Horipur Boro Bari beside the river Titash

Tuesday, 07 October 2014

Horipur Boro Bari (হরিপুর বড় বাড়ি), also known as Horipur Jomidar Bari (হরিপুর জমিদার বাড়ী) is a mammoth mansion that is located at the Horipur (হরিপুর) village of Nasirnogor Upazila (নাসিরনগর উপজেলা) of Brahmanbaria district (ব্রাহ্মণবাড়িয়া জেলা). This is exactly adjacent to the bank of the river Titash (তিতাস নদী). From outside its hard to get any essence of it’s antiquity and beauty. This is a capacious mansion having plenty of rooms at the both floor. Unfortunately we do not have much information about the owner of the edifice.

From the internet, and from the inscription from a Moth (মঠ) near the area it is found that the owner was Jomidar Krishna Prasad Ray Choudhury (জমিদার কৃষ্ণ প্রসাদ রায় চৌধুরী) who built that around 1343 (১৩৪৩) of Bengali Calendar. At the front side it has a Ghat (ঘাট) for taking bath (also may be for taking part in a family gossip during after noon). It was the noon when I was there. Several male and female were taking bath there and most of the women were semi nude. That’s why I didn’t take any picture of the Ghat (ঘাট).

Right now the situation of the building is not good. This is now occupied by lot of poor families (seemed to me Hindu people from their dress up and religious practice). Due to lack of care most of the walls are decaying. Its a two stored building and few portion of the second floor is risky. But still people are living at the ground floor.

Poor people live here these days and they grow plants inside the premise.

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 (পাশা ঘর) exists at the second floor. Probably the owner used to play Pasha (পাশা) with his mates. May be it was a dance floor where the rich Baijee (বাঈজী) used to perform every night. Those things are history now. May be we’ll not know anything about this anymore.

This portion is quite unclean and messy.

Since this is exactly beside the river Titash (তিতাস নদী), lot of people use to visit here with a boat as a part of their picnic. I have seen one boat there making loud noise with their devices and enjoying their presence (not sure how they can enjoy such things!). As per the local, this type of picnic party uses to visit frequently during the weekends. And still people from our Dhaka know very little about this place.

You can explore the river after visiting this old Jomidar Bari (জমিদার বাড়ী). But I didn’t see any boat for hiring around there. Most of those were 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.

How to Go:

This Horipur Jomidar Bari (হরিপুর জমিদার বাড়ী) is located at the Horipur (হরিপুর) village of Nasirnogor (নাসিরনগর). But from Madhabpur of Hobiganj (মাধবপুর, হবিগঞ্জ) this will be nearest for you. You can take the bus of Hobiganj (হবিগঞ্জ) and get down from the bus at Madhabpur (মাধবপুর) bazaar, GPS (24° 5’45.90″N, 91°17’25.04″E). From there just take a CNG driven vehicle or any other available public transport to get near the Boro Bari (বড় বাড়ী). Its around 5 kilometer from there.

But we have used a different route as we didn’t have any idea about the exact location of the place. We have leaved our bus at Sarail Bissho Road (সরাইল বিশ্ব রোড). From there we have reached at Nasirnogor (নাসিরনগর) bazaar which was far and unnecessarily lengthy way. From there We have again hired another CNG driven vehicle to come near to this Boro Bari (বড় বাড়ী). The GPS coordinate of the Boro Bari (বড় বাড়ী) is (24° 6’29.41″N, 91°15’26.34″E).

They people who are currently living here have no idea about the aesthetic beauty of this old mansion.
You can see the decaying walls on left.
Two kids are playing.
These are the rooms at second floor remains empty always.
Balcony or corridor at second floor.
Roof beside the second floor.
View of river Titash (তিতাস নদী) from the second floor.
View of the elegant style second floor.
This is another side of the building.
The stair that leads you to the down.
Plant grows into the walls. It was someone’s pride once upon a time, but now no one left here to take any care.
This is the view of inner side.
This is the view of inner side.
This is the view of inner side.
Greek style small columns are affixed with the pillar.
Stair that leads you to the up.
This is a different style stair having a shape of ‘Y’ that leads you to the two sides at second floor.
Pasha Ghor (পাশা ঘর) to play board game.
Tiled floor of Pasha Ghor (পাশা ঘর) locally known as Kori (কড়ি).
Pasha board (পাশার ছক).
A passageway at the other side which current people are using to enter inside from this side.
Some local punks are doing photo session!
Its a lovely sitting place and you can enjoy the beauty of the river from here.
Front side view of the mansion.
Front side view of the mansion.
View of river Titash (তিতাস নদী) from the second floor.
View of river Titash (তিতাস নদী) from the second floor.
View of river Titash (তিতাস নদী) from the second floor.
View of river Titash (তিতাস নদী) from the second floor.
Shoshan Ghat (শশ্মান ঘাট), a place for the cremation of Hindu people, owned by the former owner of this mammoth mansion.
Inundated river Titash (তিতাস নদী) covers the every low grounds from around.
Inundated river Titash (তিতাস নদী) covers the every low grounds from around.
Inundated river Titash (তিতাস নদী) covers the every low grounds from around.
Bhora Nodir Bake (ভরা নদীর বাঁকে).
A racing boat locally known as Baicher Nao (বাইচের নাউ).
Well, its she. A boat-woman.
Highly pumped up kids are playing with a sunken boat amid of the river Titas (তিতাস নদী).

Horipur Boro Bari (হরিপুর বড়বাড়ী),
Upazila: Nasirnagar (নাসিরনগর),
District: Brahmanbaria (ব্রাহ্মণবাড়িয়া),
Country: Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ)
GPS Coordinate: (24° 6’29.41″N, 91°15’26.34″E)

This article is written by Lonely Traveler,
for the blog https://alonelytraveler.com/

0 Comments

  1. Fantastic article with great pictures. Bangladesh is full of hidden treasures

  2. অনেক ভালো লেগেছে।

  3. Thank you for this website. I am learning so much of bangladesh's history.