Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => {:en}Arpara Munshi Bari{:}{:bn}আড়পাড়া মুন্সীবাড়ি{:}
[post_id] => 5967
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/arpara-munshi-bari/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Arpara-Munshi-Bari-Gopalganj-011-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Arpara Munshi Bari (আড়পাড়া মুন্সীবাড়ী) is located near at Arpara (আড়পাড়া) of Gopalganj district. This is situated beside a man-made straight canal named 'Beel Route Canal'. This is mainly a two stored building and not that much older. But due to lack of care (and also the owner shifted to new place) it is a haunted house now a days.
The windows of this house are missing, doors are gone; trees have grown over this building and started covering it. You can hear lot of chirping sounds of birds; but it is actually a hideout for the bats. Thousands of bats you can see hanging upside down from the roof, and lot of them are flying randomly around and making the noise. It looked slight scary, but an amazing thing to watch.
Probably it’s around 50-60 years of old building and built by a rich family having family/surname Minshi (মুন্সী). They are still powerful, and prominent there by status and wealth. There are few other buildings available near this one and people are living there. Possibly they have shifted from here.
{:}{:bn}
আড়পাড়া মুন্সীবাড়ি গোপালগঞ্জ জেলার আড়পাড়ায় ‘বিল রুট ক্যানেল’ নামক খালের পাশে অবস্থিত। আড়পাড়া মুন্সীবাড়ি মূলত একটি দোতলা বাড়ি যেটি যত্নের অভাবে (বাড়িটির মালিকও অন্যত্র বাস করছে) বর্তমানে অনেকই জরাজীর্ণ অবস্থায় রয়েছে।
বাড়িটির দরজা জানালা খোয়া যাওয়ার পাশাপাশি এটির গায়ে গাছ গজিয়ে বর্তমানে বাড়িটিকে আবৃত করে ফেলছে। বাড়িটির অভ্যন্তরে কিচিরমিচির আওয়াজ শুনে পাখির উপস্থিতির কথা মনে হলেও প্রকৃতপক্ষে এটি বাদুড়দের সৃষ্ট আওয়াজ। হাজার হাজার বাদুড়ের বাড়িটির ছাদ থেকে ঝুলে থাকা এবং দ্রুতগতিতে ওড়ার সময় এসব বাদুড়ের সৃষ্ট আওয়াজ কিছুটা ভীতিকর হলেও আজকালকার দিনে এমন দৃশ্য চোখে পড়াও দুর্লভ বৈকি।
এই বাড়িটি প্রায় ৫০ বছর থেকে ৬০ বছর পুরাতন যেটি মুন্সী পরিবার নির্মাণ করেছিল। এই পরিবারটি স্থানীয়ভাবে এখনও মর্যাদাসম্পন্ন, বিত্তবান এবং প্রভাবশালি। এই ভবনে মুন্সী পরিবার আর বসবাস না করলেও আশেপাশের কিছু পুরাতন বাসাবাড়িতে এখনও মানুষজন বসবাস করে।
{:}
)
[1] => Array
(
[name] => {:en}Kirtipasha Palace{:}{:bn}কীর্তিপাশা প্রাসাদ{:}
[post_id] => 989
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/kirtipasha-palace/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Kirtipasha-Jomidar-Bari-Jhalakathi-211-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Kirtipasha Palace was named after King Kirty Narayana. Ramjibon sen founded the Kirtipasha palace. The jewels of the family are namely Rohini Roy and Tapon Roy. The contribution of Rohini Roy is Rohiniganj. There is a hospital in that area that is older than the Jhalakathi district hospital. There is also a family living near to the Shiva temple and Shiva's statue.
Kirtipasha Zamindar Bari (কীর্ত্তিপাশা জমিদার বাড়ী) is located at the village Kirtipasha (কীর্ত্তিপাশা) of Jhalokathi district. This is probably a century old house. Now a days, it is abandoned and in a dilapidated condition. For most of the cases only the walls are standing, and the floors or ceilings are disappeared.
The name of the village is after the Zamindar Kirtinarayan Pasha (জমিদার কীর্তি নারায়ণ). And the founder of the Zamindar Bari was Ramjibon Sen. Only one of the building from this massive property was in good condition. Right now that one is a part of a girl's school along with newly built buildings. The Zamindar Bari premise has a Shiva temple inside. And the remaining of a beautiful temple is also exists these days (only the columns and pillars).
{:}{:bn}
কীর্তিপাশা প্রাসাদটি ঝালকাঠি জেলার রাজাপুর উপজেলায় অবস্থিত। কীর্তিপাশা প্রাসাদ নির্মাণ করেন রামজীবন সেন এবং রাজা কীর্তি নারায়নের নামে প্রাসাদটির নামকরন করেন। রোহিণী রায় এবং তপন রায় এই পরিবারটির ‘রত্ন’ বলে পরিচিত। রোহিনিগঞ্জ প্রতিষ্ঠা করেন রোহিণী রায় যেখানে ঝালকাঠি জেলা হাসপাতালের চেয়েও একটি পুরানো হাসপাতাল রয়েছে। এছাড়া এখানে শিবের মূর্তিসহ একটি পারিবারিক শিবমন্দির আছে।
{:}
)
[2] => Array
(
[name] => Tokani Pal House
[post_id] => 8643
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/tokani-pal-house/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TPP-12-300x200.jpg
[post_content] =>
Munshiganj, or Bikrampur as it was formerly known as home to a number of rich landlords and merchants, who lived in palatial houses, built on large estates. Most of these perished in course of time as the mighty Padma River devoured most of Bikrampur. Of all that remain in today’s Munshiganj, the largest is the house at Abdullahpur, known as Tokani Pal House (টোকানী পাল বাড়ি). There isn’t enough source to know about who built this house, but Tokani Pal, an elderly merchant from Barisal, bought this 7 acre estate and moved in here sometime in the early 1890s. His second wife Nabanga Sundary and all six sons from his two marriages accompanied him.
