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% For those who know about the Sabarna RoyChoudhury family of Kolkata( They are the original founders of KOLKATA). They also celebrate Rath Yatra( The Chariot Festival) of Lord Jagannath( Master of the Universe) in their house. This was their 288th year of celebrating Ratha Yatra. It is held every year during June/July as per Hindu Calender. Since, it is now proved that they are the Legitimate Founders of Kolkata, they are also getting National importance and recognition. On 27th June this years' Ratha Yatra festival held in their place. It was attended and inaugurated by no other than Union Minister of Defence, Mr.Pranab Mukhopadhyay, who came to serve the Lord as common man walking on the street and shedding his Black Cat Commandos. It was a great gesture from him being such an important and powerful person ( Defence Minister for 1billion), he spent more than an hour with common people to pay his respect to the Lord and recognition to the Sabarnas of Kolkata.4 Leave a Comment
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 A.K. Roy Choudhury & Devarshi
Roy Choudhury. by goutammitra, 4 more photos
As said earlier the Founder members of the Sabarnas, were of Saintly Character, they associated themselves in several philanthropic and social activities serving the people they Ruled. Ratha Yatra, Durga Puja, where thousands visited and participated were part of these activity. The Jamindari( Revenue Collection) is gone but the same age old tradition is maintained by the members of the Sabarnas despite all hurdles.
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 Ratha ( The Chariot)is being
drawn by people by goutammitra, 4 more photos
Till the year 1910 Salagram Shila (Stone form of Lord Vishnu) used to be carried on the Chariot. In the very next year9 1911), Lalkumar Roychoudhary built a Jagannath Temple at Barisha, Sakher Bazar and also built the idols of Lord jagannath, Balaram & sister Subhadra. From that very year these idols were carried to the Chariot and used for the Ratha Yatra. In the early days a 9 day long fair used to be organized with lots of entertainment such as Dance, Drama, various shows but today the celebration is limited to only for two days due to shortage of space. Even today the fair is organized on the day of Ratha Yatra & on the day of Ulta Rath (the day of Return of lord), when the Lord is supposed to come back from his aunt’s house. Leave a Comment
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Opened iin 1767, the cemetary replaced the yard of St . John's Church in the ruins of the old fort. The last tombs were erected around 1830. The area was than a bamboo forest outside of the city of Calcutta. Now it is a 10 minutes walk from Sudder Street. The cemetary is a quite green park now. I like it at a refuge from all the noice and hassle of Calcutta's modern streets.
It is very interesting to read the scripts of the tomb. Most people burried here belonged to the British Army. From the dates of birth and death you can see, that at that time many people died early, the officers of malaria and other tropical diseases and the women died giving birth to a child in this hot and infested area. Leave a Comment
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 Toy train to Darjeeling. by sachara
If you like trains you can go by train. In 1882 is an extension of the Northern Bengal State Railway completed, so you can make the climb of 2.000 M over 90 KM in 9 hours.
Darjeeling is spectacalor situated at a ridge of 2.000 M with fantastic views at the peaks of the Himalaya. Darjeeling is an easygoing city, you can have nice walks in and around town or make longer trekkings.
For more information, tips and pictures I invite you to visit my State of West Bengal page. Leave a Comment
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Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (1822-1887) belonged to the princely kingdom of Awadh (Oudh) in Uttar Pradesh, India, succeeding his father Nawab Amjad Ali Shah, to become the province's tenth and last nawab. Muhammad Wajid Ali Shah Bahadur was born on 13th February, 1847 in Lucknow, India. He began his illustrious reign as ruler of Awadh after ascending the throne in 1847, which he went on to rule for nine years. After his kingdom was annexed by the British in 1856, the Nawab was exiled to Calcutta where he spent the rest of his life off handsome allowances. However, his immense contribution to the field of Fine Arts is what makes him renowned today. The Nawab was married to Malka Hazrat Mahal.
The robust Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was regarded as being a kind, generous and compassionate ruler, as well as a good administrator, who took keen interest in the affairs of the state. However, his image was tarnished by the British as being a debauched and detached ruler, contrary to the fact that Awadh as a prosperous and wealthy state under his rule. Besides introducing reforms and looking into the administration of justice and military affairs, Wajid Ali Shah was also a poet, playwright, composer and dancer himself, under whose lavish patronage the fine arts flourished.
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah passed away on 1st September, 1887 at Kolkata, India, while his mausoleum lies at the Imambara Sibtenabad, in Matiyaburj.
