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Bara
Katra an architectural relic
of Dhaka city. It is situated to
the south of Chawk Bazar close to
the bank of the river BURIGANGA.
Originally, the Katra enclosed a
quadrangular courtyard with 22 rooms
on all of its four sides. Two gateways
were erected, one each on the. north
and southThe ruins consist of an
edifice having a river frontage. |
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The southern wing of the structure was
planned on a grand scale and was marked
with an elaborate three-storeyed gate
containing an octagonal central chamber.
The remaining portion was two-storeyed
and encased by projected octagonal towers.
The gateway structure is rectangular in
plan. It is lofty in height and its fronton
is projected towards the river. A tall
alcove rising to the second storey reduces
the mass of this projection. The wall
surface is relieved with panels that are
square as well as rectangular and that
contain a variety of decorations of four-centred,
cusped, horseshoe and flat arches. Above
the apex of the alcove open the windows
of the third storey. Under the alcove
is the main arched entrance which leads
to the guardroom. Furthermore, as one
passes through two successive archways,
one comes across an octagonal domed hall,
the ceiling of which is plastered and
bears various net-patterns and foliaged
designs. The double storeyed structure
resolves on both sides of the central
entrance into a row of five vaulted rooms
in the ground floor and livingrooms with
a continuous corridor on the upper one.
Likewise, the upper floors of the entrance
are furnished with rooms. The three storyed
corner towers are hollow and can be approached
from the subsidiary structures. Following
the traditional pattern of the caravan-sarai
of Central Asia, the Bara Katra was highly
fortified and was embellished with all
the features of the imperial Mughal style.
The Bara Katra contains two inscriptions
in Persian: one records that it was built
in 1053 AH (1643-44 AD) and the other
contains the date 1055 AH (1645-46 AD)
and confirms that SHAH SHUJA gave the
building to Mir Abul Qasim to be used
as a Katra on the condition that the officials
in charge of the endowments (waqf) should
not take any rent from any deserving person
alighting therein.
It should be noted here that more than
half of the Katra building has already
been destroyed and the building as a whole
is in a dilapidated condition. It could
not be taken over by the Department of
Archaeology owing to the resistance of
its owners. The owners have made several
alterations to the original character
of the building and have also started
construction of a new multi-storeyed building
in the area. Nevertheless, the surviving
ruins stand as one of the most important
monuments of Bengal. It is perhaps the
most magnificent Mughal edifice of Bangladesh
which has a monumental central archway.
[Ayesha Begum]
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