Dhanbari Zamindar House Preserving History and Heritage

Mohammad Ismail 14/06/2023

0 0 4 minutes read

Dhanbari Zamindar Bari is the name of a typical Zamindar home in Bangladesh. Because it is located in Dhanbari of Tangail, it is known as Dhanbari Zamindar Bari. Khan Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury (1863–1929), the first proponent of Bangla as the official language and the first Muslim minister in the British government, created the University of Dhaka. The Nawab Palace or Dhanbari Zamindar Bari is his immortal kirti.

This property owner has an extensive background. Zamindari is said to have been established in Dhanbari by the Mughal generals Ispinjar Khan and Monowar Khan following their victory over Dhanpati Singh during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.

There is no longer a Zamindari government in Bangladesh, hence Dhanbari is not an outlier. Despite the departure of zamindars and zamindaris, the Nawab Palace of Chun-Surki still stands tall as a monument to history. Tourists began to visit the zamindar’s residence over time due to its stunning architecture. As a result, the zamindar’s residence was converted into a picnic place and dubbed the nawab Syed Hasan Ali Royal Resort by the nawab’s heirs. The Light House Group, a private company, is in charge of running the resort.

Due to its magnificent architecture and fine craftsmanship, this medieval zamindar’s mansion, which is located between the Bansai and Bairan rivers, is quite charming. But since the resort’s construction, the attractiveness and modernity of the Nawab Palace have grown. Four domes make up the magnificent Mughal architecture of this century-old Nawab Palace.

The Nawab Manzil, sometimes called the Nawab Palace, is totally surrounded by walls. The palace faces south and has a large porch. There is a huge arcade to the east of the building. There are two rooms for the guards on either side of the arcade. The arcade was built by Zamindar Nawab Ali Chowdhury to welcome the British king. Two residential buildings, as well as flower gardens, zoos, gathering places, naibghars, kacharighars, paikpeada communities, and slave-maid squares, are all still discernible in the walled square area.

Visitors can tour a variety of rooms inside the palace. In addition, you can touch Nawabi relics from the Mughal era that are displayed on the balcony. You’ll be impressed by the Mughal-era furniture. The palace is situated near to the coast of a sizable dighi with 30 bighas. Visitors are welcome to tour and ride on two sampans.

There are also plans to use horses and horse carts to tour the entire resort in traditional Nawabi fashion. If you want, you can watch Garos dance and culture. The resort management must be informed in advance of this. You may see more instances of the long-gone stick game here.

One of the resort’s other prominent attractions is the Nawab Mosque. A mosque with a 700-year history is located very close to the Royal Resort. The elaborate marble stone carvings on the mosque’s floor are a remarkable example of Mughal architecture, as are the mosque’s mosaics. The shrine of Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury is located nearby in a chamber. The Quran has been recited continually and unabatedly since the Nawab’s death in 1929. There are currently seven Curry appointments. They recite the Quran every two hours.

The mosque has undergone various size and aesthetic changes since it was built in the mughal style. The beautiful, majestic minaret sits next to the three-domed mosque. There is tradition everywhere around the mosque. The mosque is on a plot of ground that is around ten kathas in size. The first mosque was rectangular in design. The mosque was originally 4.57 meters (15 feet) wide and 13.72 meters (45 feet) long, but following repairs, its size greatly increased.

It is a square mosque today as opposed to the typical three-domed rectangle Mughal mosque. Since the Reformation, many of its traits have taken on new shapes, while at the same time, its antiquity has substantially diminished and its brilliance increased. The wonderfully crafted mosque has three arched entrances to the east and a total of five doors to the north and south. Even after being rebuilt and renovated, the mosque’s three domes and five entrances exude an impression of antiquity.

According to tradition, three mihrabs have been built on the qibla wall inside the mosque at the three entrances to the east. The central mihrab niche is decorated with floral embellishments and octagonal, multi-grooved arches. featuring two parallel arches without adornment and several grooves. There is a pulpit next to the main mihrab. The interior of the mosque is decorated with porcelain shards and mosaic patterns, the bulk of which have floral patterns.

There is an ancient cemetery with a half-bigha wall surrounding it. A mosque is additionally close by. The mosque is said to have been founded by Ispinzar Khan and Monowar Khan. 200 people may simultaneously offer prayers in this mosque. Three chandeliers from the Mughal era still hang in the mosque. Another location where you can witness tradition in action is the Nawab Palace. Just 30 taka are required for entrance to the resort.

Finding the House of Dhanbari Zamindar

As it makes its way from Tangail in Dhaka to the Mahakhali Bus Terminal in Dhaka, the exchange transit bus makes a halt in front of Rajbari in Dhanbari. However, because of local transportation, it takes 6 to 7 hours to travel to Dhanbari. Additionally, Nirala Paribahan buses from Mahakhali can travel for Tk 160 to Tangail before continuing on with CNG or an auto-rickshaw to Rajbari.

A Place to stay

You’ll show up dressed in nawabi style. But that depends on how skilled you are. There are four different types of houses. Palaces include the manzil (the main palace), palace (the kachari ghar), villa (a 200-year-old tinshed building), and cottage (a more modern tinshed home). In the manzil and palace, the Nawabs made use of antique furnishings including cots and sofas. The homes and cottages won’t have furniture in the nawab style, though. The rent varies from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000 each month. Working together will result in a substantial discount. In Madhupur Upazila Sadar, three residential hotels with the names Aditya, Saikat, and Dreamtouch are also accessible close to Dhanbari Nawab Palace. They have well constructed AC and non-AC rooms.

The courtyard of this zamindar’s house welcomes hundreds of local and foreign visitors each day. They travel, gain knowledge, and then peacefully return home. You can do that now because Eid is here.