Saturday, February 16, 2008

Ulpur, Gopalganj (Faridpur) District, Bangladesh


Ulpur, Gopalganj (Faridpur) District, Bangladesh


by
Sabyasachi Ghosh Dastidar

This is my maternal home of 30+ generations of written history. Their home was in Ulpur village. My grandpa Dadu was Girindra Nath Roy Chowdhury and grandma Didima, Mrs. Nirada Sundari . He was lawyer practicing in Madaripur City, where he also built a boys' dorm. (When I interviewed Prof. Dr. Amalendu De https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoPiFEKQfSw and his wife Boudi [Sistee-in-law] Nasima Banu for ISPaD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT_SX-y-rfs - see YouTube's ispad1947 channel – Prof De said he lived at my Dadu's hostel as a young man. Both were from Faridpur district. That was news to me. De-Banu had to flee to India after marriage in 1950s in Faridpur district of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, for India as they came under attack.) Dadu was a political activist for India's independence struggle. He was awarded Rai Bahadur title by the British after WW I, but later Graandpa Dadu returned the award. In the end Dadu, Didima, MejoMama (Middle Maternal Uncle) and BarroMama (Older Maternal Uncle) spent 17 years in British oppressor's prison. Didima used to say “we just said Vande Mataram (Glory to the Motherland) and we were sent to jail." At times Didima and others were given singara and other food by jailers that they didn't consume. Once a jailer's wife brought then singara and jilebi/jeeleepee sweet by jailers wife saying "I am with you but not with the colonizing oppressors," that too the independence-fighting ladies didn't touch. One Mama Uncle passed his I.A., B. A., M.A., Journalism from behind the British bar. Attack on them after partition made them flee to a refugee hut in Naktala in South Kolkata. When I visited Ulpur first time in 2008 with my older sister Didi or Pratima, and a Hindu monk-guide from Madaripur, formerly a part of Faridpur District, now a separate district, a local Muslim man, a stranger, at the bus stop welcoming us said, "Go visit your home that we call '19 Judges' Home' or ‘unishta judger baari’ as there were 19 judges from that family during British Raj." Ma went to school in Faridpur/Madaripur, Dhaka and Barisal. In Madaripur City Probini Foundation of New York has built two boys hostel (dorm), and completing a third one, and a girls’ dorm in nearby Rajoir. Probini has also built a girls’ dorm at Turhamandra Sarajubala Girls’ School in Gopalganj, formerly a part of Faridpur District. https://empireslastcasualty.blogspot.com/2019/01/bangladeshgopalganj-tutamandra.html All are welcome to join and any help is appreciated. See www.Probini.org or www.ispad1947.org.

            I believe Baba, Dad, Bhibhuti Bhusan, was a graduate of the first batch of Dacca (Dhaka) University. Ma, Nihar Kana, wanted to join Dacca but could not. She got the highest mark at Chatrabritti, while attending Donovan School of Madaripur City in 1910s of then Faridpur District receiving a gold medal in the name of a famous Hindu family that she gave to her grandson Shuvo and a congratulatory letter from British Governor General, both of which we kept at Partition Museum of New York City. She married as a teenager and after having 2 kids she went back to school receiving curses from many families, bur cheers from others. At the final exam she got highest mark in Bangla in the entire board receiving a silver medal that she gave to her grandson Raja. When she came to New York in 1986 in her 80s I tried to fulfill her dream of going to college by asking her to join our university. That didn’t happen. But now there is a community center called Nihar Kana Bhaktabash O Bidyaloi in Mahilara, Barisal, and a shrine in honor of her. See https://empireslastcasualty.blogspot.com/2019/06/sample-pictures-partition-documentation.html




Basu-Roy-Chowdhury Hindu Family Home of 40 Generations, Ulpur, Bangladesh



Basu-Roy-Chowdhury Home
 

One of the Extended Basu-Roy-Chowdhury Family Home;
fled to India after 1947 Partition and anti-Hindu Pogroms
One of the Hindu Basu-Roy-Chowdhury Family Home; now Occupied by Others

