Hetampur Rajbari (Birbhum) - History, How To Reach, Architecture

Hetampur is a well-known village in the Suri sub-division of Birbhum District in West Bengal.

Situated near Dubrajpur, this village is famous for the Royal and historical palace of Hetampur (Hetampur Rajbari) and the reputed college.

Formerly known as Ranjan Palace, this Rajbari was so-called to honor the one who commissioned the palace.

The Rajbari was built in the shape of a castle with 999 doors, after which it is named Hetampur HajarDuari.

Hetampur also has many iconic terracotta temples in various styles of architecture.

In this article, you will get to know the following points about the Hetampur Rajbari,

How to reach
History
Architecture
Nearby attractions

Let’s see each of these points in detail.

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How to reach Hetampur Rajbari

Dubrajpur, Suri, Birbhum, and Durgapur are located close to Hetampur Rajbari. You can get SBSTC and private buses through which you can reach Hetampur Rajbari.

You can also get buses from Esplanade to reach Siuri. From there, you can travel to Hetampur.

Hetampur Rajbari is almost 1.5 hours distant from Siuri. It takes approximately 5 hours to reach Hetampur from Kolkata via NH19.

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History of Hetampur Rajbari

The history of Hetampur is associated with Hetam Khan, who defeated Raghab Roy.

The name of the mansion was originally Ranjan Prasad. It belonged to the Chakravarty family and was built by Raja Ramranjan Chakravarty.

Now the living quarters of this palace are sometimes available for the family members who come and stay occasionally.

Entry to these living areas is restricted. The mansion also houses a DAV school and a B.ed School.

Hetampur Rajbari Architecture

The Maharajah Ram Ranjan Chakravarty built this grand palace of Hetampur.

Entrance

The entrance is quite charming, with Greek-style figurines over it. The red-bricked gate embedded with pillars attracts visitors. The front of the palace is crudely painted in yellow. The colossal structure with a fusion architecture reflects the glory of the mansion.

The doorway itself is thought to be an imposing building that resembles a massive Gothic church. The wealthy entrance is a distinct reminder of the former rulers’ influence over the local population in terms of wealth and power.

The entranceway is made more attractive by slender overhanging eaves supported on evenly placed brackets and topped by several female figurines with extended arms.

Courtyard

Four small tin enclosures surround a sizable courtyard on the ground floor. These iron containers were used to store grains, particularly rice.

They are referred to as “Dhaaner Gola” in Bengali. These enclosures’ tiny doors still have their original, antiquated locks on them.

On the walls around the courtyard, there are stucco designs.

Paintings

You can see plenty of fresco paintings in Hetampur Rajbari.

Two palace chambers have been transformed into classrooms today. This space serves as a repository for original paintings.

The paintings are incredibly decorated with floral themes and colors and can be found in arched recesses above the entrances to the chamber.

Around the arched doors and on the light switches, there are beautiful frescoes that show episodes and tales from Indian mythology.

Large green, pink, and four-pointed star motifs are inlaid with other flower patterns on the roof above the large stairway.

Surprisingly, each of these paintings still preserves its original color, and the wall decorations are still visible on the walls.

Interiors

The palace includes hallways as well.

Hetampur Palace’s left wing, called the “feminine portion of the rajbari,” is the home to the kitchen of the grand palace.

The vast palace, which previously possessed unparalleled sophistication and beauty in this region, featured excellent hardwood furniture, now rests dilapidated with broken fragments.

Many teak wood doors from Burma are either stolen or missing.

The palace’s interior is in even worse condition than the exterior.

This is clear from the wooden partitions and semi-walls, as well as from the ground, which has been divided into distinct areas for the various families residing here.

Compared to the ground floor, Rajbari’s first floor is much more well-maintained.

There is a trap door on the first floor stairway.

Here, the walls still have their original appearance. These walls are covered with beautifully framed pictures.

Several doors connect the rooms. Each entrance has magnificent fresco paintings on the arch.

This floor’s interior is musty, filled with old documents, wood shavings, and a heap of hay lying along one of its sides.

Other structures

An antelope and unicorn denote the royal emblem of Hetampur Rajbari.

Two majestic white buildings stand on either side of the grand palace. This structure houses a college and a school. They have a lesser number of doors than the main palace.

A tiny route passes between the narrow lane of the school and college where a royal chariot is kept.

A set of stairs next to the white palatial building leads to a sizable pond.

Satyajit Ray, Tarun Majumdar, Dilip Roy, Mrinal Sen, Raja Sen, and other well-known film directors frequently used the beautiful palace of Hetampur Rajbari to shoot films.

Several scenes from Bengali films, including “Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne,” “Ganadebata,” “Abhijan,” and “Mrigaya,” were filmed in Hetampur Rajbari.

The gateway’s splendor is overwhelming and is also a gateway to the past glories.

It reminds us of the historical significance and grandeur of Bengal previously.

It is undeniably a cultural and architectural legacy that must be protected and maintained well for future generations.

Other attractions near Hetampur

There are many places to visit near Hetampur. Rajnagar is an old site with a grand palace.

Apart from that, the striking Motichur Mosque, the Grave of Sherina Biwi, and a historic Imambarah are some of the prime attractions.

These are some points to know about the Hetampur Rajbari in Birbhum.

Beautiful ghats and a serene ambiance will make your trip to Hetampur memorable.

Cover Photo Credits: Pinakpani, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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