Chinsurah is a small town in the state of West Bengal in India. Chunchura was founded by the Dutch. Still, you can find a glimpse of Dutch historical monuments here and there in Chinsurah.
When Just before entering Chunchura from Chandannagar along the GT Road, behind the trees on the right side of the road, the Susanna Anna-Maria Memorial stands as a witness to a mysterious chapter in history and folklore. As per locals, some people say "Sat Bibi's grave", while others say "Sat Saheb's Bibi Gore"(Tomb of the wife of seven gentlemen). Now the question arises in a common tourist’s mind is Who is this Susanna Anna-Maria? Susanna was a Dutch lady. Susanna was born on October 5, 1743, in the small town of Tiel in the Netherlands. On October 18, 1759, Susanna married Pieter Bruyes, a Dutch businessman. They had two daughters and a son. Susanna Jacoba, Maria Anna de Brueys, and Louis Adriaan de Brueys, Susana’s first husband Peter died in the year 1783. After his death, he was buried in the Dutch Cemetery at Chinsurah. His tomb is still there today as the tallest tomb in that cemetery.
Meanwhile in 1757, after the defeat of Nawab Sirajuddaullah of Bengal in the battle of Palashi, The British came into power and the influence of the Dutch began to wane. In the year 1759, The Dutch were defeated by the British at the Battle of Bidera. After that, The Dutch became dependent on the British in virtually every case. Also, in 1780 in Europe, the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War broke out and it affected the Chinsurah as well. The British temporarily confiscated all the Dutch factories in Bengal, includingChinsurah. In such a turbulent situation, dutch Susana got married to Thomas Yeats, a well-known British businessman in the year 1795 at St. John's Church in Kolkata. But this marriage did not last long.
Susanna had a huge garden and a big house on 60 bighas of land between Chandannagar and Chinsurah. That property was called “ Ayeshbagh” and the place is called Taldanga. She wished that after her death she should be buried in this Ayeshbagh and that sixty bighas of land should be used as a cemetery for the Dutch and British. In the presence of Johannes Muller, son Louis and the last Dutch governor of Hooghly Daniel Anthony Overbeck, Susana made her will. According to her will, All her property such as 6 horses, an old horse-drawn carriage, and a house was given to her son Louis. She set up a trust, With 4,000 rupees, for the maintenance of the tombs of herself and her two husbands - Peter and Thomas. The extra money will be given to the Chinsurah Poor Fund.
As per history, we came to know that Susana was married twice. Her first husband died when she was 52 years old and her second husband died probably when she was 62 years old. She died at the age of 66. There is no evidence found about any other husband of her. So, it's quite mysterious that why her Tomb was called as,” Tomb of the wife of seven gentlemen”(Saat saheber bibir gor).
No ENTRY FEE
How to go to Susana Anna Maria's tomb: From the capital Kolkata to Chinsurah via Delhi road it takes around 2 hours and the distance is around 53 kilometers. If you are driving through GT road then while coming from Chandan Nagar towards Chinsurah Khadinamore, Susana Anna Maria's tomb will be on the right side.
From Sealdah station take any train to Naihati and get down at Naihati station. Go the Naihati ferry ghat and take the ferry to Chinsurah. From Chinsurah Ferry ghat take rikshaw or any other local transport to khadina more.
From Howrah station take any train to Chinsurah station. From Chinsurah station take an auto-rickshaw, toto, bus, or any other local transport to reach Susana Maria's Tomb at Khadina more.
No comments:
Post a Comment