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European-style estates are not a rarity in West Bengal. With the region’s long history of colonisation, both Kolkata, the current and colonial capital of the state, and Murshidabad, the erstwhile seat of power of Bengal’s nawabs, have many European-style mansions and townhouses in various states of disuse and disrepair scattered throughout them. But to find one, or three, in a quaint village in the Bengal countryside? Now that is a surprise. In Dhanyakuria, though, that is exactly what you will find.
Located about 50 kilometres from Kolkata along the Barasat-Taki Road when driving towards Basirhat, Dhanyakuria is a small settlement with a total population of just over 5,000 people. Once, the area was part of the Sundarbans — the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world spanning over 10,000 square kilometres across India and Bangladesh. But when Basirhat — a nearby town on the banks of the Ichhamati river — became a major trade port in the colonial period, the forest was cleared and Dhanyakuria was converted into a settlement in the 18th century. According to local history, a businessman named Jagannath Das and his family were the first to settle in Dhanyakuria in the 1700s.
Soon, other affluent families like the Mandals, the Gaines, the Sawoos, and the Ballavs settled in Dhanyakuria. Most of these nouveau riche families were involved in trading goods and agricultural produce from the nearby villages with the British and built massive European-style mansions, schools, and hospitals with their newfound wealth.
The most notable of these mansions was built by Mahendranath Gaine, a wealthy landlord (‘zamindar’) and businessman who made his fortune trading jute, jaggery, and rice with the British in the early 19th century. Although run-down now, what remains of the Gaine estate still stand as a testament to the past grandeur of the opulent estate house that resembles an European fairy-tale castle. It was acquired by the British East India Company in the 1800s, and passed to the Indian government after independence. The massive mansion was home to a state-run orphanage until recently, but has been sitting unoccupied and unused since 2018 when the orphanage was moved to another property in the area.
The Gaine estate house is not the only colonial-era mansion that still exists in Dhanyakuria. When the Gaines sold the estate house to the East India Company, they built another magnificent mansion close by. Known today as the Gaine Mansion, this residence, too, was built by Mahendranath, who was a prominent member of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and owned many jute mills in the region.
The pastel-hued, L-shaped Gaine Mansion is an outstanding example of the confluence of colonial architectural influences. The open corridors on either side of the two-storied building are supported by Ionian columns, and the domes and towers display both Bengali, Indo-Saracenic, and European features. While one of the domes feature coloured glass ventilators, the other takes its shape from Deul-style temples. Monojit Gaine, a descendant of Mahendranath, still lives in the mansion with his family. It is a popular shooting location for Bengali period dramas.
On the lane opposite Gaine Mansion is the sprawling white and green Sawoo Mansion. Corinthian columns with stucco details, intricate arches, and stained glass windows are standout features of this luxurious residence built by Patit Chandra Sawoo in the 1800s.
The Ballav Mansion, also known as Ballav Bati (Ballav House), was built by Shyamacharan Ballav around the same time. It is locally known as the ‘putul bari’ or doll house because of the many statues and sculptures that adorn the front façade of the building. Painted in green, white, and gold, the Ballav Mansion is the best-kept of Dhanyakuria’s many mansions.
Besides these European-style mansions, Dhanyakuria — a predominantly Gaudiya Vaishnava settlement — is also home to a two-storied Rashmancha with a ‘navaratna’ or nine-pointed tower architecture indigenous to Bengal. During the Vaishnava Raas festival, local women worship idols of Radha and Krishna at this 200-year-old temple built by the Ballavs.
Only a few hours' drive from Kolkata, Dhanyakuria makes for a refreshing day trip into the Bengali countryside, and the region’s opulent colonial past — especially during Durga Pujo when the village celebrates the festival and all the grand houses are done up with lights.
Find the way to Dhanyakuria here.
