Panitras is a small village near Deulti in Howrah district of West Bengal. It is beautifully located by the banks of River Rupnarayan. Panitras and Deulti area are very close to the famous city of Kolaghat on the other bank of the river. Kolkaghat is famous for its Thermal Power Station. Panitras and Deulti are rich in its Bengali culture and heritage being the home to the famous author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. While the Howrah district is an old city with its history dating back to more than 500 years. Located by the banks of River Hooghly it was ruled by the Bhurshut kingdom then. This served as a port town. Much later it came under the British East India Company. Many old and heritage buildings can be found scattered within the district.
History: This history of this small insignificant village is associated with settling down of the famous author in the locality of Samta in Panitras. The plot for Sarat Chandra Kuthi in Samta was bought by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1919. Samta was close to the village of Panitras and to his sister’s home. Construction of the house began in 1923, and was done by local worker Gopal Das; Sarat Chandra had moved in by February 1923. He fenced his area and added ponds and paddy fields adjacent to his house; following which he renamed the area Samtaber. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay lived in Sarat Chandra Kuthi for twelve years, until moving to Calcutta. Earlier, the course of the Rupnarayan river was much closer to the house.
Sarat Chandra’s works such as Devdas, Baikunther Will (Baikuntha’s Will), Dena Paona (Debts and Dividends), Datta (Bethroed), and Nishkriti (Deliverance) among others were published in Bharatbarsha during the years he lived in Samta, following which they were published as books by Gurudas Chattopadhyay and Sons, and M. C. Sarkar and Sons. He also wrote Ramer Sumati and Mahesh among others during his years in Samta. Upon moving to the village, Sarat Chandra initially faced resentment from conservative elders and influential men for his bold stories, mingling with lower caste people, and for being an “outsider”. It was after he started helping those in need, helping in setting up an educational institution, and his legacy as a novelist grew that they warmed up to him.
The two-storied Burmese-style house was also home to Sarat Chandra’s second wife, Hironmoyee Debi, and his brother, Swami Vedananda, who was a disciple at Belur Math. All of their samadhis are in the gardens of the house. Trees such as bamboo and guava planted by the novelist stand in the gardens surrounding the house. Parts of the house, such as the mud-walled kitchen, had collapsed and the house was damaged in the 1978 West Bengal floods. The Zilla Parishad repaired the house, and it was declared a heritage-historical site under the West Bengal Heritage Commission Act (IX) of 2001. In 2009, the house was renovated and preservation of the novelist’s personal belongings was also undertaken.
*(All the above information are from Wikipedia.)
Transport:
Airport: Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International airport in Kolkata is the nearest airport located at a distance of about 70 km from here.
Rail: The Deulti Railway Station is on the Kharagpur-Howrah Railway line. One can reach here in Howrah to Midnapore bound local trains.
Road: Deulti is connected to the other parts of the state through NH6. State Transport and Public transport buses are available from nearby cities.
Local: Auto Rickshaws and Manual Rickshaws are available for transport within the village. One can also hire cabs to go around the town.
Tourist Interest:
Places of interest here are Sarat Chandra Kuthi, Radha and Madanmohan Terracotta Aatchala temple built in 1651 AD by the Zamindar of Mangalhat Pragana, named Mukundaprasad Roychoudhury and the Kolaghat Bridge Picnic Spot.
Hotels: The place, being a small village has no proper accommodation facilities and various hotels and other lodgings can be found in the nearby city of Howrah.