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{{Short description|Choudhury Zamindars of Jagtai}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{infobox family
| native_name= জগতাই চৌধুরী বাড়ি
|image=File:Durga Dalan of Jagtai Choudhury Bari.jpg
|image_caption=[[Durga]] Dalan of Jagtai Choudhury Bari
|country=[[India]]
|founder=Rani Gaurangini Devi
}}
{{Zamindars of Bengal}}

'''Jagtai Choudhury Bari''' ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]: জগতাই চৌধুরী বাড়ি) is the residential house of the erstwhile [[zamindar]] family based in [[Jagtaj|Jagtai]] of [[Murshidabad district]] in [[West Bengal]], [[India]]. The Choudhury estate was established by Rani Gaurangini Devi in the 18th century in [[British India|British-occupied India]]. The first zamindar of this family was Babu Keshto Mohun Choudhury.<ref name="auto1">Anandabazar Patrika: একুশ ঢাক স্মৃতিতে, আচ্ছন্ন লক্ষ্মীদেবী (in Bengali)">Anandabazar Patrika "একুশ ঢাক স্মৃতিতে, আচ্ছন্ন লক্ষ্মীদেবী" Publisher: [[Anandabazar Patrika]] (2006)</ref> The last zamindar of Jagtai was Shri Sailendranath Choudhury until the effective abolition of the zamindari in 1955 under the West Bengal Estates Acquisition Act of 1953.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2">Sangbad Pratdin: ২৯৬ বছরের ঐতিহ্য : এবারও বালক ভোজন হবে জগতাইয়ের চৌধুরীদের বাড়িতে (in Bengali)">Sangbad Pratidin "২৯৬ বছরের ঐতিহ্য : এবারও বালক ভোজন হবে জগতাইয়ের চৌধুরীদের বাড়িতে" Publisher: [[Sangbad Pratidin]] (2020)</ref><ref name="auto3">{{cite book |last=Das |first=Kalyan |date=1 December 2022 |title=মুর্শিদাবাদের বনেদি বাড়ি (Aristocratic families of Murshidabad, in Bengali, p. 161) |url=https://bpgc-opac.blacal.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=25492&shelfbrowse_itemnumber=36746 |url-status=bot: unknown |location=[[Berhampore Girls' College]] Library |publisher=Shilpanagari Printers |isbn=978-93-84487-40-9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209223433/https://bpgc-opac.blacal.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=25492&shelfbrowse_itemnumber=36746 |archive-date=9 December 2024 |access-date=29 October 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Das |first=Kalyan |date=1 December 2022 |title=মুর্শিদাবাদের বনেদি বাড়ি (Aristocratic families of Murshidabad, in Bengali, p. 161) |url=https://opac.krccentrallibrary.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?q=Provider:%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80%20 |url-status=bot: unknown |location=[[Kandi Raj College]] Central Library and Information Centre |publisher=Shilpanagari Printers |isbn=978-93-84487-40-9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209223314/https://opac.krccentrallibrary.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?q=Provider:%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80%20 |archive-date=9 December 2024 |access-date=29 October 2024 }}</ref>

==History==
Jagtai Choudhury family originated from a [[Pabna]]-based landed aristocratic family to which Rani Gaurangini Devi, the wife of Babu Saheblal Choudhury, belonged. After the death of Saheblal Choudhury, Gaurangini Devi moved from [[Pabna]] to Sherpur of [[Nimtita]] of erstwhile [[Murshidabad]]. Previously, every year during monsoon, Sherpur and surrounding area used to be flooded due to overflow of river [[Hooghly River|Ganga]]. To get rid of such disasters, Gaurangini Devi built the grand Choudhury villa at [[Jagtaj|Jagtai]] wiping out the jungles of straw. Reportedly, she handed over the zamindari to her son Babu Keshto Mohun Choudhury. According to some reports, he was the one who started the Durga Puja of Choudhury family in 18th century.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/>

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Jagtai Zamindari
| native_name = জগতাই জমিদারি
| native_name_lang =
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = Zamindari Estate
| image_skyline =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =

| blank1_name_sec1 = Number of villages:
| blank1_info_sec1 = 7-8 villages ([[Jagtaj|Jagtai]] as headquarters)
| blank2_name_sec1 = Possession:
| blank2_info_sec1 = 18th century
| blank3_name_sec1 = Accession
| blank3_info_sec1 = 1955
}}
[[File:Babu Sailendranath Choudhury, the last zamindar of Jagtai.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.7|Babu Sailendranath Choudhury, the last zamindar of Jagtai]]

==Legend==
Once Gaurangini Devi was heading towards [[Ganga]] in a [[palanquin]] for a bathe. But, to her surprise, she noticed some [[British people|British]] men taking bathe in the bathing ghat allotted for only women. She raised her voice against the British men's unacceptable and unlawful behaviour. Her voice of protest reached to the then [[Governor-general of India|Borolat]] who became impressed with Rani Gaurangini's bold action and offered her the [[zamindari]] of [[Jagtaj|Jagtai]] along with other 7 to 8 villages.<ref name="auto1"/> It is said that she handed over the zamindari to her son Keshto Mohun Choudhury. Some reports claim that he was the one who initiated the Choudhury family's Durga Puja in the 18th century.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/>

