The Calcutta Awadh

Tucked in Metiaburuz –a dingy locality in the southern fringes of Kolkata , stands an Imambara that is stepped in historical significance. The Imambara is like a miniature, though less ornate, model of the grand Bara Imambara at Lucknow that was built by Wajid Ali’s great-grandfather Asaf-ud-Daulah in 1784. Incidentally it was in Metiaburuz locality that the exiled and heartbroken nawabWajid Ali Shah was interned when the principality of his forefathers—the nawabi state of Awadh was taken over by the British in 1856. Metiaburuz—a distortion of the original ‘MatiaBuruz’ or mound of earth became home to the exiled nawab, his descendants and subordinates and virtually a mini-Awadh. The exiled nawab’s grave as that of his son and many of his descendants, are located inside the Imambara. A silver- and gold-plated teak tazia that’s 125 years old and two big bowls made of Firoza, a special stone imported from Persia that is believed to change colour on coming into contact with any poisonous substance (and, hence, favoured by royalty to make plates, cups and bowls for personal use), are some of the objects kept under lock and key in a room that houses the last resting place of Wajid Ali Shah. Incidentally even Satyajit Ray was not immune to the significance of this Imambara in the history of Awadh as he chose to feature it at length in his award winning period piece on the 1857 Mutiny–SatranjKeKhiladi. In 2008 the Calcutta Municipality Corporation decided to spend forty two lakhs for urgent repair of this Imambara and Shah Masjid. The Imambara and the Shahi Masjid, however, are only two of the 35-odd structures which include sprawling and architecturally rich palaces and mansions the nawab built for his concubines and senior officials along the banks of the Hooghly. On being exiled, the heartbroken Nawab tried to create the same ambience of Lucknow in this patch which witnessed the same language, the same genteel style of poetry, conversation, wit, the same tehzeeband similar recreational practices like kite-flying, cock-fighting, quail-fighting, telling of old tales etc. The exiled prince had a large zoo with thousands of birds and animals including tigers, leopards and giraffes. He also built what was perhaps the world’s first snake house with hundreds of reptiles. The nawab used to spend nearly a fifth of his monthly allowance of one lakh rupees from the British for the upkeep of this zoo. All this, however, came to an end abruptly after Wajid Ali’s death in 1887. What endured were tales, glimpses of history and delectable Awadhi cuisine that secured a firm place in the city’s culinary firmament.