House of Sir Prafulla Chandra Ray: Birthplace of a Bengali Chemist
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Bangladesh
- Primary era
- Unclassified
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Unclassified
- Civilizations
- Unclassified
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- House
History
The House of Sir Prafulla Chandra Ray is an archaeological site in Baruli village, Khulna District, Bangladesh, on the bank of the Kopotakkho River. Built as a residential complex, it is chiefly associated with Prafulla Chandra Ray, a Bengali scientist and chemist who was born there on 2 August 1861. His work helped establish modern chemical science in South Asia.
After the house was abandoned, it was occupied on several occasions before the Bangladesh Department of Archaeology took responsibility for it and declared it a protected antiquity. Government-sponsored events are held at the complex on the anniversaries of Ray’s birth and death, maintaining its connection with his life and scientific legacy.
Remains
The complex is arranged around an open central space, with a pond beside the front of the house. Its principal structure rises two storeys and stands with a small temple and several other single-storey buildings. Together, the buildings rest on approximately 170 pillars and contain 45 doors and about 130 windows.
Architectural decoration
A lion statue stands on the roof of the main building. Floral, vine-like, and other varied decorative designs cover parts of the walls and pillars. In front of the house, a stone image of Prafulla Chandra Ray commemorates the scientist born at the complex.
