Barisha, India
Barisha (বড়িশা) is a residential locality of Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, India. Historically, it one of the oldest boroughs in Kolkata. It was the abode of the great Sabarna Roy Choudhury family. Barisha is known today for being the home of the Indian Cricket idol Sourav Ganguly. It is one of the major educational and cultural hubs of the metropolis.
Location
Barisha is situated in the southwest of Kolkata about 10 kilometres (6 mi) from the city centre Esplanade. Although originally a separate village, it is now under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and is spread over four wards: the 123, 124, 125 and 126. The area starts from Vivekananda Women's College in the north and is spread to Thakurpukur in the south. The Diamond Harbour Road and the James Long Sarani runs through the heart of Barisha.
History
The origin of the name is a matter of research. According to the sources of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad three theories have been put forward.
Laksmikanta Roy Choudhury got the Jaigirdari of huge area of lands in CE 1608 from Man Singha. It was then that the place of Barisha came under his dominion. He started a durga puja here in CE 1610, which is at present the oldest durga puja of Bengal. Also in total, eight durga pujas are being held in the family at present. The descendants of Laksmikanta Roy Choudhury later on started living here from the year CE 1716 and carried on developmental works and since then it is the biggest settlement of the Sabarna family.[1]
The family also established other pujas like Chandi puja, Jagatdhatri puja etc. and also founded a large number of temples like the Annapurna Temple, Radhakanto temple, Dwadash Shiva Temples etc. The Barisha Rathayatra Utsav started in 1719 is one of the oldest in the city and is quite famous.[1]Sabarna Prithivi
There is also a Lord Jagannath Temple(at least 150 years old) at Sakherbazar.
Barisha is also renowned for the Durga pujas. The six Durga Pujas of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family are world famous. The Aatchala Bari hosts the oldest Durga puja of Kolkata which dates back to 1610, when the first Jaigirdar of the Sabarna Family Laksmikanta Roy Choudhury started the family puja at Barisha, which was a prosperous village of his donimion. The other pujas of the Sabarna family at Barisha are those of Baro Bari, Mejobari, Kalikingkar Bhawan, Benaki Bari, and Majher Bari.[1]Sabarna Prithivi
Places of interest
Behala Chowrasta
Chowrasta is the gateway to Barisha. It is a four-point crossing that takes you to Behala in the north, Tollygunge to the East, Shakuntala Park to the west and Joka to the south. Chowrasta is also synonymous to be celebrated neighborhood of Sourav Ganguly, his residence is merely a few metres away from the 4-point crossing.
Sakher Bazaar
Houses the local flea market. This market was founded by Tarini Charan Roy Choudhury of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family. Visitors should be careful while negotiating the crossing, for its highly crowded during peak hours.
Sabarna Sangrahashala
Sabarna Sangrahashala is the family museum of the Sabarna family. It is located at Baro Bari. This museum is a great attraction to the visitors who want to know about the family and about the history of Kolkata. The museum is also a research center. It has been developed by Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad. Every year in February an International History and Heritage Exhibition is held which is one its only kind in Bengal.[1]Sabarna Prithivi [2]
Douglas Grounds
This estate houses the only local church, a local cricket ground and cricket training facility, one football ground, one kindergarten school, a flower nursery, and a gigantic pond. The cricket centre was formerly run by Sourav Ganguly's father Chandi Ganguly, and is where Sourav learned the basics of the game as a child. Lined with acacia & eucalyptus trees, Douglas Grounds is an idyllic, calm, and well protected place that stands out exceptionally from this crowded and noisy locality of Kolkata.
Chandi Mandir & Mela
A auspicious temple of Hindu goddess Chandi is one among the prime attraction of the place. Located within a couple of minutes walk towards west from Sakher bazar, it is also a centre of a ten days annual fair held in the early winters regarding the annual worship of the deity. Devotees come from far distance to offer puja or to worship goddess Chandi during that period. Many cultural events and humanitarian social works are done within the tenure of the fair.[1]