Rabindranath Tagore with Bhupendra Krishna Ghosh at the opening of the All Bengal Music Conference in 1934. A file picture

There is nothing special about houses with courtyards in the Pathuriaghat area that includes a street of that name, once a stronghold of aristocratic Bengalis. But there are two palaces here that stand out for their enormous proportions, and a third for its antiquity and music room hung with the portraits — tinted photographs — of some of the greatest musicians of Hindustani classical music.

One of the two is Prasad on the neighbouring Prasanna Kumar Tagore Street, built by Jatindramohan Tagore. The other palace with a row of impressive columns is on Pathuriaghat Street itself and was constructed by Khelat Ghosh. Next to it is the more ancient house — nearly 300 years old — which was built by the paterfamilias of the Ghosh family, Ramlochun Ghosh. This is the house with the music room.

These three homes in Pathuriaghat, and Natore House, that once stood on Lansdowne Road opposite the Elgin Road crossing, were the ones to first organise soirees of Hindustani classical music for the public in Calcutta, under the aegis of the All Bengal Music Conference.

The great ustads and pandits did perform in Calcutta earlier too, but only in the ivory tower of private homes.

The “conference”, said to be the best ever in this country, thus began the process of democratisation of Indian classical music in this city. And although it lasted only a couple of years, it lingers in the memories of people who had witnessed it. The “conference”, revived a few years ago, celebrated its 75th anniversary this year with a series of concerts at the residence of Khelat Ghosh.

Jayanta Ghosh, whose father Bhupendra Krishna had started the All Bengal Music Conference along with some friends such as Maharaja Jogindranath Roy of Natore, says his ancestor Ramlochun Ghosh had bought the house with the music room in October 18, 1782, according to old documents with him.

Amaan Ali Khan performs at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the All Bengal Music Conference at Khelat Ghosh’s residence. Behind him is a blow-up of Bhupendra Krishna Ghosh. Picture by Amit Datta

Jayantababu’s conjecture is that the more opulent neighbouring house was built by Khelat Ghosh in 1850-55. The plot on which Ramlochun’s house stands originally belonged to Charles Hamilton, who was the zamindar, according to the title case in the ancient paper book of the privy council.

Its records how the plot changed hands from Hamilton to Greedhur Dutt, from Dutt to Rasmonee Dosse, and from her to Gobind Bysack, who possibly belonged to the ancient family of that name, who were among the first inhabitants of Sutanuti, one of the three villages that formed the nucleus of Calcutta.

Bysack sold it to Bulloram Dutt, and finally it went to Ramlochun. Subsequently, Ramlochun, who died in 1820, bought an adjoining plot from Nurrohurry Dutt. Ramlochun’s father was Ramshankar, whose father had died early. They were from Karatiya village in Hooghly.

Ramshankar’s mother took her underage son to Varanasi, returned and settled in Baranagar. Ramshankar died in 1775 leaving for his son a house in Pathuriaghat, which cannot be located any longer, and a lakh of rupees.

Ramlochun had three sons and Jayanta belongs directly to the line of his youngest son. Jayantababu says his grandfather was interested in music. From 1920, his father Bhupendra Krishna Ghosh used to invite many eminent musicians to his Pathuriaghat home, among whom was Radhikaprasad Goswami.

The All Bengal Music Conference began in the Senate Hall in 1934 and it was inaugurated by Rabindranath Tagore. Subsequently it was held in public halls.

(To be concluded)

soumitra.das@abp.in