of the past 180 years With time the descendants have added many sculptures and paintings both original and replicas depending upon the budget Hirendra saidThen there is a dimlylit room dedicated to paintings belonging to the Victorian age like the Marine View by Dutch painter Jan Van Goyen Madonna with Child by Italian painter Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine by Rubens and The Martyrdom of St Sebastian by Piero del Pollaiolo as also some paintings by famous Indian artist Raja Ravi VarmaThe Marble Palace also has what is perhaps the first Indian private zoo which is now open to visitors The animals are carnivores as nonvegetarian food is not allowed within the premisesHas Marble Palace missed out on the fame achieved by palaces like that in Mysuru MysoreAccording to Hirendra Marble Palace cannot be compared with other royal palacesThe purpose of Marble Palace was to create a place for those who have a keen interest in art Other palaces were built for statusflaunting Raja Rajendra Mullick wanted art lovers to get acquainted with European art forms particularly postrenaissance art Hirendra statedRevenue for maintenance is not an issue for its keepers as they collect funds from their other landed propertiesThe major problem is regular cleaning of the artworks which is not possible as we have less staff Cleaning also requires experts so that these precious objects are not ruined Hirendra explainedPhotography inside the museum is strictly prohibited To ensure that one doesnt click any pictures palace staff always accompanies visitorsIt is to avoid those who want to purchase our valuable collection If selling would have been in our mind we would not have spent so much effort to maintain the museum he saidStill the palace could do with some renovationMany art objects have been added in recent years to the collection and the descendants plan to buy more after careful thoughtThe Marble Palace may not enjoy the attention as other palaces or museums do but a visit will be well worth for those who truly love European artFAQsLocation Mukhtaram Babu Street MG Road KolkataTimings 10 am4 pm Monday and Thursday closedEntry Free but special permit from the West Bengal State Tourism Department is required