Bibi Ashrofnesa House

There are several monuments in the world which were built in the name of love. When we think of the most famous one, most of us will visualize the Taj Majal in Agra, India. But most of us do not even know there is a palace in Bangladesh which tells the story of a legendary love. Today, let me present Bibi Ashrofnesa House, one of the most beautiful palaces of the country.

The palace complex is located at Muraridah Mahallah in Jhenaidah, on the north side of Nabaganga River, about 3km from the city centre. Salimulla Chowdhury built the palace in 1829 (1236 BS). Salimulla was popularly known as Selim Chowdhury or Mia Saheb. So, the palace is also known as Mia’r Dalan, Chowdhury Bari or Selim Chowdhury’r Bari.

Selim Chowdhury’s family home was in Padmabila village in Shalikha upazila of Magura district. His father was a diwan (high official) of the Naldanga Raj. He had considerable influence on the royal family due to his hard work, and he earned a lot of wealth and fame.

After the death of his father, Selim inherited his father’s title and fortune. One day, Selim fell in love with a Hindu woman, named Murari, and married her. However, his family did not accept the marriage and so, Selim left Padmabila village along with his new bride. They travelled on a large boat on the Nabaganga River in search of a new place to live.

After a few days, the couple reached a place in Jhenaidah and decided to settle there, probably due to its natural beauty. Selim Chowdhury named the new place ‘Muraridah’ after his wife. She later changed her name to Bibi Ashrofnesa. Gradually, Chowdhury acquired enough wealth from the Naldanga Raj and built a spectacular palace at Muraridah. He named the palace ‘Bibi Ashrofnesa House’ in honour of his wife. Selim lived there with his wife until his death.

Now, let’s come to the structural details of the palace complex. It is a massive two-storied building, with superb Corinthian columns. Inside the palace, there is a south-facing staircase that was used to reach the roof on the east and south portion, while another stairway on the north side was used to get to the roof from the outside.

There are 26 rooms of different sizes in the palace. There is an attic, which was built as a prayer room, which was covered in white marble. There are bow-shaped curved cornices above doors and windows. The exterior wall, wall panels, arches, panels above arches, columns and cornices of the palace are elegantly adorned with floral patterns.

As the palace was built on the bank of the Nabaganga, it was necessary to construct a strong, thick brick foundation for the boundary wall to prevent the strong river currents from damaging the complex. At the main entrance of the palace, some information related to its construction is carved in lyrical language. It cost Taka 75,000 to build the complex at that time, it says.

At present, the palace structure is in a vulnerable condition. The ceilings are crumbling, the floors are damaged and there are cracks in the walls. If the palace is not preserved immediately, it will be in ruins soon. The complex is not listed as a protected site by the Department of Archaeology. It is one of the least visited sites in Bangladesh, though the palace offers attractive features for heritage lovers. n

References: Jashor Khulnar Itihash, Vol-2 : A History of Jessore and Khulna, Satish Chandra Mitra, 1914; A Report on the District of Jessore: Its Antiquities, Its History, Its Commerce, 1871.

Bibi Ashrofnesa House

There are several monuments in the world which were built in the name of love. When we think of the most famous one, most of us will visualize the Taj Majal in Agra, India. But most of us do not even know there is a palace in Bangladesh which tells the story of a legendary love. Today, let me present Bibi Ashrofnesa House, one of the most beautiful palaces of the country. The palace complex is located at Muraridah Mahallah in Jhenaidah, on the north side of Nabaganga River, about 3km from the city centre. Salimulla Chowdhury built the palace in 1829 (1236 BS). Salimulla was popularly known as Selim Chowdhury or Mia Saheb. So, the palace is also known as Miar Dalan, Chowdhury Bari or Selim Chowdhuryr Bari. Selim Chowdhurys family home was in Padmabila village in Shalikha upazila of Magura district. His father was a diwan (high official) of the Naldanga Raj. He had considerable influence on the royal family due to his hard work, and he earned a lot of wealth and fame. After the death of his father, Selim inherited his fathers title and fortune. One day, Selim fell in love with a Hindu woman, named Murari, and married her. However, his family did not accept the marriage and so, Selim left Padmabila village along with his new bride. They travelled on a large boat on the Nabaganga River in search of a new place to live. After a few days, the couple reached a place in Jhenaidah and decided to settle there, probably due to its natural beauty. Selim Chowdhury named the new place Muraridah after his wife. She later changed her name to Bibi Ashrofnesa. Gradually, Chowdhury acquired enough wealth from the Naldanga Raj and built a spectacular palace at Muraridah. He named the palace Bibi Ashrofnesa House in honour of his wife. Selim lived there with his wife until his death. Now, lets come to the structural details of the palace complex. It is a massive two-storied building, with superb Corinthian columns. Inside the palace, there is a south-facing staircase that was used to reach the roof on the east and south portion, while another stairway on the north side was used to get to the roof from the outside. There are 26 rooms of different sizes in the palace. There is an attic, which was built as a prayer room, which was covered in white marble. There are bow-shaped curved cornices above doors and windows. The exterior wall, wall panels, arches, panels above arches, columns and cornices of the palace are elegantly adorned with floral patterns. As the palace was built on the bank of the Nabaganga, it was necessary to construct a strong, thick brick foundation for the boundary wall to prevent the strong river currents from damaging the complex. At the main entrance of the palace, some information related to its construction is carved in lyrical language. It cost Taka 75,000 to build the complex at that time, it says. At present, the palace structure is in a vulnerable condition. The ceilings are crumbling, the floors are damaged and there are cracks in the walls. If the palace is not preserved immediately, it will be in ruins soon. The complex is not listed as a protected site by the Department of Archaeology. It is one of the least visited sites in Bangladesh, though the palace offers attractive features for heritage lovers. n References: Jashor Khulnar Itihash, Vol-2 : A History of Jessore and Khulna, Satish Chandra Mitra, 1914; A Report on the District of Jessore: Its Antiquities, Its History, Its Commerce, 1871.