An hour and a half’s drive from Kolkata takes you back in time. Expect the unexpected. A Gothic mansion in a rural setting with history so steeped in Victoriana that it practically oozes out of the rafters. Chakdighi is home to a time and place in Bengal’s rich colonial history that must be seen to be believed.

Khajanchi Bati has no pretences. This place does not need to hawk heritage simply because it personifies family heritage itself. Lovingly looked after and spotlessly clean, it is so easy to get used to. Four-poster beds and tasteful period decor blend in seamlessly with authentic Bengal gourmet. And as the Bulbul among the Shiuli blooming right outside your dokkhiner ghawrer janala lulls you to your afternoon siesta while Hemen Majumdar prints muse approvingly from ancient walls, you look forward to tomorrow’s treasures and wish you could take this place home.