“From the sweltering south and the islands
From the plains where the hot winds blow
We have met in the heart of the highlands
At fair India's gates of snow…” – School chorus of St. Joseph’s School, Darjeeling (an esteemed century-old institution)
From the plains where the hot winds blow
We have met in the heart of the highlands
At fair India's gates of snow…” – School chorus of St. Joseph’s School, Darjeeling (an esteemed century-old institution)
Indeed the lure of the pristine Darjeeling hills- abodes
of peace and tranquility- nestled amidst the majestic Himalayan mountains- with
the snowy peaks of the Kanchenjunga range towering above- commanding awe and
inspiration- has over the years impelled many a person, even from faraway lands,
to arrive and settle in the lap of this beautiful, cool and comfortable place.
Apart from the original inhabitants of the land like the Lepchas and the Gorkhas, the early settlers here were the Britishers who had pioneered the development of the town. And with the setting up of the town, there was the advent of the Bengali gentlefolk, among others, who had been taking up various works under the aegis of the British government at that time. Pleader Rajani Kanta Mukherjee was one such person- who had come all the way from the village Natna in Karimpur, Nadia district, to practise and settle in this place.
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| Bewitchingly Beautiful Darjeeling |
Apart from the original inhabitants of the land like the Lepchas and the Gorkhas, the early settlers here were the Britishers who had pioneered the development of the town. And with the setting up of the town, there was the advent of the Bengali gentlefolk, among others, who had been taking up various works under the aegis of the British government at that time. Pleader Rajani Kanta Mukherjee was one such person- who had come all the way from the village Natna in Karimpur, Nadia district, to practise and settle in this place.
Missionaries had also set foot in the area then, and
educational institutions like the St. Joseph’s College in the North Point area
(on the outskirts of the town) had been coming up. Rajani babu had acted as a
lecturer too in this prestigious college- in its early days.
Rajani Kanta babu had purchased lands at Darjeeling town
and at Siliguri- in the plains of the Darjeeling district. At that time,
the main means of transportation to and from the hill town was by the train
service that is now referred to as the toy train service of the Darjeeling
Himalayan Railways. The Hill Cart Road was also being set up beside the railway
tracks. Rajani babu had set up an estate
near the present Siliguri Town station, which later came to be known as Rajani
Bagan.
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| The Naspati Building of Old |
Early settlers in Darjeeling found it as nothing
short of a paradise on earth. It was a beautiful place, and a place of beautiful
people too- people who were simple, warmhearted and cheerful. Also, the hill station
was developed to be a place of attraction for tourists from across the globe.
The mists, the magnolia, marigold and chrysanthemum blooms of different times of the year, the tea gardens laid like carpets with emerald hues over the slopes, the quaint toy train chugging along its tracks, the picturesque Dhir Dham temple and the various monasteries dotting the region, the vibrant Mall (Chowrasta)- all contributed towards securing a special place for Darjeeling as ‘Queen of Hills’ in the hearts of visitors.
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Over the years Siliguri, the gateway to Darjeeling and northeast India, had assumed much significance, and foreseeing its immense potential for growth, Annada Kanta’s son, Ramakanta Mukherjee had developed the aforesaid Rajani Bagan at Siliguri as a prominent commercial hub- with the endorsement of his noble sister Purnima Banerjee. This area now houses, various important business concerns.
The mists, the magnolia, marigold and chrysanthemum blooms of different times of the year, the tea gardens laid like carpets with emerald hues over the slopes, the quaint toy train chugging along its tracks, the picturesque Dhir Dham temple and the various monasteries dotting the region, the vibrant Mall (Chowrasta)- all contributed towards securing a special place for Darjeeling as ‘Queen of Hills’ in the hearts of visitors.
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| Naspati Building Post '90-s |
Over the years Siliguri, the gateway to Darjeeling and northeast India, had assumed much significance, and foreseeing its immense potential for growth, Annada Kanta’s son, Ramakanta Mukherjee had developed the aforesaid Rajani Bagan at Siliguri as a prominent commercial hub- with the endorsement of his noble sister Purnima Banerjee. This area now houses, various important business concerns.
Durga Pada’s eldest son Megh Baran Mukherjee was a
gynecologist and obstetrician by profession- especially trained from London, and had been a popular doctor of the region of all
times. His brainchild- the Durgapada Memorial Clinic and Nursing Home (known commonly as Mukherjee Nursing Home), had,
since its inception in 1979, went on to become a premier healthcare
organization of North Bengal. He was also given to social services, political activities and
upholding sports culture in Siliguri town by sponsoring various social/sporting events.
Mallar Mukherjee, second son of Durga Pada Mukherjee, served as a senior civil engineer working under the Govt. of West Bengal, and post retirement had acted as a consultant- evaluating movable and immovable assets. He had been taking care of the Naspati Building down the years. It
was under his able tutelage that the Rajani Centre was established at Rajani
Bagan in the year 2008- as an ace commercial complex.
The youngest son of Durga Pada Mukherjee- Sanjay Shankar
Mukherjee- was a lawyer, and had also been talented in fine arts. Together with his gifted sister Swapna Banerjea, he had created many outstanding works of art- some of which can still be found at Naspati Building. He had been immensely successful working with sales too- while being associated with the Merck group.
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| Facade of the Rajani Centre complex |
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| Rajani Bagan |
In the ever growing city of Siliguri, Rajani Bagan still partly holds on to its status as a bagan
or garden, with various trees and plants standing intermittently between the
buildings/structures erected.
Earlier famous locally for its litchi trees, presently there are mainly plum trees, a number of mango trees and a few jamun trees that yield much fruit during spring-summer. Among flowering plants nurtured in the area, significant ones are the tagar, the hibiscus, the kamini, the krishnakali and the champa. The jambura (batabi lebu) and lemon (kagji lebu) trees of the citrus genus are there too, which draw attention for their sweet smelling flowers during spring, and fruits thereafter.
Recently, efforts have been made with some success to grow some uncommon/exotic plants also.
Thus runs- the heritage of the noted Mukherjees of Darjeeling and Siliguri, and an account of their cherished estate- Rajani Bagan.
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Earlier famous locally for its litchi trees, presently there are mainly plum trees, a number of mango trees and a few jamun trees that yield much fruit during spring-summer. Among flowering plants nurtured in the area, significant ones are the tagar, the hibiscus, the kamini, the krishnakali and the champa. The jambura (batabi lebu) and lemon (kagji lebu) trees of the citrus genus are there too, which draw attention for their sweet smelling flowers during spring, and fruits thereafter.
Recently, efforts have been made with some success to grow some uncommon/exotic plants also.
Thus runs- the heritage of the noted Mukherjees of Darjeeling and Siliguri, and an account of their cherished estate- Rajani Bagan.
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