The local history of Kalikapur Rajbari estimates its age to be somewhere around 350 years but researcher Jaggeshwar Chowdhury mentions in his book, Burdwan: Itihas O Sanskriti – Volume 3, that the year of establishment was 1819. However, all agree that Sadgope Zamindar Paramananda Roy initially established this Zamindari at nearby Maukhira Village but later moved to Kalikapur due to the intriguing problem of annual monsoon floods in Maukhira.
After settling down in Kalikapur, Paramananda constructed 07 mansions for his 07 sons alongwith a Durgadalan and a Nat Mandir. Such mansions are referred to in the local dialect as “Saat Mahala Bari” (mansion with seven parts). All these 07 mansions were connected to each other through a long corridor.
There are twin Shiva temples just outside the mansion, which feature exquisite terracotta work. These Deul temples – Parameshwar and Hanseshwar – were established in 1839. As one enters the large courtyard, the visitors are greeted by the remains of few worn-out Cornithian Pillars, which are the last remnants of the Nat Mandir whose roof has collapsed long ago. There are rows of corridors with many windows on three sides of the Natmandir, where, in the earlier days, women would stand and watch the Pujo.
One abandoned Mahal in this Rajbari has a life-size stucco face of a woman on a false window on its outer wall, which looks very realistic. It is referred to as ‘Batayanbartini’ (The lady at the window).
