Step into the Past

An old-fashioned portico solemnly guards a grey building. But the moment you step in,you are in for a treat. A courtyard,with vivid depictions of winged demons adorning its border,awaits you. Built about 160 years ago by Mutty Lal Paul,the building has a unique andarmahal womens section with a separate courtyard. Wooden staircases,wrought-iron grills and stained-glass windows typify this house as a quintessential old north Kolkata bari. But what stands out is the unique glass window enclosure on the second floor. According to family folklore,Mutty Paul,a trader,used to walk 50 km from Digalnati village in Hooghly to Kolkata every few weeks. The commute through forests overrun by dacoits got to him and he decided to build the house. The business folded up after his death,but the Paul family prospered in other fields. Mutty Lals great grandson,and the present head of the family,Amit Paul,is a retired professor of English at Vidyasagar College. Though maintaining the house takes its toll on the eight-member family,the Pauls are determined not to give in to the lure of apartment complexes. Our house has enough open space. It allows one to appreciate the sound of silence broken only by the sound of birds, says Paul.

Premankur Biswas