Bankura- Ranga Matir Desh

Terracotta Temple -Bankura

Bankura is one of the most important and attractive place with various tourist spots. The nick name of this district is “ Ranga Matir Desh”, Land of Red Soil. Amazing natural beauty of this place compelled us to think that the nature has dress up this district with its own hand.

This land refers as “Suhmobhumi” in the famous Indian epic “Mahabharata”. This district is unique link path between Chota Nagpur and other parts of Bengal.

As per the per-historic narration, this district is the inhabitant of various tribal groups who are the origin of India. The geographical set up of this district is consisting hilly lands and flat lands. Earlier days tribal were mostly depending upon their hunting. Thereafter, Aryans came to India and they taught these tribal groups about agriculture and cultivation. There after these tribal groups were also engaged in cultivation of land. It is also called “Rarbhum” as this was the part of a large Rarbhumi. The language of Rarbhumi is very sweet even in this present days. Thus time after time passed, the history of this district was become large to larger.

Terracotta art is found maximum in this district. According to this land is also called “Terracotta-r Desh”; the land of terracotta art. Still now so many samples are coming out under the earth by the help of Geological Survey of India.
 
 Malla rajas were first ruled this district since long time. So many arts, sculptures of Terracotta had constructed at that time. Thereafter, this district had come under the kingship of Bir Hambir. They were also ruled this district many years and after them, the kingship of the district was won under the Kashtriya rajas like Raghunat Sing. Lastly and finally it became free and formed as a district of West Bengal on and from 1881 under the British Raj. There are so many visible places in Bankura.
Bishnupur: This place is 152 km far from Kolkata and 34 km far from Bankura. This is now sub divisional headquarters of Bankura. This place is famous for its terracotta architecture, crafts and also culture. More than thousand years ago, this district was the capital of Malla dynasty. Malla dynasty was very powerful dynasty of Mallbhum but from the time of Mughal invasion their such power became to decrease.

 Bishunupur became grow as a famous cultural center of Bengal from the time of Mall Raj Bir Hambir and thereafter the trend was carry on by another Rajas like Raghunath Singh and Veer Singha. Most of the terracotta set up like temples were flourished at that time. Beside of that, Bishnupur was very famous for terracotta craft works and Baluchari Sarees which was made of pure silk and took the place in Indian mythology. Apart from these, Bishnupur rajas had given indulgence to Hindustani music ( Dalmadal), painting, etc. Bishunpur is also famous for its large number of water spots. There are more or less 16 terracotta architecture based temples of various god and goddess like Jore Baglow, Rasmancha, Madanmohan Temple, etc.

Forest- Bankura

Amazing Calcutta: Eminent Personalities of Bengal-Part-1

Statue of Rabindra Nath Tagore

Calcutta is a place where so many eminent personalities were born and became famous in their respective fields.

Rabindranath Tagore:  who doesn’t know about Rabindranath Tagore in this world? Though he was Bengali and from India; but, he was famous for his poems, Novels, lyrics and good composing of his songs and even also good painter in this world.

 I went to Rabindranath Tagore’s house at Jorasanko of North Calcutta and that is called “Thakurbadi”. This house is now state property; Indian Government has converted this house as a museum of Rabindranath. Here each and every room is telling his story. All usable items of Rabindranath are kept very carefully and neatly.

There is a guide who will help tourists by telling Rabindranath’s life history by showing all items that he would use at his time.

In childhood, Rabindranath was called”Rabi”. The journey to become Rabi to Kabiguru was not easy tusk. In 19th century he was born as 13th child of Maharshi Debendranath Tegor and his mother Sarada Devi. He didn’t go to school at his childhood as he was very much afraid of teachers’ stick. His father arranged his education at home.

Rabindranath was actually Pirali Bramin and they came from Burdwan district. Their actual surname was “Banerjee” and their estate was at Selaidaha of East Bengal, now Bangladesh. At Selaidaha and also in Calcutta, common people would call them “Thakur” and this word was converted gradually as “Tagore”.  Later on, his father changed his religion when he came to touch of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and became “Brahma”. Thus “Maharshi” was added before his name.
Rabindranath Tagore’s father was come to Calcutta to change his luck and then he started his salt business and thus he rapidly became rich.

In the year 1913, he won Noble Prize in Literature for his famous book of poems” Gitanjali”. All poems of this book were translated by Rabindranath himself. At that time he was the first Indian and also Non-English personality who won such prestigious and world famous prize. He was the founder of Viswa Bharati at Santiniketan of Bolepur. Viswa Bharati was his dream and he would think that students from every corner of this world  will come here at take  lesson of Indian Arts and Cultures and spread of these within all.

Painting of Rabindra Nath Tagore-1

Painting of Rabindra Nath Tagore-2

Rabindranath himself is a university and lots of thinks of him were to research like his life style, his poems, his novels, his paintings, his songs, etc. Once Rabindranath told that he will be survived thousands of years within his songs. This is true, generation after generation Rabindra songs have been still practicing by various singers not only of India but also from other countries. It is also noticed that, the singers of Rabindra Sangeet don’t like to sing any other form of songs.

Kolkata- The City of History

Victoria Memorial Hall

The history of Kolkata initiated from the year 1690 when the British East India Company came to Bengal . Job Charnak , one of the administrators of this British company first came to Bengal to administrate their business . According to history records , he is the founder of this city . Actually , this city was incorporated of three villages , one is Kalikata , second one is Gobindapur and third one is Sutanuti . These three villages were separate identity like Kalikata was a village of fishing , Sutanuti was weavers who lived on the bank of the Hoogly River and third one is Govindapur , specifically , cannot be known about this village from the history record .

Then India was under the ruling of Mughal Emperor of Delhi . According to the administrative system of the Mughal Emperor , every place of the country were their jagirdari and they would appoint the landowners or zamindars as their jagirdar . These jaigirdars have two works one is control their places administratively and collect revenue from their villagers . After that they would send the major part of the revenue to the Mughal Emperor in due time . Thus , the Zamindar of these three villages was Sabarna Roy Choudhury .

The British East India Company was already taken permission to start their business in India from the Mughal Emperor before came to Kolkata . In 1698 , Job Charnak , the first administrator of that company purchased those three villages from the Zamindar , Sabarna Roy Chowdhury and thus the right of tax revenue collection was transferred to their hand .

Then already another European country , France existed in India for their business . They had reached in India before the British company . According to them India were the place suggested as gold mines . In the year 1712 , the British completed the Fort William that is still having on the east side of the bank of the river Hoogly . They constructed this fort William facing frequent battle with French forces . In the year 1756 , the British company was started to develop their militarization .

Then Siraj-Ud-Daulah was the Nawab of Bengal.He protested against this British militarization and warned them . But the company administrators were ignored that warning , then Nawab attacked them and captured the fort William . After that the Nawab started to kill the British war prisoners . But this win did not stay longer ; Robert Clive , the leader of the British troops was again recaptured the city in 1757 approximately after the serious battle at the field of Plessey of Murshidabad and the city was declared the presidency city .

Thus the new era was started since then ; Kolkata declared as Bengal presidency by the British . Thereafter a new history was created by British after captured the entire country . Bahadur-Sha-Jafar was the last Mughal Emperor probably from whom the ruling stick of India was snatched by the British . Since then , they captured India . After few many years , the ruling of this country was gone in the hand of Queen Elizabeth ; the East India Company was started to work on the lordship of the Queen .

Thus India became the colonial country of British Government . Then their capital was Bengal and in summer time Shimla was their temporary capital . Thus India was the colonial country of the British Government and it was continued next 200 years approximately .