Before the Danes were compelled to hand over Serampore to the English for only Rs 1.2 million and lower their flag on October 11,1845, merchant Raghuram Goswami made an offer. That was the strength of the family.
The mark of the clan, whose foundations were laid by the likes of Ramanarayna and Harinarayan in the late 18th century, can be seen in the massive Goswami house. You probably have seen the place in a popular Bengali film — Bhooter Bhobishyot. The family amassed wealth trading with the Danes and other Europeans. Raghuram’s father was associated with the Danish Asiatic Company and the man himself was connected to John Palmer & Co.
The Danes began trading in Bengal in 1698 by establishing a factory next to the French at Chandernagore but that dream ended in 1714 as profits didn’t come their way. The settlement at Serampore proved successful and came with the backing from the crown of Denmark in 1732. Most trade was local, involving weaving, carpentry, tailoring and farming. In the 1770s, the Danish company’s commercial monopoly was ended when its properties were transferred to the crown, resulting in an increase in exports.
By the early 1800s, one of the highlights of the town became the Goswami Rajbari and the family’s other properties in the town. The north part of the mansion is more magnificent than the south because of the Naatmandir, thakur dalan and Corinthian columns.
Fortune has smiled on several successive generations of the Goswami family. In later years, members of the household became successful professionals.
Of course, you must make the trip to Serampore a sweet one, so a stop at Mahesh Chandra Dutta sweets is highly recommended. There for close to two centuries, it will give you enough succour to power through the town for a few hours.
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