So Many Ways to Unwind
History

The Bari Kothi was built in the late 1700s. The name of the house, Bari Kothi (literally meaning the Palace of the Elder), was coined in the late 1800s since it was the house of the elder (bari) brother, Rai Bahadur Budh Sing Dudhoria, a significant member of the Shehrwali community.

The Unknown Wealth Capital of the World

Murshidabad

MURSHIDABAD, the last capital city of independent Bengal is situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi and is known for its rich culture and heritage.
The region has witnessed some of the most significant events of Indian history including the erstwhile Nawabs of Bengal to the Battle of Plassey. The wealth, opportunities and significance of the region in the 1700s attracted the wealthiest merchants from across India to migrate to Murshidabad. This led to Murshidabad witnessing a confluence of cultures and giving birth to its very own, unique culture of mélange.
Having contributed over 5% of the GDP of the World in the late 1700s and early 1800s, it is lost in time, today.

Jain Merchant families from Rajasthan

The Sheherwalis

Coined in the 18th Century, the word Sheherwalis mean “City dwellers”
A long time ago, a community of businessman from Rajasthan migrated to the (then) land of opportunities, Murshidabad. These Rajasthani businessmen called themselves “Sheherwalis” and worked tirelessly to create their empires in textile and banking and went on to become Zamindars. The Sheherwalis, over generations, adapted to the then prevalent cultural influences in the region namely, Mughal, British, Bengali and European and as such created their own unique culture, which was a mélange of all these global influences.
The Sheherwalis settled in the twin cities of Azimganj-Jiaganj and made the towns famous for having more wealth than the combined wealth of the (then) British aristocracy.
It is said that the combined wealth of 20-30 Sheherwali families surpassed that of the British aristocracy of that time.

Dilapidation

Fall of Murshidabad

Then the sun had to set in Murshidabad and after the infamous Battle of Plassey (1757), the region of Murshidabad started losing its opulence and wealth. The last independent Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daula backed by his French allies waged a battle against the company but were quickly defeated the Company’s army led by Robert Clive. This resulted in EIC taking full administrative powers over its territories, including the political domination of the entire Indian subcontinent.
Soon the capital of Bengal shifted from Murshidabad to Calcutta and so did the economy; eventually making the region entirely abandoned.

Murshidabad now has a various names ranging from the ‘Unknown Wealth Capital of the World’ to the ‘Forgotten Capital of Bengal’. Most of the Sheherwalis moved to Calcutta and abandoned their houses. The palaces were locked down and the beautiful temples and mosques were left in ruins for more than 50 years.

Bari Kothi restored to it's former glory

Restoration

Acclaimed restoration specialist, Architect and Dr. Samar Chandra from Canada has undertaken many heritage buildings, landscape and hotel projects in former USSR-Samarkand and Bukhara within Uzbekistan; re-designed homes in Canada & U.S.A and have also presented a topic on ‘Remetic Architecture’ at World Design Summit—Montréal 2017.
In a period of 5 years, the property was back in its former glory and ready to mesmerize the tourists from around the globe. But it wasn’t an easy task!
The end objective of the restoration was not to restore the building but to restore the sole of Bari Kothi. Hence, it was important to create a self-sustaining ecosystem for Bari Kothi, where Bari Kothi to sustain itself for another century. This vision gave birth to the first-ever Rustic Luxury Heritage Hotel of Murshidabad.

Restoration

Project Priceless

“Given the poor state of affairs in the region, the lack of skilled masons, artisans, plumbers and engineers located near the site posed a problem. And since the family was also keen the local eco-system, the project took a lot more time and painstaking effort in acquiring resources. From restoring beams made of teak wood to working on the vintage furniture, the restoration of Bari Kothi involved a lot of attention to detail, enough so Bari Kothi would last another century or more.” The actual ground work of the restoration was carried out by very ordinary and unskilled labour from the local community and that became the ethos of the project. One of the other big challenges in the Project was the lack of proper and modern equipment which made the entire exercise very labourious. However, the end result was that more than 50 unskilled labourers became skilled labourers and now are trained enough to restore old structures.
The icing on the cake was that the Project made them also earn enough money to build their own pucca houses.

Heritage

Heritage conservation deals with actions or processes that are aimed at safeguarding the character-defining elements of a cultural resource so as to retain its heritage value and extend its physical life. One of the primary goals behind the restoration of Bari Kothi was reviving the value of the tangible and intangible assets associated with the place.

Reservations

+91 9051200800
Hidden gems of Murshidabad

Tangible Assets

According to the UNESCO Convention on the World Heritage Sites (WHS) in 1972, Tangible Heritage Assets refer to all physical artifacts, such as architectural works, monuments and temples which are known for their socio-cultural importance for humanity.
Murshidabad, a district in West Bengal has some of the best architectural marvels in the country. It was only recently, that the local and state government; individuals and NGOs have come together to revive these monuments and properties to bring back Murshidabad on the global tourists map.
For us, it is not just the structure (building) of Bari Kothi that regarded as an asset,but also our centuries old books, utensils, coins, etc.are preserved with utmost care.

The life force of Murshidabad

Intangible Assets

Bari Kothi stands rich in not just tangible assets but also the intangible ones. Heritage and Humanity informs our core values. Bari Kothi has taken care to dutifully preserve it's intangible assets in terms of the assets conserved with care does not only include the monuments and the antiques. The intangible assets are prized with just as importance.
The cultural elements that bounded Sheherwali life have all been dutifully restored and retained. Like performing 'aarti' while welcoming a guest or the cultural evenings brimming with tunes of 'baul' or 'fakiri' music. Everything from the Raibeshe dance to the local traditions and customs observed centuries back have all been conserved. Preservation of intangible assets also meant the preservation of our special Sheherwali cuisine, the spices used in it and recipe that has been passed on generation after generation.