Pond of Poplu (Basu) Roy-Chowdhury of Ulpur


Sunset at Ulpur

A Section of One of the Home of Extended Basu-Roy-Chowdhury Family



One of the Homes of Extended Basu-Roy-Chowdhury Family;
now Occupied by Others
 
A Memorial to Basu-Roy-Chowdhury Ancestor

Welcoming Mrs. Pratima Roy Chowdhury (c) by Ulpur Residents.
When asked for direction at the bus stop, one well dressed Muslim resident with long beard wearing blue checkered lungi (sarong) welcomed the visitors by saying, "Go visit your home that we call '19 Judges Home' as there were 19 judges from that family during British Raj era."



                               Remains of Hindu Basu-Roy-Chowdnury Home; Family Fled to India



19th Century Building Design


19th Century Building Design
 
Welcoming Visitors, former Residents, 2008
                                             Ancestral Home of Basu Roy Chowdhury Family


Sample page of 30+ generation written history of Basu-Roy-Choudhury Family of Ulpur, Bangladesh. Almost all the families became homeless refugee in India after India/Bengal Partition in 1947


Sample page of 30 generational of history of Basu-Roy-Choudhury Family of Ulpur, Bangladesh. All most all the families became homeless refugee in India after India/Bengal Partition in 1947


Book on Basu-Roy-Choudhury Family
Parichoy: Ulpur Basu-Roy-Chowdhury-r Bangsa Parochoy
(First Published in 1938)

Old Village Map


19 comments:

Orijoy said...

Hello!

Please can you tell me a bit more about this trip to Ulpur and the photos and people in them.

I would love to see more photos if you have them even if they are poor quality.

Many thanks.

GRC said...

I would be interested in more pictures as well as an e-mail contact. I am available at gregor.roy@gmail.com
I am descendant of the Basu R.Ch family.
Thank you in advance.

Unknown said...

Hello I m a descendent of basu roy chowdhury family..I will be really glad if u attach more photos in this.I want 2 know about the present condition of the accestral houses.can u please add some more informations about ulpur????

Unknown said...

Hi Piuli

Search on Facebook there is a profile called Ul Pur and a group for people whose families used to live thre.

Orijoy

Empire's Last Casualty said...

Hello Piuli:

I am very sorry that I didn't check my blog's Ulpur for a long, long time. Uplur, my MamaBari that you wrote about way back in 2010. I am Sabyasachi Ghosh Dastidar, in the middle in yellow jacket, with my Didi from Calcutta, also married to a RoyChowdhuty of Ulpur. I live in the U.S. and is a professor. We visit Bangladesh regularly as we support many schools there (and in India) through Probini Foundation, www.probini.org, and now I head an Indian Subcontinent Partition Document Project in NY www.Bengalpartitionvictim.org. Also check YouTube Ispad1947.

Please write to me, I will be happy to reply to any question you may have.

Regards,

Dr. Sabyasachi (Sachi) Dastidar

Unknown said...

Hi,
I am Sayan Roy Chowdhury,descendant of the Basu Roy Chowdhury family of Ulpur,Bangladesh. From my grandfather i had heard that my ancestors had zamindari there.Any out there ,either descendant of the Basu R.Chowdhury family or somehow related to it,can you please provide me an insight into my family histoy..I am interested to know about it. I can be reached at sayanrc86@gmail.com.

Empire's Last Casualty said...

Please contact my didi, Srimati Pratima Roy Chowdhury, in picture, in Kolkata. There is an Ulpur Ladies Association in Kolkata that meets regularly.

I am sending her phone number in your email address.

Unknown said...

