Sheoraphuli Raj Debuttar Estate

[2] Raja Raghav (grandfather of Manohar Roy) was the abundant ruler 51 Parganas which included an additional 21 Parganas covering 700 square miles, namely Arsha, Haldaha, Mamdanipur, Panjnaur, Boro, Shahapur, Jehanabad, Shaistanagore, Shahanagore, Raipur Kotwali, Paonan, Khosalpore, Moiat, Buxbunder, Havilishahar, Paikan, Mozzaferpore, Hathikanda, Selimpur, Amirabad, and Janglipur.

Sir William Hedges (21 October 1632 – 6 August 1701), the first Governor of the East India Company (EIC) in Bengal, in his diary, describes the vast land ruled by Raja Udaya Roy of Patuli: "Early in the morning, we passed by a village called Sreenagar, and by 5 o'clock this afternoon, we got as far as Rewee, a small village belonging to Woode Ray, a Jemindar, that owns all the country on that side of the water, almost as far as over against Hugly.

It is reported by the country people that he pays more than Twenty Lack of Rupees per annum to the King, rent for what he possesses, and that about 2 years since he presented above a lack of rupees to the Mogul and his favorites, to divert his intention of hunting and hawking in his country, for fear of his tenants being ruined and plundered by the Emperor’s lawless and unruly followers.

The Bhagirathi gradually encroached upon the spot converting the place into a deep whirling pool of water which is known as the Patuli Daha.

[8] Remarkably, when Serampore was under Danish rule as a colony in 1752, the Danes paid taxes to the Sheoraphuli Rajas, recognizing them as the rightful owners of the town.

[9] In 1845, the town of Serampore, comprising 60 Bighas, along with the districts of Akna, and Pearapore were eventually transferred from the King of Denmark to the British, and the treaty ensured that Sheoraphuli Rajbari received an annual sum of 1601 sikkas thereon.

In 1731, Joseph Francis Dupleix, the new governor, acquired lands from Sheoraphuli zamindars and extended the town from Taldanga in the north to Gourhati in the South.

Its historical roots are deeply ingrained, dating back to the era of Adisur, the final ruler of independent Hindu dynasties.

The adipurush of the lineage Devaditya Dutt was Uttararhi Kulin Kayastha welcomed in Bengal during King Adisura's reign, 10th Century ad, later his descendant Jadab Dutt (1167 CE ) a remarkable character flourished in the time when Raja Ballal Sen was on the throne of Bengal.

[12] This esteemed lineage enjoyed prosperity during the Hindu rule until an unforeseen setback occurred with the advent of the Afghan invasion.

Consequently, the family sought refuge in a more secure location, dwelling in obscurity for countless centuries until the emergence of the Mughal empire.

Initially residing in Patuli, located in the Burdwan district, the family received a noble distinction from the illustrious Emperor Akbar the Great, who bestowed them with the title of "Roy", an esteemed honor of significant value during that era.

While there were numerous Rais and Zamindars, the Mazumdar title was limited to just four families in all of Bengal, symbolizing its sacred Vedic significance.

[16] Nawab Moorshed Kuli Khan employed certain gruesome methods in which he exacted the public revenue from unwilling Zemindars which were too well known to need recounting.

For several generations, they vindicated their claim to this distinction by their liberal donations to various shrines, and it is said that few temples of any note can be found in the country that have not received some tokens of their devotion and bounty.

[18] The contemporary Nawabs of Bengal were greatly influenced by Raja Manohar Ray's philanthropic activities and temple constructions, leading them to donate significant land and wealth to him.

Raja Harishchandra on Horseback carried a 10 feet Silver Umbrella along with a 5 feet Silver Staff, as an age-old tradition of holding the umbrella on the deity Lord Jagannath with the staff held in high esteem before the rituals of the Snan jatra begins, it is followed till this day with much reverence.

A Rama sadhak called Ramkanta went to Ayodhya for pilgrimage purpose and he received a Shaligram shila by the grace of divine.

[26] Sarvamangala Devi Temple of the Raj Debuttar Estate is a center of attraction in and around the area most notably during the occasion of Durga Puja.

The Asthadhaatu murti of Devi Sarvamangala is said to have been excavated from below ground, after a vision appeared before Raja Manohar Roy in his dream from a pond in the village of Aatishara.

In 1147 Bengali era or 1734 AD, he erected the temple and made substantial donations of land and funds for its maintenance, as well as engaging in various philanthropic endeavors.

The initial temple construction and to facilitate the service and management of Lord Shri Jagannath deb, King Manohar Roy directed the establishment of a village named Jagannathpur as an endowment property.

[28] His descendant Raja Harish Chandra rode to the shrine with half a dozen outriders and a long array of followers; and the annual ceremony of bathing Lord Jagannath was postponed till he arrived and issued orders for its performance.

The Sheoraphuli Hat's distinctive pumpkin, were quite famous and used to find its place in the Royal feasts of England, were each quite heavy, weighing around 1/2 maunds(18 kg).