Murshidabad, Pt. 4 - Cossimbazar, Series: Bengal before 'Calcutta'

'A suburb is an attempt to get out of reach of the city without having the city be out of reach.' - Mason Cooley

Rescuing cities from chaos:

In India, we have villages and cities or, towns. Some villages are close to be urbanized but, not quite there yet. One such variety is a census town. It is a place statutorily notified and administered as a town, whose population has attained urban characteristics. Some criteria have to be met for a place to be called a census town:

- Population >= 5,000,

- Male working population employed outside the agricultural sector >= 75% ,

- Population density >= 400 persons/square KM.

Cossimbazar is one such census town now, situated in the Berhampur subdivision in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

The TRIP

[Recap] For details refer here, here & here.

[24th December 2021, Friday]

Khushbagh, Motijheel light and sound show

[25th December 2021, Saturday]

Kathgola, Motijheel Masjid, The premises of Jagat Seths, Nashipur Rajbari & Akhara, Namak Haram Deorhi, Jafarganj Cemetery, Wasif Manzil, Hazarduari Complex, Tripolia Gate, Katra Masjid, Jahankosha Cannon, Tomb & Mosque of Azimunnisa Begum, Fauti Masjid.

[26th December 2021, Sunday, Pre-Lunch]

Azimganj's (Baronagar) terracotta temples (Gangeswar, Unnamed Shiv temples, Bhabaniswar, Char Bangla, Panchmukhi Shiv); Raj-Rajeswari temple, Ramkrishna Ray Bedi; Azimganj's Sheherwali Jain establishments (Neminath Ji's Jinalay, Post Office, Bari Kuthi, Singhi Kuthi).

[26th December 2021, Saturday, Post-Lunch]

When we reached Cossimbazar it was almost 2 PM. The station was really empty one a few people waiting for trains. Diptesh and Arnab had almost given up. I estimated somewhere around 3.5 KM walk left for the day. But, they were hell bent not to walk not a single more step. Anyhow, out first stop - the Dutch cemetery of Cossimbazar was just outside the railway station. I managed to drag them till there. After which, I had to give in to their demands to reserve another Toto for a brief tour around Cossimbazar. It costed us four Rs 200/- and we were able to stop at five heritage sites around Cossimbazar within some 2.5 hrs.

The other European imports

• Name: Dutch cemetery of Cossimbazar

• Started On: early 18th-19th century

• Location: next to the Cossimbazar railway station, Kalikapur, Cossimbazar.

At its peak fame, Murshidabad attracted different kinds of European crowds. They had fare share of Dutch along with the Brits and the Armenians. The Dutch settlers primarily choose the nearby Cossimbazar as their residence and factory setting ground. They owned huge factories here, starting from 1666.

- Details - The only current proof on Dutch occupancy in Cossimbazar is the Dutch Cemetery. It hosts a total of 47 tombs and obelisks. An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally they were called tekhenu by their builders, the Ancient Egyptians. According Wikipedia the the oldest one of the tombs belongs to one Daniel Van der Muyl, who died back in 1721. Most monuments are pyramidal shaped with plaque mentioning the names. The cemetery is listed as a Monument of National Importance in West Bengal in the Archaeological Survey of India's record. Though its current state doesn't justify such distinction. Among the tombs which are less ruined, I could gather the following names -

1. Daniel van der Muy, died 1721.

2. Gregorius Herklots, of the Dutch East India Company, died 1739

3. Matthias Arnoldus Brahe, cousin of Gregory Herklots, died 20th August 1772

4. Tamerus Cantes Vischer, Head Merchant, Dutch East India Company, died 1778

5. Johann Gantvoort Van Asften, Surgeon to the Company, died 20th October 1792.

6. Charles Mainwaring Esq, died 1828.

7. Isabella Sneyd, died 1856, wife of Lt F.P Balley (7th regiment).

8. Joseph Edwin, died 1870.

9. Mary Grant, born 1796, died 1871, born in Carlow, Ireland.

10. Rev. A.W Walsh, died 9th July, 1871, Former Chaplain of Berhampur.

11. Thomas Benjamin Rice, died 1882.

12. Michael Fawley, died 1885.

13. Jane Arrow, died 1891.

14. Maria Eliza Rice, died 1898, grave is marked IHS, the 1st 3 letters of Jesus’s name in Greek.

15. Valentine Owen, born 1906, died 1907, son of Bertram Owen.

16. Maria Mollis (age 36 years when she died), wife of John Mollis.

The so called 'small' palace of the Roy's

• Name: Cossimbazar 'New' / 'Small' Palace of the Roy's or, Cossimbazar Chotorajbari

• Established On: 1740

It was founded by Dinobondhu Roy back in 1740 during the reign of Alivardi Khan. The family claims mythological connection to Daksha from the Vedas. It is up to the reader to believe this claim that they are the original 'Chattopadhyays', descendant of one of the five Brahmins brought by King Adisur to bengal which makes them descendants of Daksha. Ajodhya Narayan Roy, who was the founder of the family, had the hereditary title 'Rai' conferred upon him by the then Nawab Nazim in appreciation of his services. Other than him and his son Dinobondhu, Raja Ashutosh Nath Roy was another well known patriarch of this family.

- Details - The is a very well maintained palace, which also serves as a Heritage hotel charging Rs 18k per day per person (as of Dec'21). Visitors have to pay an entry fee of Rs 30 (as of Dec'21) for a guided tour inside the Palace to see a small museum, a Durga mandir and a Lakshmi Narayan temple.

