BANKERS ON THE BANKS OF THE HOOGHLY RIVER

JAINISM IS AN ANCIENT Indian religion still practised today. The Jains, members of this religion, believe, amongst many other things, in non-violence towards all members of the animal kingdom, from microbes to elephants. For this reason they are vegetarian and will not eat anything that grows beneath the surface of the soil for fear of killing creatures that might be attached to them. Thus, Jains will avoid eating, for example, onions, carrots, and potatoes.

Recently, I read that Jains do not go in for farming because by tilling the soil there is a risk that creatures living in it might be harmed. For reasons that include this, the Jains tend to be a business and banking community.

In the eighteenth century, some Jain families migrated from arid Rajasthan to fertile Bengal and settled around Murshidabad. It is said that these people helped persuade the rulers of Bengal to move their capital from Dhaka to what is now Murshidabad. Some of these Jains, known as the Sherherwalis, became bankers to the Nawab, and consequently became extremely wealthy.

One of these Sherherwali bankers, Rai Bahadur Budh Sing Dudhoria, constructed a huge mansion, now known as ‘Bari Kothi’, close to the river Hooghly in what is now the small city of Azimganj (near Murshidabad). The huge edifice, which was restored a few years ago, is built around seven courtyards. It is lavishly decorated in a style that would have been familiar to the family when it was enjoying its heyday. Today, it is used as a luxurious ‘heritage’ hotel, which is famed for its Jain food.

When the banker, who lived at Bari Kothi, told the Nawab that he wanted to move away from Murshidabad because he lacked the company of fellow Jains, the ruler allotted land on both sides of the river to the Jain community, and told the banker to invite other Jains to make their homes there. 97 families arrived.

The combined wealth of the 30 or so Sherherwali families who settled in the Azimganj area was so great that it exceeded that of the entire English aristocracy. This was sometime before 1757, when the Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated by the British at the Battle of Palashi (Plassey). After that, Bengal’s capital shifted to Kolkata, as did most of the Sherherwalis.

Bari Kothi was badly damaged during the Naxalite disturbances in the 1970s. It was beautifully restored under the supervision of the architect Dr Samar Chandra. We visited the place today (15 January 2025) and were shown around the maze of corridors, rooms, and courtyards. Our guide showed us parts of the building that are still undergoing careful restoration. What has already been restored and is used by hotel guests is superbly done. For those seeking a glorious ‘heritage’ experience, a few days at Bari Kothi will not be disappointing. However, for those hoping for a fried egg at breakfast time, this is most certainly not available.