Myself Suranjan Basu Roy chowdhury
Son of late Ashis Roy chowdhury and grandson of Sarojmoy Roy chowdhury eager to know more a about my ancestral home.Pls upload more pics and story on them.Myself was the last one updated in family tree book.
I have heared of ulpur sammilani in Kolkata shall find definitely on next puja in Kolkata

Unknown said...

Myself Suranjan Basu Roy chowdhury
Son of late Ashis Roy chowdhury and grandson of Sarojmoy Roy chowdhury eager to know more a about my ancestral home.Pls upload more pics and story on them.Myself was the last one updated in family tree book.
I have heared of ulpur sammilani in Kolkata shall find definitely on next puja in Kolkata

Unknown said...

Hello,
Sorry but somehow I lost track of this blog after 2013. Again in my search to know more about my ancestry and history of Ulpur Basu Roy Chowdhury I am back here. Apologies for inactivity on my side.I would like to request "Empire's Last Casualty" to again kindly provide contact of Srimati Pratima Roy Chowdhury so I can contact her or meet with her in person. Somehow I had lost the previous mail. Also, do I need a prior invitation to join the Ulpur sammilani ? Can I please get any contact of this association ?

Arunava Ray said...

Hi,

I am Arunava Ray residing at Kolkata and a descendant of Basu Roychowdhury clan of Ulpur. My father-Lt Amitabha Ray, my grandfather-Lt Amiya Nath Ray and my Great grandfather- Lt Manmatha Nath Basu Roychowdhury and my Great great Grandfather- Lt Durgadas Basu Roychowdhury.

I remember having seen a fat book on the Basu Roychowdhuries of Ulpur during my childhood. The book, I remember has a family tree from the first descendant with 3 houses at Ulpur. I would love collect a copy of the book and read it. The book, I remember has the family tree till my Grandfather's time, hence I believe it was printed sometime during the early 20th Century. Once I contacted Sri Samar Basu Roychowdhury about the book. Can any one help on this?

Also I would like to remain in touch with the group and continue communicating.

Thanks and regards,
ARUNAVA RAY

Unknown said...

Hello. My name is Rik Roy Choudhuri. I currently live in South Carolina, USA. My dad had told me about a book about my ancestors as well (that Arunava is referring to). I would love to get a copy of that book. Please contact me at rikroyc@mail.com with any information. I also have family in Kolkata. Please let me know if any groups that my family can join. Thank you.

Unknown said...

I am a decendent of this family my grandfather Dinesh Roy Chowdhury,who was the District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas. I have heard many stories about our ancestral house and other related stories from my father Late Debidas Basu Roy Chowdhury. I am very eager to visit this house sometime in future to get a feeling of the place. Looking forward to be there but I would need someone to guide me to this place.

Gregor said...

Hello, Please send an e-mail to our family list: ulpur@yahoogroups.com

Unknown said...

Hello,
I'm kaberi roychoudhury descendant of ulpur basu roychoudhury family, a writer, novelist in kolkata want to meet the ladies association eagerly.
I have visited our root ; our place and just amazed to see all the houses, the temples, the entire village .
please let me know the phone number of Smt pratima roychowdhury.
Thanks so much.
Kaberi Roy choudhury

Unknown said...

Hello piuli
I'm kaberi Roy choudhury, an author in kolkata ,descendant of this family would love to show you some other pics as I have visited our place in 2014.Are you in facebook? .so we can contact easily.
thanks .
kaberi

Unknown said...

Hello,
Can I contact you over Facebook ? I would love to see the pictures.

Regards,
Sayan

Unknown said...

Hello,
I hail from Ulpur Basu Roy Chowdhury family. I with my family am visiting Bangladesh in the past week of February this year. I have no contacts with anyone in Ulpur. Could you give me name, address and mobile no of any Bose Roy Chowdhury residing in Ulpur. I will be obliged. I have tried contacting Ulpur Sammilani in Kolkata but have not been able to get in touch
With warm regards

Rzishikalpa Paul said...

Please let me know how can I get in touch with you? Regards.