Friday 24 February 2017

Hussaini Dalan's Silver Replica In Bangladesh




Dr.Mazhar Naqvi
Among the proud possessions of Bangladesh National Museum also figures a replica of ‘Hussaini Dalan” that was made by a Hindu Ananda Hari Karmakar. Before its acquisition by the museum, the replica was in the possession of Dhaka’s Nawab family. Made of ‘Filigiri-Work in Silver’, the replica finds place in the department of Ethnography and Decorative Arts of the museum.
Husaini Dalan is located in Old Dhaka area and is the most  famous Imambara of Bangladesh. It is widely believed that it was erected by one Mir Murad due to claim made by James Taylor in his account. .However, Hakim Habibur Rahman refutes it and described  Nawab Nasrat Jang as its builder. The local tradition give credit of Imambara’s reconstruction to Nawab Jasarat Khan in the second half of the eighteenth century. Husaini Dalan stands on a high platform. A flight of steps on the east reaches its floor. The southern exterior presents an attractive facade. A series of columns, supporting a long beam, is flanked by octagonal chambers in three stages. On each side the top of the octagonal chambers is crowned with a dome. The building has kiosks at the four corners above the roof.
The replica prepared by Karmakar in 1905 is a perfect facsimile of the building of Hussaini Dalan. All the main features of Husaini Dalan are profusely filigreed on the replica. Records of the museum reveals that it was acquired in 1970.Since then it has been an attraction among the visitors. It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh National Museum was formally inaugurated in 1973 but it was established way back in 1913 under the name of Dhaka Museum.(References available on request. Photo Courtesy Google Images )
























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