==In culture and social life of Jagtai==
===Woman empowerment===
Gaurangini Devi founded the Jagtai Choudhury Estate as a result of her protest against the unlawful presence of [[house boat|Bojra]] of British officials in the bathing ghat of [[Hooghly river|Ganga]] allotted for women only. This act is regarded as an early example of a woman's resistance in Jagtai during the 18th century, symbolizing a form of empowerment against the British Raj.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/><ref>[https://medium.com/@webbio257/jagtai-choudhury-bari-the-legacy-of-rani-gaurangini-b6f0192c908f "Jagtai Choudhury Bari, the legacy of Rani Gaurangini (in Bengali)" publisher: Webbio]</ref>

===Durga Puja===
The Jagtai Choudhury Bari is one of the central attractions in [[Suti]] for its 240 years' (according to some other reports 300 years) old [[Durga Puja]].<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/><ref>[https://www.natungati.in/durga-poojaa-msd/ "Mrinmayee Sarad Samman 2019 organized in Aurangabad" publisher: Natun Gati]</ref> The first [[zamindar]] from this family was Babu Keshto Mohun Choudhury who first started the [[Durga Puja]] of this family.{{refn|group=note|The year of inception of Durga Puja of Jagtai Choudhury family is not out of dispute. According to a news covered by [[Sangbad Pratidin]] in 2020, the Durga Puja was first celebrated by Choudhury family around 296 years ago, thereby indicating the time period from 1720 to 1725. But, on the other hand, it is also estimated that the puja was first celebrated in Sherpur of [[Nimtita]] in around 1784 AD, before the family's permanent shifting to the Jagtai zamindari palace.}} The [[Durga Puja]] of this family is the oldest within this area.<ref name="auto1"/> The main attraction of the Choudhury family Durga Puja is the ''Kumari Puja'' on the [[maha navami]] tithi where the [[Durga|Devi]] is worshipped in the form of 'Kumari'. Another major event of the puja is ''Balak Bhojan'' in which all the infants and teenagers are offered [[Prasada]] in the premises of Choudhury bari on [[Durga Ashtami]] tithi.<ref name="auto2"/>
During initial days, 108 [[dhak (instrument)|dhak]]s used to be played by 108 [[dhak (instrument)|dhaki]]s during the puja, in the Nat Mandir. But, now 2 dhaks are played as part of this major festival.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/><ref>"[[Berhampore]] Puja Parikrama: The aristocracy and tradition of puja in Murshidabad. [[Berhampore]] Puja Parikrama. "The aristocracy and tradition of puja in Murshidabad" Publisher: [[Berhampore]] Puja Parikrama (10-15-2020)</ref><ref>"Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali)">{{cite book |last= |first= |title=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali) |publisher=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane |year=1960 |isbn= |location=Kolkata |page=55}}[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.298740/page/n61/mode/2up]</ref><ref>"Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali)">{{cite book |last= |first= |title=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali) |publisher=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane |year=1960 |isbn= |location=Kolkata |page=58}}[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.298740/page/n61/mode/2up]</ref>

===In literature===
Nalinikanta Sarkar, in his book 'Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane' has mentioned multiple times, about the Choudhuries of Jagtai. The Choudhuries of Jagtai were close allies of the [[Nimtita Zamindar Bari|Choudhuries of Nimtita]].<ref>"Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali)">{{cite book |last= |first= |title=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali) |publisher=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane |year=1960 |isbn= |location=Kolkata |page=80}}[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.298740/page/n85/mode/2up]</ref><ref>"Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali)">{{cite book |last= |first= |title=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali) |publisher=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane |year=1960 |isbn= |location=Kolkata |page=81}}[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.298740/page/n87/mode/2up]</ref><ref>"Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali)">{{cite book |last= |first= |title=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane: Nalinikanta Sarkar (in Bengali) |publisher=Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane |year=1960 |isbn= |location=Kolkata |page=82}}[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.298740/page/n87/mode/2up]</ref> The Jagtai Choudhury family is featured in Kalyan Das’s book ''মুর্শিদাবাদের বনেদি বাড়ি'' (in English: ''Aristocratic Families of Murshidabad''), which documents the histories of several prominent aristocratic families of colonial Murshidabad.<ref name="auto3"/>

==Further reading==
* Sarkar, Nalinikanta (Ashvin, Bengali year 1367), ''Aasaa-Jaoyar Majhkhane'' (in Bengali). Mitra & Ghosh Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
* Majumdar, Sayantan (2023), ''[https://banglarshiksha.co.in/%e0%a6%b8%e0%a7%82%e0%a6%a4%e0%a7%80%e0%a6%b0-%e0%a6%87%e0%a6%a4%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b9%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%b8-%e0%a6%b8%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%af%e0%a6%bc%e0%a6%a8%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%a4%e0%a6%a8-%e0%a6%ae/ সূতীর ইতিহাস]''. Banglar Shiksha.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://jagtaizamindari.blogspot.com/2024/09/jagtai-zamindari.html Jagtai (zamindari)]
* [https://jagtaizamindari.blogspot.com/2024/09/jagtai-choudhuries-in-media-coverage.html Jagtai Choudhuries in media coverage (Part-1)]
* [https://jagtaizamindari.blogspot.com/2024/09/jagtai-choudhuries-in-media-coverage_12.html Jagtai Choudhuries in media coverage (Part-2)]

{{Bengal Nobility}}
{{Nobility of the Raj}}

[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:Bengali zamindars]]

Jagtai Choudhury Bari - Revision history

Effossy at 08:34, 15 January 2026