The so called 'big' palace of the Nandi's

• Name: Cossimbazar 'Old' / 'Big' Palace or, Cossimbazar Bororajbari

• Established On: ? >= 1772

The history of this palace starts with the founder of its ruling house Kali Nath Nandi, originally hailing from Shijna, Burdwan. When he first came here with family, they settled at a place called Sripur, near Cossimbazar. His grandson, Radha Krishna Nandi was a shop owner of silk, kites and betel-nuts. But, it was his son, Krishna Kanta Nandi who changed the families fortune. Krishna Kanta was also known as Kanta Babu. He soon became a favorite of Warren Hastings by giving him shelter in 1756 when Siraj attacked Cossimbazar factory. As a sign of gratitude, Hastings made him in charge of several lucrative Zamindaries in 1772 by making him a Dewan. Later when Hastings marched against Chait Singh of Banaras, Kanta Babu accompanied him. After victory he was granted a Jagir in Ghazipur and his son Loknath, got the title of 'Maharaja' from the Nawab Nazim of Bengal. It is said that, the stone pillars and arches of Chait Singh's house were brought by Kanta Babu and used at Cossimbazar Raj Bari (palace). This palace was alternatively called Sripur Raj Bari.

- Details - The total area of the Palace is 8.53 acres. There is additional 6966 sq. ft. (0.16 acre) open space around this Palace. The front face is 120 feet long and the impressive entry gateway of singha darwaza is 20 feet wide. When we reached the palace was closed and there was no one to ask for possible entry timings. Hence, we had to return from outside. From the outside façade it can be said that the palace boosts a Palladian architecture (European architectural style derived from and inspired by the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio) mixed with new classical flavor, using strict symmetry arrangements. The main entrance, front door is centered, topped with rectangular windows and capped with an elaborate entablature superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals supported by decorative column applied to the face of a wall.

I read the inside has 100 pillars, walls decorated with terracotta art, 10 Lakshmi-Narayan temples, Andar Mahal, Natmandir, 24 Jain temples (now gone) etc. It was surely a miss. We saw the palace in a dilapidated condition. Though it was supposedly renovated back in 2010. I am not sure how much is still watchable inside.

The major European imports

• Name: English Cemetery of Cossimbazar

• Started On:

Another lesser known cemetery of Cossimbazar having the tombs of the officials of The East India Company who resided after the Battle of Plassey. 

- Details - Arnab brought our attention over a tomb, that has a plaque saying -

Here lies buried first wife of Warren Hastings and his daughter Elizabeth.

In Memory of

MRS. MARY HASTINGS and her daughter ELIZABETH

Who died 11th July 1759 in the 2nd year of her age,

This monument was erected by her husband WARREN HASTINGS

In due regard to her memory.

Subsequently restored by Government of Bengal, 1863.

Some of the other identifiable monuments there are -

1. Anstruther, died in 1735 AD.

2. The infant of Captain John and Rose Grant, died in 1775.

3. A. Downie, died in 1781.

4. Captain Hartie, died in 1782.

5. Mr. Dugald Campbell, died at Rangamati on 6th October, 1782, aged 32.

6. Captain Clerk, died in 1783.

7. Charles Cromelin, died on 25th December 1788, aged 81, member of Huguenot family (religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism).

8. John Peach died in 1790, senior merchant of East India Company.

9. Mr. Lyon Prager, Diamond Merchant and Inspector of Indigo and Drugs, on 12th May, 1793, aged 47.

The old Residency cemetery was washed away by a flood of the Bhagirathi in 1847.

The odd terracotta temple

• Name: Byaspur Shiv temple, Cossimbazar

• Established On: 1811

• Location: Kazi Nazrul Sarani, Raninagar, Cossimbazar.

This temple was established by Ram Keshav Dev Sharma, father of Pandit Krishna Nath Nayayapanchanan and later renovated by Raja Rao Jogendra Narayan Roy (landlord of Lalgola) in 1918. Its most recent reconstruction happened on 13th March, 1995 under the wishes of Shri Amit Kumar Bhonsle.

- Details - It is a terracotta temple having rich façade, stucco figures and an unique inverted lotus-dome above a curved cornice. The temple is an amalgamation of two architectural designs - the lower rectangular part resembles the ek-bangla type of temple from Baronagar (Panchamukhi Shiv) whereas, the upper part resembles the octagonal type (Bhabaniswar Temple, Baronagar).

The first lower portion of the temple is square shaped with sloping cornice molding (horizontal decorative molding crowning a building). The second part has 6 large inverted lotus petals and small vertical lotus petals circling the base of the octagonal dome. The third, or the topmost portion of the dome is like an octagonal inverted lotus pod with emblica, lotus, pitcher and then a flag pole on top. The temple also has a 11 ft. X 6 ft. verandah.

The temple hosts a 5 ft. Shiv Linga and scenes of Vishnu Avatars, Durga, Kali, Krishna Leela, Radha Krishna, Dakini-Yogini, Lakshmi, Saraswati etc. are depicted on the walls along with sculptures of various flowers and birds.

Our trip was over. Cossimbazar being its last stop. I had to skip two places here viz. The Pataleshwar Shiv Temple and the Armenian Church as, it was getting late and others were forcing me to return. Next morning we had train for Kolkata. It was time to say sayonara to Murshidabad. We were leaving behind the lanes of our gloried history to return to the reality of mundane city life. But with to promise to return again. If not here, then some place else. But, with hope to get lost in the pages of history once again.

<= PART-3 (Azimganj)

References:

1. Google Maps, Wikipedia.

2. Newspaper clippings, personal experience.

3. The Musnud of Murshidabad, A Synopsis of the History of Murshidabad for the last two centuries, Purna Ch. Majumdar.

4. Bengal District Gazetteers, Murshidabad, by L.S.S. O'Malley (1914).

5. A history of Murshidabad District by John Henry Tull.

6. The English factories in India (1618-1669) by Sir William Foster.

7. The Golden book of India by Sir Lethbridge, Roper 1840-1919.