The Mohatta Palace is located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It was built by Shivratan Chandraratan Mohatta, an ambitious self-made businessman from Marwar as his summer home in 1927. The architect of the palace was Agha Ahmed Hussain. However, Mohatta could enjoy this building for only about two decades before independence of Pakistan and he left Karachi for India. He built the Palace in the tradition of stone palaces in Rajasthan, using pink Jodhpur stone in combination with the local yellow stone from Gizri. The amalgam gave the palace a distinctive presence in an elegant neighbourhood, characterised byMughal architecture which was located not far from the sea.
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Various stories allege the presence of supernatural happenings at the Mohatta Palace. Some museum guides acknowledge that the building may be haunted, citing various incidents where objects have been moved from their original place, or shifted about. There are also rumours that the palace is haunted by ghosts of theBritish Raj era with guards having “felt” the presence of these spirits during the night. These claims however remain unverified and the guards themselves claim that no serious harm has been done.
The Museum formally opened in 1999. Behind the building can be found a small collection of “English” statues such as Queen Victoria, soldiers of the Raj.
Timings
- Tuesday to Friday: 2 am to 6 pm
- Saturday and Sunday: 12 pm to 7 pm
- Monday closed.
Transport
The following public transport is available to the museum.
- Bus: No 20
- Minibus: N and W30
- Coaches: Super Hasan Zai and Khan Coach. W-19.