On World Heritage Day: Hope For Bengal’s Forgotten Downton Abbeys

Entrepreneurial initiative is all that’s required to revive Bengal’s Downton Abbeys – aka, old zamindari mansions.

Maheshganj Estate of Balakhana is a classic heritage stay that offers travellers a taste of the bygone era. (Photo Courtesy: www.balakhana.com)

UNESCO established 18 April as the International Day for Monuments and Sites in 1983. The aim was to raise awareness about the importance and the need to preserve the world’s monuments. The Quint is republishing this earlier article to mark the occasion..

With their stately balconies, Corinthian pillars, the clink of sparkling crystal.... Bengali zamindari mansions were the epitome of an indulgent way of life. Combining the best of European luxury and Oriental hedonism, living in them was all about the cultivation of unhurried leisure.

Entrepreneurs are now converting these palatial residences into heritage hotels and home stays to offer tourists and travellers a taste of the bygone era.

These Heritage Stays are Epitomes of Old-World Zamindari

1. Maheshganj Estate of Balakhana

(Photo Courtesy: www.balakhana.com)

(Photo Courtesy: www.balakhana.com)

(Photo Courtesy: www.balakhana.com)

(Photo Courtesy: www.balakhana.com)

(Photo Courtesy: www.balakhana.com)

A three-and-a-half hour drive from Kolkata is the Maheshganj Estate of Balakhana. Situated amongst a sprawling 16-acre estate of orchards and farmlands it was built in the 18th century as Neel Kothi or Indigo House when the crop was one of primary sources of bankrolling the British Empire.

Owned by the Palchoudhuri family of Nadia, prominent landowners and tea plantation owners, it offers heritage home stays. “Stay a while in a stately early 19th century villa, French by provenance, the architectural heirloom of a distinguished Bengali Zamindari family” – is how its website likes to put it.

On offer are rooms with 20-feet high ceilings, marble topped tables, antique recliners and a 2,000 square feet verandah with a commanding view of the estate. Food comes from produce grown on the estate and “Balakhana’s kitchen has lore of its own, and reflects the family’s daily fare by tradition: an English breakfast, Bengali lunch, Continental and Indian at dinner.”

Third-generation Ranodhir Palchoudhuri who has promoted the place along with his wife told The Quint:

We are trying to give guests a home-away-from-home experience. We interact closely with families staying here often regaling them with tales of the past in tea-and-adda sessions on the verandah.

2. Itachuna Rajbari

(Photo Courtesy: www.itachunarajbari.com)

(Photo Courtesy: www.itachunarajbari.com)

(Photo Courtesy: www.itachunarajbari.com)

(Photo Courtesy: www.itachunarajbari.com)

(Photo Courtesy: www.itachunarajbari.com)

Itachuna Rajbari’s lineage goes back to the time when the Mughals ruled Bengal and the state was regularly attacked by Maratha warriors to collect tax. Built by one such Maratha warrior who settled in Bengal (over time his surname morphing from Kundan to Kundu), the property is now owned by the present generation of the Kundu family, many of whom continue to reside on site.

On offer are guided tours around the red-bricked property, musical shows and evening aarti at the family temple. Its popularity can be gauged by travel site tripadvisor.com which has rated it as excellent.

The Translation of Downton Abbeys into Present-day Icons

Rajasthan is famous the world over for its historic palaces, forts and regal havelis. It has created a very lucrative niche by repackaging them as heritage properties. Names like Rambagh Palace, Jai Mahal Palace, Ajit Bhawan, Samode Palace are today tourism brands recognised by travellers the world over.

West Bengal has an abundance of old homes and marvels of French, Dutch, British and Mughal architecture, though most of them are run-down and urgently in need of a facelift.

Neemrana, famous for its heritage properties is said to be acquiring a mansion in the former Dutch outpost of Chinsurah. The Kathgola Palace in Murshidabad was recently restored. The state government is also said to have identified Wasif Manzil in Murshidabad, Mahishadal Palace in East Midnapore and Jhargram Palace in West Midnapore for conversion into heritage hotels.

Maybe some entrepreneurial initiative is all that’s required to get these Downton Abbeys ringing with the lights and laughter they were accustomed to in their heydays.