ITACHUNA RAJBARI
For a lesson in history
With its stoic brick lime façade and pruned lawns, Itachuna serves up an authentic 17th century rajbari homestay experience in Hooghly, 90 kilometres from Kolkata. The architectural staples—a baithakkhana (sitting room), andarmahal, and natmandir— are classic. The newer mud huts offer garden views, while the original rooms named after family members, such as Thakurmar Ghor, Boro Boudir Ghor, and the sun-bathed Choto Pishir Ghor, retain their modest vintage furniture, including four-poster beds. The service and amenities are a hit-and-miss, which fuel an authentic, temperamental Bangla vibe.
The real pull at Itachuna, however, is its history, revealed by the mansion’s alternative name, Bargee Danga. Bargee was the name given by Bengalis to Maratha invaders who plundered the state from 1741 to 1751. Under the command of General Raghoji Bhosle, these horseback warriors invaded Bengal repeatedly until the Nawab of Bengal signed a peace treaty, ceding Odisha to the Marathas. After a decade of violence, some of the bargees stayed back, making Bengal their home. One of these was Safallya Narayan Kundan, who built Itachuna in 1766. The surname Kundan became Kundu, now a popular Bengali surname, with his 14th-generation descendent, Dhrubo Narayan Kundu now running the mansion. Ignore bourgeois tropes, and drive around a region that mirrors the rajbari’s eclectic roots. Bandel Church, Chinchura Imambara, the former French colony of Chandernagore, and the century-old Pandua Minar are all under a 40-minute drive from the property.