Visit to Rudrakar’s zamindar’s house in Shariatpur.
The Rudrakar Union Parishad office is on the Dhaka Damudya Highway, about five kilometers south-east of the Shariatpur district town. An awkward methopath has already passed on the west side. From the highway to Wur. As soon as you step on this path, you will see the location of Babu Bari Math adjacent to Zamindar Bari and Babu Bari.
It is not known when the zamindar’s house was originally built. However, above the main gate of the first building at the entrance of the zamindar’s house is inscribed the renovation of the building by Sri Sri Laxminarayan, Nilmoni Chakraborty Mahasaya 1296 BS. At present, the three buildings of the zamindar’s house have maintained their existence and are standing still with their exquisite construction style. Two of the three buildings still have three-story landmarks. However, there is nothing left but the first floor of the other building. According to locals.
There were still eight to ten adjoining buildings. Which extended as far as Babu Bari Math. The three-storey buildings were the residence. The rest were court rooms, warehouses, kitchens and dance halls. Apart from this, there was a building adjacent to the monastery and no place of worship now. Apart from this, there were some secret rooms under the ground in the zamindar’s house i.e. Babu’s house. Underground which is now submerged beneath the mound of soil destruction. The idea is that they can still exist if the soil is dug. Lately, a part of the zamindar’s house is being damaged by the occupiers.
The largest and most attractive architecture of the zamindar house is the Babubari or the Shashman Mandir of the zamindar house. This monastery is being destroyed due to carelessness and negligence. Precious metals and stones are being stolen from the monastery. Adjacent to the magnificent clear water pond surrounded by magical nature and trees, the monastery is well known as a picnic to the locals and outsiders. However, there is no mention of when the monastery was built.
It is thought that the monastery may have been built by Babu Gurucharan Chakraborty, the then zamindar of Rudrakar, to immortalize the tomb of Mother Rashmoni Devi at some point during the reign of Naba Alivardikhan (1804-1857). There are multiple rooms inside the monastery and on the second floor of the monastery i.e. from where the main tower starts from where the main tower starts there are four small sized towers (10-12 feet) at the four corners. Besides, on the third floor of the monastery, the decoration of the four goddess idols around the main tower is eye-catching.
Even two decades ago, many people would go to see the two tiger statues at the entrance of the monastery, which is now ruined. The monastery is getting dilapidated day by day due to lack of conservation facilities. Its construction style is very similar to that of Lisa Tower in Italy, so some people also call it Lisa Tower in Sharipur. Due to the small holes in the monastery, it has now become a safe haven for thousands of birds. The area is always buzzing, especially with the chirping of birds.
Rudrakar’s zamindar Babura carried out several renovations in the area, including the construction of roads. In 1925, Rudrakar’s then zamindar Babu Nilmoni Chakraborty Mahasaya built a school called Rundrakar Nilmoni High School. Shortly after the war of independence in 1971, the family of Lal Chakraborty, the last zamindar of Rudrakar, migrated to India. From then on the zamindar’s house went into the hands of the local occupiers. At present, a few days ago, miscreants stole precious metals and iron sheets from the high peak of the monastery. The locals are seeking government initiatives to preserve the architecture of this old traditional zamindar house.