It was an impulsive decision to visit
the heritage building of Andul Rajbari. Santanu, Anirban and I
boarded a local train from Santragachhi and got down after a couple
of stations at Andul. From Howrah, it is a half an hour ride by
train.
The Rajbari, spread over 10 bigha
and comprising more than 100 rooms, can be reached in about 10 mins
from the Andul station in a cycle rickshaw. The building is in
dilapidated state now but the massive structure and lofty pillars
speak of the affluence the royal family must have enjoyed in the
past. It is heartbreaking to witness the neglect and ill-maintenance
which is driving the grand heritage building into ruins. The large
open ground in front of the Rajbari has now been converted into a
football playing ground for the locals.
Interestingly, the building is still
being used as residence by a handful of people although sections of
it looked dangerously in need of immediate attention. A part of the
building however has been renovated recently and newly painted adding
a contrast to the remaining majority.
After taking some snaps from the
outside we were a bit jittery about whether to enter the building or
not. At the end, setting aside our apprehension of whether we were
committing trespassing, we did take a small tour inside, and had we
not entered we would have definitely repented afterwards. There is a
small courtyard (may be the erstwhile naach mahal) inside
which has withstood the test of times and still depicts the elegance
and grandeur of the bygone era. The intricate decorations of the
pillars have remained relatively unimpaired and transports oneself to
an altogether different time and the presence of the pigeons flying
around flapping their wings and making intense sound somewhat renders
a haunted feeling to the mansion.
There is precious little history that
can be found on the history of the palace. A signboard in front of
the building acknowledges that the palace was built in 1834 by Raja
Rajnarayan Roybahadur. However from a website (which is the sole
reference that I came across on the internet) I could gather that the
Andul Raj Family was founded by Ram Charan Roy even before the Battle
of Plassey (1757) and the construction of the palace building was
started by Kashinath Roy. However, I could not crosscheck the
authenticity of the information. Interestingly, in a recent article in
Times of India on heritage buildings, someone with a surname of Mitra
was quoted as one of the descendants of the Andul Raj Family. Not
sure if he belongs to the extended family or whether the palace
changed hands (which seems less probable).
Just beside the palace building, there
is an old Annapurna Temple surrounded by Shiva shrines. The temple
complex also houses an old cannon (supposedly gifted by Lord Clive as
per the same source mentioned earlier).
Nice place indeed!!
ReplyDeleteWish I will be there very soon.
Really nice and interesting to read ...can u let us know how to reach there from Howrah.
ReplyDeleteMail me the details pls : fotofi9@yahoo.com
Just board any local train like khragpur locl, midnapore locl, mecheda, panskura locl, etc & step down at Andul railway station. From there, rickshaws are available to andul rajbari (Royal palace)
ReplyDeleteExcellent !
ReplyDeleteWhats the raja's name of this pales
ReplyDeleteA name plaque in front of the building acknowledges that the palace was built in 1834 by Raja Rajnarayan Roybahadur.
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Great site and great pics. Seeking permission to use Andul Rajbari pics as mood setting in my blog with a ghost story about rajbari in bengal.
ReplyDeleteHi Suraj, you may of course use my pics. Please share your story link here afterwards. I am excited to read your story. Is it a haunted palace?
DeleteHi ! My maternal grandmother and my fathers aunt are both from andul raj parivar. Their surname is Mitra. They have indeed come upon hard times and cannot refurbish their property. The govt should come forward and do it.
ReplyDeleteThe cannon was given to them by the Briitish . They would fire it once a year during durga puja . Later as city encroached, it became too dangerous . So they stopped. Its a wonderful family with lots of great stories.
Hi, I am interested to take some photos / videos of the building. I write travel experiences in FB and i have good number of followers. Can you please allow me to go inside? I would love to be there early in the morning. Please feel free to to drop me a line at infonilx@gmail.com regards.
DeleteHi Arin,
DeleteWhen I visited I took some pictures from outside and also went inside the courtyard. Some families were dwelling there but did not stop me from taking snaps. May be Ratna Mukherjee here can help you as she is related to the present owners.
Dear Madam, can you please help us in going inside of the heritage structure.
DeleteDorja khol
DeleteThis palace should be announced as a heritage building...
ReplyDeleteNow the Owner of The Rajbari is Arunava Mitra,he is very polite snd amicable man.Recently I met him.
ReplyDeleteNow the Owner of The Rajbari is Arunava Mitra,he is very polite snd amicable man.Recently I met him.
ReplyDeleteI came across your web link by chance. I found it very interesting and already planning a trip. please let me know that upon my visit I will be allowed inside the building or not.
ReplyDeleteSome part of the building is inaccessible as it is locked. But in other parts people still reside. We entered into the courtyard and took some snaps. No one objected. But we could see glimpses of the some households.
DeleteDear Mr.Deep Majumder,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the nice articles. I invite you to my 150 year old ancestral @ Serampore. My no. is 9830071787. Regards, Pradipta Bhattacharyya
Dear Mr. Bhattacharya,
DeleteThank you for your invitation. I will definitely contact you if I plan to visit Serampore any time in near future.
You may please send me some pictures of your ancestral home and a brief history.
My email id is smajumder82@gmail.com
Hi, Deep da, Can you confirm about occurrence of Durga Puja in Abdul Rajbari? I am searching for a Rajbari near by Howrah where Durga Puja happens.
ReplyDelete