• This photo feature includes a visit to heritage hotel Bara Kothi in Murshidabad and places to see close to it.

Erstwhile Zamindars of Murshidabad, the Dudhoria family migrated from Rajasthan to Azimganj on the call of the soon to be famed ‘world banker’ Jagat Seth. The ‘Sheherwalis’ as they like to call themselves were Jains setting up businesses in the erstwhile district of Maksudabad, now known as Murshidabad. 

8a History of Shehrwalis.

Budh Singh Dudhoria did not only carry out a successful business but was devoted in philanthropic activities such as feeding the poor, furthering the cause of female education, building shelters for the homeless and many charitable funds. Bari Kothi was his family residence in Murshidabad.

1

Bari Kothi, about four hours from Kolkata, was for half a century. This home located on the banks of River Ganges was magically restored, over 5 years, into the first Grand Heritage Hotel of East India led by brother-sister duo Darshan Dudhoria and Lipika Dudhoria. They engaged Canadian restoration specialist architect Dr. Samar Chandra to restore Bari Kothi, which later turned to a zero waste project. Functioning on the principle of adaptive reuse, Bari Kothi is taken care of by the local community.

2
Now it looks like a beautiful heritage palace hotel with wonderful vegetarian Cuisine.

The Durbar Hall, main dining room of the hotel! All meals are five course vegetarian Jain Cuisine with a fusion of the East and the West.

3 Durbar Hall

“The love for food, especially all things sweet, is an accurate label for any Sheherwali.” Food features prominently in this community, evolving passionately through their 300-year history in Bengal. Sheherwali cuisine is the finest vegetarian spread one can find, even in modern times, and is a wonderful melange of the cuisines of the west and the east of India. Noteworthy is its unique cuisine that is a melting pot of various cultures. 

A vegetable garden stop on the way while cruising on the river! All kinds of fresh vegetables were growing!

4

5 Being welcomed back after the luxury cruise on the boat! At azimganj

7 At Azimganj Jain Temple.

Kathgola Palace in Murshidabad, West Bengal, built by the wealthy Jain Dugar family around the 1800s, is a historic mansion known for its unique blend of Indian and European architecture, featuring intricate carvings, decorative arts, beautiful gardens with ponds, Jain temples, and a museum showcasing family artefacts, offering a glimpse into 18th-century grandeur.

10 At Katgola Garden, Murshidabad.

The House of Jagat Seth Museum, located in Murshidabad, West Bengal, is housed in the ancestral residence of Jagat Seth, a prominent banker and trader of 18th-century India. The family's legacy began with Manik Chand who settled in Murshidabad to establish a money-lending and trading business.

11. At House of Jagat Seth

The Clock Tower of Murshidabad (locally known just as Clock Tower or Ghari Ghar, also known as Big Ben of Murshidabad) is a clock tower in the Nizamat Fort Campus in West Bengal, India. The tower stands in the garden space between the Nizamat Imambara and the Hazarduari Palace. To its east, hardly a few feet away, is the old Madina Mosque and the Bacchawali Tope.

The clock tower was designed by Sagor Mistri, an Indian Bengali assistant of Colonel McLeod, the architect of the Hazarduari Palace.

12
The clock tower is surmounted by a heavy sounding bell. Four masonry shields are placed on the ground level four corners. The dial of the clock tower faces eastwards, towards the Bhagirathi River, most probably for the sailors and passengers travelling on boats.

Unique Fact: The clock tower has reportedly never stopped working since its installation.

The Katra Masjid is a former Shia caravanserai, mosque and tomb, in a partial ruinous state, located in the north eastern side of the city of Murshidabad.

13

The complex contains the tomb of its founder, Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, and is one of the largest caravanserais in the Indian subcontinent, with capacity for 700 readers at any one time. Built in1724, when the early modern Bengal Subah was a major hub of trade in Eurasia, the most striking feature of the structure are the two large corner towers having loopholes for musketry. The structure was significantly damaged by the 1897 Indian earthquake.

14. Our Last Dinner at the Bari Kothi Library! As expected, it was a fabulous Bengali meal at Bari Kothi.

How to reach Bari Kothi

You can fly into Kolkatta from where it is app a 4 hour drive or you can take a train to Azimganj Junction Station from Howrah station as we did. There are regular trains from Azimganj to Kolkatta.

Also read

1. Places to see from Bari Kothi This includes Palace of the Nashipur Royal Family.

2. The magnificent Jain Temples and other Havelis like Nowlakha Kothi, Rajbari, Singhi Kothi, Marble Palace narrates the opulence and glory of the era.

3. Outlook article on Bari Kothi