Destination India

West Bengal (PART-XVIII)

Hooghly (2)

Imambara

The Imambara, built by Hazi Mohammad Mohsin, is situated on the bank of river Ganga in Chinsurah. The construction of the building started in the year 1841 and was completed in 1861, at the cost of Rs.2,17,413/- including a clock procured from England at  the cost of Rs.11,721/-.The two storied building consists of several rooms and has a wide entrance, with the main gate flanked by two 80 ft tall towers and a massive clock tower between them.

The walls are decorated with texts from Holy Koran and the interior is enriched with marbles, candle and lanterns. The mosque is situated north of the building. At the south there is an enclosed compound where the graves of Md. Mohasin & his relatives are present.

Hangseswari Temple

 

 

 

Hangseswari Temple is one of the very important temple among all the temples in Hooghly District & seven in West Bengal.  The structure of the  temples is the representation of 'Tantrik Satchakrabhed'. This 5 storied 'thirteen ratna' temple is situated near the Bansberia and Tribeni railway station  both of which is on the Howrah-Katwal main line. This 21 m high 19th century temple has 13 towers. The top of each tower is shaped as a lotus flower.  The main deity is made up of blue-neem wood. The five storey idol of Ira, Pingala, Bajraksha, Sushumna and Chitrini follows the structure of a human body.

Near to this temple there are also two other important temple named Ananta Basudeba Temple, which is decorated with very rich teracotta pointed plates and Swanbhaba Kali Temple built by Nrisinhadeb in 1788. 

Debanandapur

 

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Debanandapur village is the birthplace of Katha Silpi Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, who was born on 15th September 1876. This village is one of the seven important villages, which formed the Sapta Gram during the Mughal era.

The dwelling place of Sarat Chandra is still present there and is frequented by tourists year-round. A library named Sarat Smrithi Pathagar and a museum housing belongings of the famous writer is present there. Four atchala temples of the 19th century can also be found there. Tourists having archaeological interests can visit the old Dol Mancha within the premises.

Chandannagar Museum & Indo French Institute

Among the cultural organizations of the Hoogly district, the most important is the “Institute De Chandannagar” is State-managed (Education Department) and recognized by the Government of India and France. The residence of the rest while French Administrator was set apart as an union property for locating the cultural centre but the supposed lack of French interest a pancity of French surveyors led to an alternate proposed being mooted in March 1955 for having a municipal museum. In February 1965 Mosieur Pompidre, the French Prime Minister by discussion with Lal Bahadur Sastri mutually agreed to set up the cultural centre in Indo-French collaboration not merely for the parochial benefit of Chandannagar, but for the Eastern India as a whole in 1966.   

The library and reading room was started with the donated book of Harihar Sett, a prominent citizen of Chandannagar along with a separate children corner. In 1956 the art gallery and museum was already started. The museum contains exhibits connected with local history of Chandannagar things used by Dupleix including a marble bust of him, various crafts and archaeological evident lain discovered in the District since the Gupta period. The library is indeed a rich storehouse of information relating to the administration of the last while French pockets in India.

 Image Courtesy: https://www.google.co.in/?gws_rd=cr&e