Barisha

Barisha (বড়িশা) is a residential locality of Kolkata.It is historically one of the oldest localities. Being, the abode of the great Sabarna Roy Choudhury family, Barisha is also known today for being the home of the Indian Cricket idol Sourav Ganguly.

Location

Barisha is situated in the southwest of Kolkata( Calcutta, its earlier name) and at a distance of about 10 kilometers from the city centre Esplanade, it is now under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and is spread over four wards -123,124,125 and 126. The area starts from Vivekananda Women's College in the north and is spread to Thakurpukur in the south. The Diamond Harbour Road and the James Long Sarani runs through the heart of Barisha.

History

The origin of the name is a matter of research. According to the sources of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad three theories have been put forward.

Laksmikanta got the Jaigirdari of huge area of lands in 1608 from Man Singha, It was then that the place of Barisha came under his dominion. He started a Durga puja here in 1610, which is at present the oldest durga puja of Bengal. Also in total, Seven Durga pujas are being held in the family at present. The descendants of Laksmikanta later on started living here and carried on developmental works and since then it is the biggest settlement of the Sabarna family.

The family also established other pujas like Chandi puja, Jagatdhatri puja etc. and also founded a large number of temples like the Annapurna Temple, Radhakanto temple, Twelve Shiva temples etc. The Barisha Rathayatra Utsav started in 1719 is the oldest in the city and is quite famous. [Bangiya Sabarna Katha Kalishetra Kalikatah by Bhabani Roy Choudhury, Manna Publication. ISBN-81-87648-36-8] [http://www.devarshi.faithweb.com Sabarna Prithivi]

There is also a Lord Jagannath Temple(at least 150 years old) at Sakherbazar.

Famous persons

Most notably recalled for being the home of great poet Mohitlal Majumdar, Indian Test cricketer Sourav Ganguly, singer Dipali Nag and actor Arun Banerjee, this predominantly Bengali neighborhood boasts of producing exceptional talents in academia and arts.

Places of interest

Chowrasta

Chowrasta this is the gateway to Barisha. Its a four point crossing that takes you to Behala in the north, Tollygunge to the East and Shakuntala Park to the west. Chowrasta is also synonymous to be celebrated neighborhood of Sourav Ganguly, his residence is merely a few metres away from the 4-point crossing.

SakherBazar

Houses the local flea market. This market was founded by Tarini Charan Roy Choudhury of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family. Visitors should be careful while negotiating the crossing, for its highly crowded during peak hours.

Sabarna Sangrahashala

Sabarna Sangrahashala is the family museum of the Sabarna family. It is located at Baro Bari. This museum is a great attraction to the visitors who want to know about the family and about the history of Kolkata. The museum is also a research centre. It has been developed by Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad [Bangiya Sabarna Katha Kalishetra Kalikatah by Bhabani Roy Choudhury, Manna Publication. ISBN-81-87648-36-8] [http://www.sabarna.faithweb.com Sabarna Prithivi]

Douglas Grounds

This estate houses the only local church, the only local cricket ground and training facility, one football ground, one kindargarten school, a flower nursery, and a gigantic pond. The cricket centre was formerly run by Sourav Ganguly's father Chandi Ganguly and this where the kid Sourav learned the basics of the game. Lined with acacia & eucalyptus trees Douglas Grounds is a calm and well protected place, that stands out exceptionally from this crowded and noisy locality of Kolkata.

References

External links

* [http://www.devarshi.faithweb.com Sabarna Prithivi - The Official website of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad]

See also

* Sabarna Roy Choudhury
* Sabarna Sangrahashala