The estate now consists of 11 buildings and six ponds. The sprawling gardens have hundreds of trees – fruit bearing, medicinal, or for wood itself. And there were once several hundreds of flowering plants. But when Tokani arrived, the estate was in a mess. Kamini Pal, the eldest son of Tokani,took charge of cleaning up the estate. He chose a place to set up a temple, dedicated to Radha-Shyam, of whom they had been followers for generations. By this time, the masons of Abdullahpur had made a name in craftsmanship and expertise, and Arfan Ostagar was the most revered of all. He was hired, for a daily fee of five quarters and a pack of tobacco. His designer had to be paid an additional three quarters. A 15X6 feet room was planned to build, with a wide sprawling varanda, where followers could sing devotional songs every evening. The room would have a large platform, on which would rest a large metal statue of Radha-Shyam. The exterior wall would be decorated with fine ceramic designs. Once completed, the temple became a marvel, people from far and wide came over to see.
The Pal’s principal business was surrounded around the Kamala river port of Bikrampur, which was known as the Second Kolkata. Betelnuts, mustard, lentils etc would arrive from Barisal or Chandpur, and would be traded with Kolkata. Almost 20,000 laborers worked daily at this port, where the second largest wholesalers were the Pals. They set up warehouses at places as far as Barisal, Jhalokathhi or Shwarupkathhi, or Chandpur. Kamini Pal also became the most prominent money-lender. Dwarkanath became a prominent dealer in Kerosene oil. Other brothers also chipped in here and there. Business for the Pals was running well.
After the Partition of India, a large section of the family moved to Kolkata. Those who remained to protect the family businesses, soon found it difficult, as business with Kolkata became complicated. They had to explore new business avenues, but that wasn’t too easy.
In 1971, Hindus were being tortured or killed, their businesses were being shut down, their houses were being torched. The Pal estate being protected with a strong high boundary wall became a safe refuge, not only for members of this family, but for members of extended families, and also for friends and their families. About 500 people had found safe shelter here, until one dark night, when the Pakistani Army entered the compounds, killed several family members, and set the main houses of fire. The entire clan moved to India through Agartala.
Almost two years later, Shashadhar Pal, the second son of Dwarkanath Pal, who by then was head of the clan, returned with his family. But by this time major parts of the estate had been grabbed and taken over by others. He tried to revive some of the businesses, but did not quite succeed. His family members went back to Kolkata, but he decided to stay back, reminiscing his childhood memories, and gradually selling off part of their properties. He lived either in one of the houses within this estate, or in the other Pal House, which also was built by his uncle Kamini Pal several decades ago. He passed away in the late 1990s.
)
[3] => Array
(
[name] => Horipur Boro Bari
[post_id] => 6569
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/horipur-boro-bari/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Horipur-Boro-Bari-Brahmanbaria-011-300x225.jpg
[post_content] =>
Horipur Boro Bari, also known as Horipur Zamindar Bari is a mammoth mansion that is located at the Horipur village of Nasirnagar Upazila of Brahmanbaria district. This is exactly adjacent to the bank of the river Titash. From outside it’s hard to get any essence of its antiquity and beauty. This is a capacious mansion having plenty of rooms at the both floor.
From the inscription from a Moth near the area it is found that the owner was Zamindar Krishna Prasad Ray Choudhury (জমিদার কৃষ্ণ প্রসাদ রায় চৌধুরী) who built that around 1343 of Bengali Calendar. At the front side it has a Ghat for taking bath (also may be for taking part in a family gossip during after noon).
Right now, the situation of the building is not good. This is now occupied by lot of poor families (Hindu people from their dress up and religious practice). Due to lack of care, most of the walls are decaying. It’s a two stored building and few portion of the second floor is risky. But still people are living at the ground floor.
The mammoth size, stylish architecture, etc simply implies that how sumptuous the owner was. Though most of the parts are diminished but still there is a portion of a Pasha Ghor exists at the second floor. Probably the owner used to play Pasha with his mates. May be it was a dance floor where the rich Baijee (Dictionary: Dancer) used to perform every night.
Since this is exactly beside the river Titash, lot of people use to visit here with a boat as a part of their picnic. As per the local, this type of picnic party uses to visit frequently during the weekends. And still people from Dhaka know very little about this place. You can explore the river after visiting this old Zamindar Bari. But you may not find any boat for hiring around there. Most of those are the private boats. May be you can request them to use for a while. Just about few hundreds meter apart from the building you'll find a cremation place which was built by the same owner.
)
)
