Siddhakathi Saha Bari

A Haunted House

My visit to Siddhakathi Zamindar Bari in Jhalakathi was quite disappointing, as there is almost nothing left of the palace. With a hopeless feeling, I kept wandering aimlessly around Siddhakathi village, with some local boys accompanying me.

That day, my aimless walk with them led me to an unexpected, thrilling experience. Suddenly, one of the boys told me there is a haunted house, called Saha Bari, near the zamindar bari. The boys started telling me stories about paranormal activities at the abandoned house. I felt excited about visiting the place. But they discouraged me, as they were worried I might get frightened by the supernatural beings! Also, it was difficult to get to the house as the area is now overgrown with dense forest.   

Saha Bari can be found 200 metres from Siddhakathi Zamindar Bari, which is located 4 km from Nalchiti upazila in Jhalakathi district. The ruins of the large building are covered in century-old trees and creepers. I got the impression that the ancient house was built by some rich zamindar. But I came to know from an old villager that the house had belonged to some aristocratic Hindu merchant, who was known by his title ‘Saha’. Once upon a time, the huge property had several buildings. In 1971, the owner left the country. Since then, the house has been left abandoned.

Now let’s come to its structural details. I found the remnants of about six buildings inside the Saha Bari complex. Most of the structures were three-storied and in ruins, covered in thick vegetation. That makes the house more haunting. I was surprised to find some floors dug up inside the house, and asked my travelling companions about it. Their answer surprised me, as well. Local people believe there is hidden treasure inside and greed has led them to dig up the ancient floors of the house.

As the local villagers are superstitious and there are so many heartbreaking stories about the family that lived there, they started considering the fallen house as a haunted one. According to local lore, spirits of the old residents, who endured pain and torture, still keep haunting the villagers. Who knows if the house is haunted or not! But there is no doubt it bears witness to the amazing aristocratic brilliance of those lost days.

Visitors rarely step inside the overgrown area to get a glimpse of this ‘haunted’ house. Unfortunately, there is no one taking care of the abandoned property. If any conservation step is not taken immediately, the heritage structure will disappear altogether. n

Reference: Brihattar Barishal er Oitihashik Nidarshan by Saiful Ahsan Bulbul (2012), and District of Bakerganj-Its History and Statistics (1876).

Photos: Writer.

Siddhakathi Saha Bari

A Haunted House

My visit to Siddhakathi Zamindar Bari in Jhalakathi was quite disappointing, as there is almost nothing left of the palace. With a hopeless feeling, I kept wandering aimlessly around Siddhakathi village, with some local boys accompanying me. That day, my aimless walk with them led me to an unexpected, thrilling experience. Suddenly, one of the boys told me there is a haunted house, called Saha Bari, near the zamindar bari. The boys started telling me stories about paranormal activities at the abandoned house. I felt excited about visiting the place. But they discouraged me, as they were worried I might get frightened by the supernatural beings! Also, it was difficult to get to the house as the area is now overgrown with dense forest. Saha Bari can be found 200 metres from Siddhakathi Zamindar Bari, which is located 4 km from Nalchiti upazila in Jhalakathi district. The ruins of the large building are covered in century-old trees and creepers. I got the impression that the ancient house was built by some rich zamindar. But I came to know from an old villager that the house had belonged to some aristocratic Hindu merchant, who was known by his title Saha. Once upon a time, the huge property had several buildings. In 1971, the owner left the country. Since then, the house has been left abandoned. Now lets come to its structural details. I found the remnants of about six buildings inside the Saha Bari complex. Most of the structures were three-storied and in ruins, covered in thick vegetation. That makes the house more haunting. I was surprised to find some floors dug up inside the house, and asked my travelling companions about it. Their answer surprised me, as well. Local people believe there is hidden treasure inside and greed has led them to dig up the ancient floors of the house. As the local villagers are superstitious and there are so many heartbreaking stories about the family that lived there, they started considering the fallen house as a haunted one. According to local lore, spirits of the old residents, who endured pain and torture, still keep haunting the villagers. Who knows if the house is haunted or not! But there is no doubt it bears witness to the amazing aristocratic brilliance of those lost days. Visitors rarely step inside the overgrown area to get a glimpse of this haunted house. Unfortunately, there is no one taking care of the abandoned property. If any conservation step is not taken immediately, the heritage structure will disappear altogether. n Reference: Brihattar Barishal er Oitihashik Nidarshan by Saiful Ahsan Bulbul (2012), and District of Bakerganj-Its History and Statistics (1876). Photos: Writer.