Pathshla Bari - The Chattopadhyay Clan

Pathsala Bari (a Bengali word meaning primary school building) is residence of another Chatterjee clan and a familiar landmark in Uttarpara.

Babu Rajnarayan Chatterjee migrated from Mahesh (near Serampore) to Uttarpara around mid Nineteenth century through matrimonial alliance with Roy Chowdhary family. His second marriage was held with 6th generation scion of Ratneswar Roy Chowdhary family, founder of Uttarpara village in 1703. The brief family tree is as follws:

Ratneswar -> Ram Ram (2nd son) -> Sukdeb -> Raj Chandra -> daughter Ram Krishna Mukherjee -> daugher Rajnarayan)

Eldest son of Rajnarayan, Khetra Chandra was a brilliant student. He passed Entrance Examination from Calcutta University in the year 1859 and subsequently passed BA Examination. Remember, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (writer of Anadmath and Vande Matram) became the first graduate of Calcutta University (Hindu College) in 1856 – just a few years prior to Khetra Chandra.

Khetra Chandra joined as Head Master of Guahati High School, Assam. His eldest son Bhupendra was chief Cashier, Assam Bengal Railways. His younger son Debendra Nath was a successful businessman, who set up brick kilns along Hooghly river and Bally Canal. Debendranath was deeply associated with freedom movement and took active in recruitment of young men for the movement under the leadership of Biplabi Amarendranath. He maintained a library for the young men of the locality for inspiring them in the freedom straggle.

Debendranath had 4 sons and two daughters, who are:
Nemai Charan Chattopadhyay
(Late) Gaur Chandra Chattopadhyay
Sri Kashi Nath Chattopadhyay
Sri Tarak Nath Chattopadhyay
This family of famous Chatterjee clan later shifted to a new house on Grand Trunk Road.

The name of the house was Pathsala Bati because a Pathsala or primary school was established towards the western side of the spacious lawn of the house in the year 1900 – 1905.

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