Sabarna Roy Choudhury Family Of Barisha

The history of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is closely intertwined with the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family of Barisha, whose role spans major milestones such as the first pucca road and house, the earliest Durga Puja, the leasing of Kalikata–Sutanuti–Gobindapur to the British, and the development of the Kalighat temple area.

The family traces its lineage to Maharshi Sabarno. Sage Vedagarbha settled in Bengal in the 10th century under King Adishura, and his descendants adopted the title Gangopadhyay. Panchanan Gangopadhyay, a later descendant, was a distinguished Mughal general under Emperor Humayun and received jagirdari of 85 villages in present-day North 24 Parganas, establishing Halisahar.

Lakshmikanta Gangopadhyay (born 1570 at Kalighat), great-grandson of Panchanan, became the most prominent figure of the lineage. This marked the beginning of the family’s enduring association with Kolkata.

Lakshmikanta developed Sutanuti into a major cotton-trading centre, built the first pucca road from Halisahar to Kalighat, initiated Kolkata’s earliest Durga Puja in 1610, and earned the titles Roy Choudhury and Majumdar for his administrative excellence. Before British arrival, the family had its kachhari and temple near present-day B.B.D. Bag.

In 1698, under Mughal authority, the Sabarna Roy Choudhurys leased Kalikata, Sutanuti, and Gobindapur to the British East India Company and relocated to Barisha. The family received annual rent until the mid-18th century.

Sabarna Roy Choudhury Family Durga Puja In Kolkata

The Sabarna Ray Chaudhury family, founders and early zamindars of Calcutta, have been celebrating Durga Puja since 1610, making it one of the oldest surviving Durga Puja traditions in Kolkata. The puja was initiated by Laksmikanta Gangopadhyay at the ancestral Aatchala Bari in Barisha, which still stands today. This family puja is now over 400 years old.

Currently, eight Durga Pujas are conducted by different branches of the family—six in Barisha (Aatchala, Baro Bari, Mejo Bari, Benaki Bari, Kalikingkar Bhawan and Majher Bari), one in Birati, and one in Nimta—preserving age-old rituals of bonedi (aristocratic) household worship.

Historically, the Sabarna Ray Chaudhury family were the zamindars of Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur before the British arrived. In 1698, they were compelled to lease these villages to the British East India Company, an event that laid the foundation of colonial Calcutta. Despite this, the family remains deeply significant in Bengal’s cultural history, with their Durga Puja tradition symbolizing continuity, heritage, and Bengali identity across centuries.