kinjalbose

Unique Lodge, Serampore

Serampore (formerly a Danish colony), now a sub-divisional town of Hooghly district of West Bengal had many heritage places. One such place is Unique Lodge (addressed locally as Singha Bari) of 21, Dey Street, Serampore – 712201.

Dakat Kali Bari

Dakat Kali Bari of 39/1A, Purna Das Road, (earlier Manoharpukur Road) Kolkata had a very old history. The present temple that we see was formally built in 1891. But the deity of Goddess Kali made of kastipathar (touch stone) was much older than the temple. It was said that this Kali was worshipped by Manohar Bagdi or as he was popularly known as Manohar Dakat.

Coomar’s Shiv Mandir, Bally

One can find a number of old temples in Bally of Howrah district. One such old temple, I mean two old aatchala temples in one raised platform at 15, Kali Prasanna Coomar (Kumar) Street (which was previously known as Sen Para) in Bally deserves mention. There are actually two temples placed side by side opposite to a pond known as Coomar (Kumar) Lake.

Bishnupur

Bishnupur, a sub-divisional town of Bankura district of West Bengal was once the capital of Malla Kings. The Malla dynasty began in 694 A.D with Adi Malla (694-710), the first king. With the accession of the king, Mallabda (a new type of calendar) began. There is a difference of 101 years between Mallabda and Bangabda (the Bengali calendar), the latter started in 593 A.D.

Haurihat Shiv Mandir

There are so many old temples scattered all over West Bengal. They were built at different periods and each had a distinct architecture and history. My interest towards those temples led me to search for them. I came to know about Haurihat Shiv Mandir first in David McCutchion’s book entitled “Brick Temples of Bengal.”

Rasmancha, Bishnupur

Rasmancha and Dolmancha are basically raised platform and their main purpose is to enable the idol to be viewed from all sides. They are spread all over West Bengal where Lord Krishna is worshipped specially in the districts of Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura, Purba and Paschim Midnapore.

Itachuna Rajbari

Just about a two hour drive from Kolkata will lead you to a place – a rajbari more than two hundred fifty years old. Any guesses! Yes, you are right it is Itachuna Rajbari in Hooghly district of West Bengal. A place not so far from Kolkata is a good choice to spend the weekend.

Bawali

Bawali, a village in Budge Budge II block of South 24 Parganas district had a number of temples of which some are in ruins was regarded as a temple town. The temples here were mostly dedicated to Lord Krishna being the principal deity of the Mondals (the zamindars of the area). The temples had exquisite terracotta works and floral motifs but now are in ruins.

Baithakkhana Amadpur

Amadpur, a village in Memari – I block of Barddhaman Sadar South subdivision offers a unique collection of terracotta temples coupled with a heritage home stay in a renovated zamindari house of the Chaudhuris. According to the available records, it was Krishna Ram Sen Sharma who was bestowed the title of Chudhuri by the Mughals.

Great Trigonometrical Tower Station, Samalia, South 24 Parganas

Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS) was started in the early years of the nineteenth century by William Lambton, Infantry officer, surveyor and geographer as a project which was aimed to measure the Indian subcontinent.