Hetampur

Hetampur is located at 23°46′55″N 87°24′12″E.

Inside of Hetampur Raj Palace

The House of Hetampur Raj rose from obscure origins to the status of the most powerful Kingdom and later Zamindari of Birbhum district.[4] Muralidhar Chakraborty, an ancestor of the Hetampur Raj family, emigrated from Bankura district to Birbhum in the late seventeenth century. He first worked in a menial job under the Muslim Zamindar of Rajnagar. His son, Chaitanya Charan Chakraborty, was brought to Hetampur by Hafeez Khan, the Fouzdar (Military Commandar) of Hetampur fort, some fifteen miles south-east of Rajnagar kingdom.[4]

His son, Radhanath Chakraborty, was actual founder of Hetampur Raj family. He subdued the Roy family of Hetampur, who were then Gomasta (Secretary) and Ijaradar (Lease Holder) of Birbhum Raj. Between 1781 and 1799 he undertook Lease of 19 Mouzas of Birbhum Raj and captured some in battles with them. He purchased several Mahals (Zamindari Area) from Murshidabad Nawab when they were put up for auction but never paid taxes and declared freedom from Muslim rule. During the period he had a decisive war with Rajnagar and became independent Bengali King of Birbhum and nearby areas. In the end, he brought the Roy family on his pay roll. When he died in 1838, the net income from his property was Rs. 20,0000.[4]

Raja Bipracharan, son of Radhanath was the most successful ruler. Within seven years of his father’s death, he made his Kingdom, the largest in Birbhum. He lent Rs. 50,000 to Bibi Rajibunissa of Rajnagar Raj family and in return secured more lands. He also ruled over extensive areas in Santhal Parganas.[4]

In 1875, Northbrook conferred on Ramranjan Chakraborty, grandson of Bipracharan, the title of Raja in British India. Two years later he was raised to the position of Raja Bahadur by Lord Lytton. In 1912, he was elevated to the rank of Maharaja.

The Rajbari was built in the shape of a castle with 999 doors which has given it the name Hetampur HajarDuari. (hajar is one thousand in Bengali, duari means doored). Hetampur Rajbari has been used by film directors such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Tarun Majumdar, Raja Sen, Dilip Roy, Sandip Ray, and others in many Bengali films – Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, Abhijan, Mrigaya, and Ganadebata.[6]

Hetampur has many interesting terracotta temples in various styles of architecture. During the late 1940s till about 1952 Indian artist Mukul Dey conducted detailed photographic survey of Birbhum-Barddhaman group of terracotta temples. He visited Hetampur and photo recorded the Gol-Mandir, the Chandranath Shiva temple and the Dewanji temples here. Chandranatha Siva Mandir in Hetampur of Dubrajpur, Birbhum built in 1847 is Octagonal pinnacled - Naba Ratna type with terracotta on three sides. Dewanji Mandir nearby is tightly ridged Rekha type with small terracotta facade of 19th century Birbhum-Barddhaman style having rich terracotta on two sides. Out of these three temples, the Gol-Mandir temple is no longer in existence at Hetampur. Its memory survives only in the photographs by Mukul Dey. A portrait of Queen Victoria, European nuns and priests form the theme of decoration on a 19th-century temple in Hetampur.[7]

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  Dewanji temple
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  Terracotta carvings in Dewanji temple
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  Chandranath Shiva temple
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  Terracotta carvings at Chandranath Shiva temple

Bipracharan Chakravarty of the Hetampur Raj family started a Saraswati Puja at Hetampur. His grandson, Ramranjan, started a 3-days fair on the occasion. The fair continues on the grounds of the Hetampur Rajbari. Gurusaday Dutt had once presented raibeshe bratachari during the fair. Many renowned personalities were invited to attend the fair and some of them came. Hetampur Royal Theatre and Ranjan Opera had their inaugural shows at the fair.[3]