Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay - House of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

House of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was born into poverty in Debanandapur, Hooghly, West Bengal in India. After spending most of his young life alternating between Bhagalpur and Devanandapur, he went away to Burma. After returning from Burma he stayed for 11 years in Baje Shibpur, Howrah. Then he made a house in the village of Samtabere. He spent the later years of his lifetime as a novelist in Samtabere and in another house in Kolkata. His house in Samtaber is often called by and shown as Sarat Chandra Kuthi (Bengali: শরত্চন্দ্র কুঠী) in the map of Samtaber or Samta, in the Howrah district of West Bengal.

The Rupnarayan River then used to flow right outside the window of Sarat Chandra’s ground floor study. Now, the river has changed its route and has moved far away. The two storied Burmese style house was also home to Sarat Chandra's brother, Swami Vedananda, who was a disciple of Belur Math. His along with his brother Swami Vedananda's samadhi can still be seen there. Swami Vedananda was a disciple in Belur Math. The trees like that of bamboo, galoncho and the guava trees planted by the renowned author are still tourist attractions.

Parts of the house-like the mud-walled kitchen-collapsed and the house was damaged in the 1978 floods, the Zilla Parishad undertook its repair spending 77000. After it was declared as a Heritage or Historical Site by the Clause 2 of the West Bengal Heritage Commission Act 2001 (Act IX of 2001) Act IX of 2001 in 2009 the whole house was renovated and the belongings of Sarat Chandra like his furniture, walking stick, shoes etc. were polished and are restored in showcases. The tress which was almost going to fall down and die was given proper care and support. The house’s boundary has been extended until the Samadhis, surrounding them which earlier used to lie on the road. Except these tress have been planted around the house which add to its beauty.