Blast from past: A royal corridor for tourists

KOLKATA: Huge pillared edifice, ornate Burma teak furniture, Vedic translations signed by Max Mueller, letters exchanged with Queen Victoria or sepia-tinted photographs of Viceroys, Maharajas and signatures of the high and famous. Giving a glimpse of many such vignettes of the bygone era are the old palaces or rajbaris in and around Kolkata. And they, now, are showcasing their timeless treasures by setting up a museum or opening their doors to weddings, film shootings or even inviting tourists for a stopover."We were keen to preserve and showcase our historic past and hence converted a portion of our house at Cossimbazar into a museum," said Prashanta Kumar Roy, scion of the Cossimbazar Chhoto Rajbari. A portion of their 30 bigha sprawling palatial building at their hometown at Cossimbazar (or Kasimbazar) at Murshidabad has been refurbished and decorated with interesting vignettes as part of their effort to showcase history. Be it the restored thakurdalan, ornate wooden furniture, manuscripts and books, it has become a pride of place among locals residents and a rare experience for the visitors. Baruipur Rajbari with its Gothic edifice, Lahabari or Thanthania Rajbari at Bidhan Sarani, Sovabazar Rajbari and Khannan Rajbari at Behala are being let out for film shootings. "Our mansion was let out for the shooting of Aparna Sen's film Paroma and Shubha Mudgal's album Sikho Na in the recent past," said a member of the Thanthania Rajbari. Durgadham Rajbari at Baruipur is often let out for shootings. The charge stands at Rs 500 per day. A few like Burdwan Palace and Pathuriaghata Tagore Rajbari (house of Maharaja Jatindramohan Tagore) are let out for weddings. From hosting weddings or renting out a portion of the Pathuriaghata Rajbari in north Kolkata, efforts are aimed at preserving the five-and-a-half bigha edifice at all costs, said Kalyanaksha Bandyopadhyay, a member of the Tagore family. Some like Supreme Court advocate Pradeep Mitra spend a part of his earnings to maintain the ancestral Andul Rajbari spread over 10 bigha and comprising over 100 rooms. Agrees former journalist and author of the book Astamita Rajmahima or the Fading Glory of Royal Bengal, a compilation of the history of almost 32 rajbaris across the state. Biswarup Mukherjee said: "Most families, including the present generation, have been doing their bit to retain their rich heritage and historic past." INTACH convenor (Kolkata chapter) G.M. Kapur said government should provide financial support to these palaces. Moreover, HUDCO can provide soft loans as in Ahmedabad.