Maheshganj Estate, Balakhana

This imposing house lies in a rural area of Maheshganj and is surrounded by (fruit)trees. Its huge veranda is decorated with tables, benches, comfortable chairs and a daybed. The perfect location for reading a book and enjoying a drink. The owners have, with an enormous amount of passion, resurected this place (it was supposedly a ruin when they started working on it) and now receive guests. Our room was simple, but charming and had its own bathroom. We enjoyed our meals with our charming hosts in the dining room and we had very interesting conversations with them. The food was excellent. My main point of criticism concerns the beds: the matrasses were as hard as a wooden board - which is not uncommon in India - but also very lumpy, which made them very uncomfortable. I do assume, however, that this is the Western guest speaking and possibly most Indian guests have no idea what I'm talking about.

Maheshganj Estate, Balakhana offers a serene and scenic environment. It's a peaceful place with lush greenery, ideal for relaxation and enjoying nature. A quiet escape for those seeking tranquility away from the hustle and bustle.

Balakhana lent me a weekend-long window to travel back in time to my family's long-lost heritage, which I did not have the chance to experience. I'm so glad I tore myself out of daily life and placed myself amidst the 160-year-old property, this weekend. More importantly, I helped my mother relive some of her childhood experiences. ||The food is homely and so are the people who are cooking and cleaning for us. The rooms are grand, and very well maintained. It's also noteworthy to mention the company of super-friendly pet dogs and swans - the Balakhana experience won't be complete without them.||Mr. Palchoudhuri and ma'am have been really kind to host us and thoughtful in making us feel at home. I guess I'll keep coming back and trouble them.

Maheshganj Estate, located near Krishnanagar in West Bengal, India, is a historic property with deep colonial roots. Originally built in the 19th century, the estate was established by a European indigo planter, reflecting the British colonial era's strong ties to the region's indigo trade. Maheshganj Estate includes a grand mansion, now serving as a heritage homestay, offering visitors a glimpse into its regal past and the serenity of rural Bengal.

We were not looking for a 5 star staycation or swim or sauna at a city hotel atmosphere. We wanted to be close to nature, relax learn a few things and make memories Maheshganj Estate fitted my ask to a T and more. HOW.. History in every step.. Oxygen in every breadth and Warmth at every interaction with Mr & Mrs Pal Chowdhury. The sunset over Jaloungi river with the sea blue tomb of iscon overseeing it was breathtaking..The diyas that brought peace and hope on the Diwali night..the indigo shrubs that I saw for the first time had history wrapped in every leaf..the awesome red house in midst of an overdose of greenery all round was sheer magic to experience. the house is laden with magestic awe inspiring furniture and paintings. I had never slept by climbing two steps on a palank . Mr and Mrs Pal Chowdhury are a power couple. They are not only classy but equally creative in the way they diligently take care of the minutest detail. Their family lineage and experiences.are sheer mesmerizing...to name one which raised goosebumps instantly was that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was here 3 times (possibly used the same dining table I sat) . But more than anything is the warmth the Pal Chowdhurys exude genuinely. It's their house and like every family there are some house rules.. I felt more than welcome as if I I came to my elder brothers and sisters home. The warmth gets accentuated by the dogs that played with us and the awesome home food with negligible oil but dollops of taste.. the beauty of this place occasionally magnified by the swans as they walk past. and the experience gets magical as atmosphere gets scented by the riot of flowers all over. If you want to spend some time with yourself declutter destress de pollute de plastic de digital toxicity and reclaim rejuvenate restart re turn with your heart filled with oxygen and warmth please call up Maheshganj Estate. I found the Pal Chowdhury couple just like the estate.. Classy warm ..and topped up with loads of wit. Perfect place to go with every body in the family.

on the way to kolkata to siliguri its always a thrilling to getting new new places to stay at night. like wise mahesh ganj estate. its very nice quite ,and calm, surrounded by lots of tree and old colonial type bungalow with all old furniture and fixture. booking done in advance by website and phone. but if you go directly and visit the property they dont want to talk to you also. and treated like they are till in british era they are sahib and we are native indian.this type of behavior in this era its not exceptable. I should not make any comment to others cause its human nature and its different for everybody. apart from this place is very nice to stay for a night. Thank you for you r reply... Whatever I write it down you just admire the same.. Thanks for that.. Having a 500 years old tradition with gopal.. You may forgot that noro is narayan.. But the behavior at your door step is different.. May be it was my misfortune.. Although your property is good love to be stay there with prior booking..

This had been on the Bucket List for a long long time .... The beautiful Neelkuthi of Maheshgunj, Balakkhana .... The Pal Choudhury s were exemplary hosts , regaling us with their tales of this extremely well maintained heritage property and feeding us with the most delectable food ....

Myself and my wife stayed here for 2 nights from 30th August 24 till 1st September. Before coming here I had read about the property background and history and had expectations that this place would be special. I have no hesitance in saying that my expectations were surpassed and I truly had a great time staying here.|Those who like history and heritage property will love this place. Every brick, every furniture tells you a story about those bygone era and even after 240yrs the place is so well maintained. Coming here was also easy, we followed the direction given to us and google map. Driver acco is also available so no issues there. In fact, we went to ISKON temple which is close by and they arranged a Toto for us to take us to the temple and bring us back.|The rooms are huge with high ceiling and antique furniture, bed linens are nice and has a homely feel, sleep quality very good. Attached toilet is modern and no issues there. The house has separate games room for Table tennis, Billiards etc. has a small library also. The best part is the huge sprawling balcony where you can sit and relax, have your cuppa, read books or simply doze off. The place is so quiet (no TV, no loud music, no noisy kids running around) that you will instantly feel rejuvenated. The garden (16 acres) surrounding the bungalow is green with large trees and you will be able to see various birds which we can't see in our city life.|Now the food, this is a homestay with certain rules which I found to my liking. Timings are strictly followed for bf, lunch and dinner. This is not a hotel where you will get a menu card and place order for food. Food is home style cooked under expert guidance with local produce. The vegetable dishes prepared for lunch and dinner were so good, in fact the owners even asked me what I would like for lunch and prepared my choice of small fish( kucho macher chochhori) for me. In short, if you like simple uncomplicated home style food, you will love eating here.|Last but not the least, any mention about this place without telling something about the present owners will make this review incomplete. Mrs. and Mr. Palchoudhury (3rd gen) who stays here are best host I have ever come across. The passion Mr. Palchoudhury have for this house is something which really is amazing. The owners do interact with the guests staying here and that makes the stay even better. Everything done has a personal touch which is something special. Further, talking to both of them was so enjoyable that in just two days it felt like I have come to an old friends place for a weekend trip. |Needless to say that I will definitely come here again and again to unwind, relax, enjoy the food and more so to chat with the lovely hosts. A big thank you Balakhana Estate and its proud owners.