I visited his Mausoleum yesterday ( 25th May07) afternoon and took some photographs after taking permission. The Nawab belonged to Shia sect of Muslim and photography is not allowed inside Imambara. In those days also they had a Jenana ( For Ladies) Imambara where women used to offer prayers. It still exists but in delapilated condition and most of the land and the building has been encroached by the local people. Calcutta Municipal Corporation has recently renamed the road to Wajid Ali Shah Road. The great grandson Anjum Quader ( B. 1921) now lives in London and is the last living descendant of the Nawab. Leave a Comment
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The tombs in the St. John's Churchyard have historical interest with octagonal shaped Charnock's mausoleum is said to be the oldest masoury in the city. Job Charnok came to Kolkata as a trader agent of East India co in 1690. He died at Kolkata in 1692. Many believed till a few years ago that he was the founder of Kolkata city. Whatever it is he has contributed a lot in development of the city. This place also houses mausoleum of many rich and famous British.
The Mausoleum is located in the centre heart of the city in the main business district of Dalhousie and inside St.John's church and graveyard. The condition of the Tomb is pathetic. Lot of bushes and weeds have come out as a result of neglect. I found out from the church authorities who is responsible for upkeep of the church. I could not get the correct answer. But they do collect Rs.20/- per car and Rs10/- per visitor everyday for upkeep of the church property. They also rent out the their compound as parking space on weekdays and houses several cars. Besides they get handsome donation from the visitors as well from the feast and other rituals performed for the devotees. So the income is not less, why the upkeep is in thankless state? Somebody has to answer! I am planning to see the Bishop in one of these days as and when I get time from office. Leave a Comment
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 Komagata Maru Memorial at
Budge Budge. by goutammitra, 4 more photos
As The Komagata Maru approached Calcutta on September 26, 1914, a European gunboat signaled the ship to stop. The ship was put under guard and the passengers were held as prisoners. The Komagata Maru was taken to a place called Budge Budge, about seventeen miles away from its original destination of Calcutta. These new developments took the passengers of the ship by surprise. After two months of litigation in Canada they were not interested in any new developments of this kind. Baba Gurdit Singh inquired upon as to the change of their course, an official informed him that the passengers were being sent to Punjab via a special train. Many of the passengers did not want to go to Punjab. They had business to attend to in Calcutta, some wished to look for work there, and most importantly, the passengers wanted to place the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which they had taken with them on their journey, in a Calcutta Gurdwara.
Their main purpose on reaching Calcutta was to hand over the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and to see the governor. The journey was long and after numerous threats by the police, they were left with no choice but to head back to Budge Budge. At Budge Budge, they were ordered to board the ship once again. The passengers, led by Baba Gurdit Singh, refused. A policeman attacked Baba Gurdit Singh with his baton but was stopped by a fellow passenger. It was at this point that firing started. Baba Gurdit Singh was carried to safety. But not all passengers were to be so fortunate. Twenty-nine fell victim to the bullets of British officials and 20 died. Here was another senseless massacre of innocent Indians at the hands of the British. The was the tragic end of the passengers of the Komagata Maru.
The heroic deeds of the Komagata Maru men and their trials aroused the admiration and sympathy of the entire Indian nation. Leave a Comment
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Not exactly the kind of architecture that you will expect to find in the middle of Calcutta-- you sure can feel kind of out of place standing here!
Built in the `Indo-Gothic' style in 1839, it was damaged and subsequently restored more than once due to earthquakes. Leave a Comment
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 The Mausoleum from outside,
Wajid Ali Shah Road. by goutammitra, 4 more photos
Wajid Ali Shah's self works included numerous poems, prose, ragas, playwrights and ghazals under his pen name of 'Qaisar'. While his compositions include his famous Bhairavi thumri named 'Babul mora Chhooto jaay' sung by many singers, his ragas (titled Jogi, Juhi, Shah-Pasand etc.), dramatised poems (such as Darya-i-Tashsq, Afsane-i-Isbaq, and Bhahar-i-Ulfat) and ghazals (in the 'Diwani-Akhtar', 'Husn-i-Akhtar'), his great works have inspired many artistes and playwrights alike. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's personal front was also as ambitious as his passion for the arts, as he took advantage of the Shia Law of Muta to marry an astonishing 359 times. Besides the Nawab's immense contributions to India, one of his wives, Begum Hazrat Mahal was known to be a great Indian freedom-fighter who played a major role during India's First War of Independence (1857-58) against the British. Leave a Comment
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