Natore Rajbari

     

Natore Rajbari

Natore Rajbari situated in Natore, a neighborhood town about 48 km east of Rajshahi, was the zamindari headquarters of the natore raj. Like most of the feudal palaces in Bangladesh the palace ruins of Natore are approached through an extended avenue, fringed on either side with carefully planted rows of bottle palms.

Natore Rajbari

Emperor Ramjivan, was the most important founder of the Raj family, He made his headquarters at Natore and built most of the Rajbari complex, the tanks, temples, orchards and flower gardens etc. Originally Natore was alittle settlement under Taraf Kanaikhali in Lashkarpur Pargana.

The present site of the palace complex, occupying a neighborhood of 37.20 acres of land, was enclosed within two rings of defensive moats, originally referred to as Chai Bhangar Beel. Silt and weed-choked tanks are surrounding the derelict ruins of seven surviving detached palace blocks now mark the moats. Subsequently, the palace complex was considerably developed and extended by Rani Bhavani

Of the surviving seven palace blocks only four are during a tolerable state of preservation, occupied by various offices of the district administration and therefore the others are reduced to amorphous mounds of disintegrating structures. the only storied northern block, now housing the Deputy Commissioner's Office faces an outsized open lawn to the south. Two other blocks on south and west overlook the lawn and are laid call at the shape of English 'U' with the open side to the east.

The main northern block features a frontage of about 30.48m with a prominently projecting porch within the middle and two slightly projecting bays on either end, and relieved with triangular pediments above. The elegant central porch and therefore the veranda ahead of the apartments are supported on rows of semi-Corinthian columns and relived above with segmented arches within the classical Roman fashion. This block accommodates 11 spacious apartments flanking the massive reception hall within the middle. The lofty ceiling of the central hall (18.29m' 9.14m) rises to a height of 9.14m and is lit by 18 clerestory windows originally fitted with coloured glass. a number of the capitals of the columns contain classical nude female figure.

The western single storied block with about 60.96-m front has also an arched projecting bay within the middle. A strip of veranda with a series of Doric columns reins the whole length of the block. there's a nat-mandap (dancing hall) at the rear and beyond that farther west may be a Krsna temple. This small family shrine about 15.24 m wide with a 3.05m wide veranda at the rear , features a row of double Corinthian columns. Built at right angle to the present block is another north-facing single-storied building with about 45.72m frontage. A projected central porch results in a veranda at the rear , behind which are a series of apartments, overlooking an outsized tank full of weed. The rear side of this elegant block is decorated with plasterwork. at the present the office of the superintendent of police occupies it.

To its southwest corner a few of precariously surviving buildings overlook an equivalent tank. The smaller of the 2 presenting a 15.24m frontage with a veranda carried on a series of paired Doric columns, while the larger adjacent block features a 30.48m frontage with a veranda supported on a row of semi-Corinthian columns. Both the buildings are now thickly covered with encroaching thickets and crumbling debris.

However, the most palace block of the chhota-taraf, perched picturesquely on the western bank of an equivalent tank and now occupied by the District Judge's Court, is an imposing edifice. Presenting a 21.34m long facade it's a prominently projecting triple-arched portico. The central a part of the building, accommodating an outsized reception hall, rises above the flanking wings and is crowned by a pyramidal roof with clerestory windows. The parapet of the porch is relieved in plasterwork with friezes of huge floral scrolls, intertwining neo-classical sculptures. additionally , there are two short projecting bays on either ends of the building, each decorated with two pairs of Corinthian columns surmounted by triangular gables. There are 15 apartments including the 2 large halls - one behind the opposite - with a balcony at the rear overlooking a moat. Rear side of the block is additionally embellished with Ionic capitals, floral motifs and bearded human heads in stucco.