Sabarna Roy Choudhury
Sabarna Roy Choudhury (Template:Lang-bn) family was the zamindar (landlord) of the Kolkata (earlier known as Calcutta) area, prior to the arrival of the British. On November 10th 1698, they had to transfer their rights over the three villages – Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur - to East India Company[1]
Family history
The Sabarna Roy Choudhury family dates back to 980 A.D when Vedagarbha along with four other Brahmins came to Bengal to revive the vedic cultures. Panchanan Gangopadhyay (Panchu Saktikhan) of the family acquired the Khan title from the Pathan rulers of the area in the fifteenth century. Around the middle of that century he was lord of Haveli Sahar or Halisahar. It was from Halisahar that the family spread far and wide, including Birati and Barisha.[2][1]
Lakhsmikanta Gangopadhyay (Majumdar), was given jaigirdari of a vast tract of land by Raja Man Singh, in 1608. He was also given the titles of 'Ray' and 'Choudhury' which later became the surname of his descendants. He was the first social reformer of Bengal. It is said that he constructed many temples at Halisahar, and the original centres of habitation of the family at Goghat and Amatia. The construction of the pilgrim path from Halisahar to Barisha is also credited to him. [2][3]
The Sabarna Family is respected for their traditions, culture, social reforms and religious activities.
Today the family organisation Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad is preserving and upholding the history, culture and traditions of the family.
The British
The three villages of Sutanuti, Govindapur and Kalikata were part of a khas mahal or imperial jagir or an estate belonging to the Mughal emperor himself, whose zamindari rights were held by the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family. The British settlement was surrounded by thirty-eight villages held by others. Although in 1717, the British East India Company was permitted by the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar to rent or acquire zamindari rights in them, it was unable to procure the land from the zamindars or local landlords.[4]
Even the Sabarana Roy Choudhury family was not keen to allow the British to settle or do trading on these villages, but the British had paid a bribe at the Mughal Durbar to ensure that the deal did not fail.[3]. Just prior to their move to Barisha, the Sabarna Roy Choudhurys had to transfer their rights over Kalikata in 1698, to the East India Company much against their wishes and protests.[1]
The British ultimately got The 'Right to Rent' or lease of three villages for an annual rent of Rs. 1,300. The deed was in Persian. A copy of the deed can be seen at the Sabarna Sangrahashala at Barisha.[5]
Lal Dighi
Sabarna Roy Choudhury family had a kutchery (court-house) and a temple of its family deity Shyam Rai, near Lal Dighi (or red tank), that still stands in the middle of B. B. D. Bagh in the heart of commercial district of Kolkata. It was so named possibly because of the red colour the water acquired during dol, the festival of colours. John Anthony, a person of mixed race used to work there. His grandson, Anthony Firinghee, became a famous kabial, a sort of folk singer, in later day Kolkata.[2]
The court-house was first taken on rent and later purchased by the British East India Company.[2]
Durga Puja
The family has been celebrating Durga Puja since 1610 in their ancestral home at Barisha. It is possibly the oldest organised festival in the Kolkata region.Today altogether Seven Durga Pujas are being held in the family. Out of these, six are at Barisha while the seventh is at Birati. The Pujas which are held at Barisha are that of; Aatchala, Baro Bari, Mejo Bari, Benaki Bari, Kalikingkar Bhawan and Majher Bari. Other than the Durga Puja, the family organizes Chandi Puja, Jagadhatri Puja, Dol Yatra and Rathayatra utsav.[5]
Job Charnock
The 'Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad', the family organisation and nine other intellectuals of the city filed a public interest litigation before the Kolkata High Court in 2001 demanding a probe into the matter whether Job Charnock can be regarded as the founder of Kolkata. The Court, upon an Expert Committee finding, declared on May 16, 2003, that Job Charnock cannot be regarded as the founder of the city and 24th August also cannot be considered as the city's birthday.[6]
References
- ^ a b c Roy, Samaren, Calcutta: Society and Change 1690-1990, p 8, 2005, iUniverse, ISBN 0595342302, from google books
- ^ a b c d Patree, Purnendu, Purano Kolkatar Kathachitra, Template:Bn icon, pp. 154-5, 3rd edition, 1995, Dey’s Publishing, ISBN-81-7079-751-9
- ^ a b Bandopadhyay Debashis, Purano Kolkatar gharbari, Template:Bn icon, pp. 1-2, second impression, 2002, Ananda Publishers Private Limited, ISBN 81-7756-158-8
- ^ Nair, P.Thankappan, The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol I, p. 11, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195636961
- ^ a b Sabarna Prithivi - website of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family
- ^ Gupta, Subhrangshu (2003-05-17). "Job Charnock not Kolkata founder: HC
Says city has no foundation day". The Tribune online edition. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
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