There are so many heritage towns in India , that even local tourism can bring back a lot of the vibe of their peak times. Murshidabad is one of them. Where Nawabs and Marwari Jain bankers once ruled. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges River. In the Mughal period it was the capital of Bengal. In 1704, Murshid Quli Khan, the Diwan of Bengal under Aurangzeb transferred the capital from Dacca (now Dhaka in Bangladesh), and renamed the city Murshidabad after his own name. In 1716, he attained the title of Nawab (ruler) of the Subah (province) of Bengal, and Murshidabad became his capital. Warren Hastings removed the supreme civil and criminal courts to Calcutta in 1772, but in 1775 the latter courts were brought back to Murshidabad again. In 1790, under Lord Cornwallis, the entire revenue and judicial staffs were moved to Calcutta. The Murshidabad Heritage Development Society was envisaged with the aim of preserving the past, building on the present and looking into the future where Murshidabads past glory is restored in its entire splendor. Their Mentor is Acharya Padmasagarsuri Swarji Maharaj . Sherwali cuisine is a fusion of Rajasthani, Bengali, Nawabi and Mughali food. We have already had the food trials at Taj and ITC hotels and it has been a huge hit. This vegetarian cuisine will be another part of lost history that would be revamped and re-introduced to Murshidabad, said Pradip Chopra, President of MHDS and chairman of Kolkata real estate company PS Group A British historian once reported that the combined wealth of the billionaire families residing within a single square kilometer covering the twin towns of Azimganj & Jiaganj was more than the entire wealth of the British Aristocracy at one point in time. The strong banking communities were led by Jagat Seth and other Oswal Jain families who made their homes in this region. Their wealth and prosperity were legendary. The Murshidabad Heritage Development Society will aim to help restore the numerous large havelis, mansions, palaces and gardens designed by world renowned European Architects that today lie neglected. Jagat Seth was a rich businessman and Money lender from Murshidabad, Bengal during the time of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula. He came from a rich Jain Marwari business family in Murshidabad. His spiritual guru was Jain Acharya Sri Bhratruchandra Suri. The Seths were among the most powerful bankers of India during the first half of 18th century. Roben Orme (official historian of East India Company) described Jagat Seths as the greatest shroff (money changer) and banker in the known world. He, along with Omichund and Mir Jafar joined the successful conspiracy against the Nawab, engineered by Robert Clive, due to which the Nawab lost the battle of Plassey. The British thus established the first colony in India. Mir Jafar was installed as the puppet ruler of Bengal. The Jagat Seth family were beheaded in 1763, during the reign of Mir Jafars successor, by the troops of Mir Kasim. Mir Kasim had initially been installed by the East India Company as a puppet, but had attempted to rebel. Murshidabad, Bengals capital in the Mughal period and home to over 100 palaces, havelis, mansions and gardens, may soon regain its lost glory with their owners joining hands to renovate the decrepit structures and leverage them for tourism. Come 2018 and 97 of these palaces, including the reputed Kathgola Palace and Gardens, Naulakha Kothi and Singhi Kothi, will have a new look - and some would have been transformed into hotels and restaurants. The palaces are now in the custody of the of the descendants of the original owners, who have formed the Murshidabad Heritage Development Society (MHDS) to take up the renovation work. Murshidabad, about 200 km north of Kolkata, was the centre of governance in 18th century eastern India and the base from which the British established their rule over India. After the administrative centre was shifted to the bank of the Bhagirathi River in 1701, the trading community from Jodhpur migrated to Bengal, sensing the potential for enhanced financial opportunity. They settled in the areas of Mahimapur, Jyaganj and Azimganj and became known as the Sherwali community and over the years they accumulated vast amounts of wealth, becoming an important factor in Bengals economy. There are 14 temples and 97 palaces on the heritage property list with the MHDS and more are to be identified, said Sandip Nowlakha, the founder of the society and owner of a speciality restaurant chain. economictimes.indiatimes/articleshow/45314620.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst mhds.in/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murshidabad
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 14:23:14 +0000