Bara Katra: A Mughal Era Caravanserai in Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh. With the progression of time, it is becoming more urbanized, causing the destruction of forest and architectural sites. Despite having rapid development, this 400-year-old city is still retaining more than hundred heritage sites. One of them is Bara Katra, a decaying structure built during the region of the Mughal era in the Bengal region. This one of the oldest buildings stands still as a witness of important historical event and carries the old architectural tradition. Now the question is how long it will survive.

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Meaning:

It is assumed that the word ‘Katra’ has been taken from the Arabic word ‘Katara’ which means colonnaded building. However, the word ‘Katra’ refers to ‘caravanserai’ or ‘roadside inn’ both in Arabic and Persian languages. The word ‘caravanserai’ can be divided into two parts. One part is ‘caravan’ which means ‘traveler’ and the other part is ‘serai’ which means resting house. Together it suggests that caravanserai is a place where travelers can take rest in order to recover from the day’s journey.

History:

There is confusion over the time of construction of this palatial house. Two inscriptions written in the Persian language had been found in Bara Katra. According to one of the inscriptions, it was built in 1053 AH (1643-44 AD). Another inscription shows 1055 AH (1645-46 AD) as the date of construction. The second inscription or stone tablet of the north gateway contained the detail of the builder and how this caravanserai was maintained. The tablet contained the following information:

“Sultan Shah Shuja was always engaged in charity. Therefore, Abul Qasim al-Husainia-Tabtaba built this house, as a symbol of good fortune, to gain the blessings of Allah. 22 shops had been built adjacent to this building. The rent collected from these shops will be used to maintain the building and serve the travelers for free. This rule can never be canceled. If it is canceled, the culprit will be punished on the final judgment day. This plate was written by Sad-ud-din Muhammad Sherazi.”

However, according to many sources, it was constructed between 1644 AD and 1646 AD at the bank of the Buriganga River on the order of Shah Shuja, son of Emperor Shah Jahan. It was built by Abul Qasim, who was known as Mir-E-Emarat, as an official residence of the Mughal prince. Though Shah Shuja was supposed to live here at first, it was used as caravanserai later. At one time, Bara Katra was famous for its architectural beauty, but at present, its gate is standing as a relic.

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Current condition:

Once which was the most beautiful place has become a densely populated area. The north road has become narrow. High-rise building is everywhere. There are signs of erosion and destruction across Bara Katra. This archaeological site has been occupied by several organizations. Now there is no way to understand that it was once the most beautiful Mughal architecture of Dhaka. Its entire property has been occupied. Recently, some new rooms have been constructed on top of Bara Katra inappropriately and without proper procedure. White color has been painted on the four sides of these rooms. Along with this, there are windows made of glass. Bara Katra lost its unique architectural features building this modern structure upon a Mughal architecture. According to local sources, towards the end of the British rule, a madrasa was established in the 1930s taking some rooms, situated towards the north outside of the main building, as lease. Afterwards, the madrasa was shifted to the main building. There is a complaint that the purpose behind the establishment of this madrasa was to occupy its property and get millions of money by building a business organization. The source said the government will not evict the madrasa as it is a sensitive institution. Even if they want to evict, it will be prevented by a large number of madrasa students. Sources also said that in the 1980s, people of Mufti Amini took control of this madrasa from Hafezzi huzur by trick and it is still under their control.

A few years back, they started demolishing this archaeological site by building urinals and washrooms illegally. However, the work was stopped by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) inspector after a general diary filed by the Urban Study Group with Chawkbazar Police Station.

Location:

After reading such a vivid description, you might want to visit this place. It is located in the older part of Dhaka city. To be more descriptive, it is situated at Shoari Ghat road in Chowk Bazaar, near the north bank of the Buriganga River.

The distance between the Gulistan bus stoppage and Bara Katra is about 3 kilometers. After getting down at the Gulistan bus stand, you can hire either rickshaw or auto-rickshaw to go to the historical place.

Conclusion:

Now, the question is if it is possible to conserve Bara Katra. To preserve this heritage, authorities related to this field must take immediate steps. Without government interference, it is almost impossible to protect this kingly house from decaying.