Family history

The Nag Chowdhurys of Arbelia.

Our roots are in Arbelia, a historic village in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, where the Nag Chowdhury family were the zamindars for generations. This page gathers our story, our traditions and the letters and records that tell it. More will be added over time.

8th c.
Kirti Nag, the earliest recorded ancestor
31
generations recorded in the family history
1545
the first family Durga Puja in Arbelia
42
years of pause before the Puja was revived

Chapter one

The Nag lineage

The family traces its line to Kirti Nag, of the Saupayana gotra and the royal Karkotak Nag lineage. In the middle of the 8th century he was appointed Mahasamanta, a senior feudal lord, by the king of Gaur. According to the family genealogist Kashidas Thakur, the national history of Bengal and several Kayastha clan records, his forefathers lived in the village of Kolancha.

In the 11th generation, Shankar Nag became known as "Raja Shankar". Late in the 11th century, when Vijay Sen, father of King Ballal Sen, drove out Raja Shyamal Varma (also called Adisur II) and became ruler of Rarh Bengal, Shankar Nag was given the title of Raja at the court of Gaur.

In the 12th generation, Debdatta Nag served as a courtier of King Ballal Sen. In the 13th, Mahananda Nag received the clan rank of "Siddha Maulik" from the Sen court, and the family became known as the Nag lineage of the Dakshin Rarhi community.

Chapter two

The title of Chowdhury

In the early 16th century, Tituram Nag, of the 18th generation, received the title "Chowdhury" from the court of Gaur. From then on the family carried the name Nag Chowdhury.

Chapter three

Settling Arbelia

Kamalakanta Nag Chowdhury, of the 21st generation, built great wealth trading in cotton, yarn and salt. He bought several mouzas, or village lands, and became known as a landholder.

In 1542–43 he settled in Arbelia with his wife. The village was then surrounded by dense forest and marshland. He cleared it and built the family mansion, the thakurdalan (also called the chandi dalan) and the family temples. From 1545 he began the worship of Sri Sri Durga in the thakurdalan at Arbelia.

Chapter four

The zamindars of Arbelia

Srikanta Nag Chowdhury, of the 26th generation, was a courtier of the Nawab of Murshidabad. He bought the well-known Atkabala taluk from Shivachandra, son of Maharaja Krishnachandra, and greatly enlarged the Nag Chowdhury estate of Arbelia.

Rajmohan Nag Chowdhury, of the 28th generation, was the brightest and most powerful zamindar of the line. In his time the family's skill and fame spread far. The "Ek Takar Gate" (the One-Rupee Gate) and the "Ek Rater Bari" (the One-Night House) were built in his day, and they still carry Arbelia's heritage today.

The family also shaped how the village grew. They gave land to their family priests, the Bhattacharjees, and on it grew the neighbouring Bamun Bari, a house now about 200 years old.

Chapter five

Nearly 500 years of Durga Puja

Begun by Kamalakanta Nag Chowdhury in 1545, the family's Durga Puja is one of the oldest in the region.

The tradition paused for 42 years before the family revived it. It continues today: in October 2026 the family held a six-day Maha Puja at the house in Arbelia.

Chapter six

The immersion at the family pond

The Puja ends with the immersion of the idol, and here the Nag Chowdhury estate brings the whole village together. Neighbouring heritage pujas hold their final rituals at the Nag Chowdhury family pond.

Among them is the Mather Bose Bari puja, about 320 years old, held at the ancestral home of the Bengali actor Biswanath Basu. By strict tradition, family members carry the heavy idol on their shoulders from the thakurdalan, about a kilometre, to the Nag Chowdhury pond.

Chapter seven

Into the modern age

Dr Sushil Kumar Nag Chowdhury, of the 31st generation, graduated from Calcutta Medical College in 1928. In 1933 he earned a postgraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh. He came home in 1936, and from 1937 he led the Ear, Nose and Throat department at Calcutta Medical College, later becoming its Principal.

In the 33rd generation, Sankha NagChoudhury, son of Rajat and grandson of Santosh Kumar, carries the family story forward.

Sankha NagChoudhury was born in Kolkata and grew up in Hyderabad, India. His early years were shaped by family, Bengali heritage and the many cultures of the places he called home. Today, he and his wife, Pallavi, are raising their children, Anushka and Ashank, in Texas. Wherever life has taken them, family, learning and helping others have remained central to who they are.

Sankha has built a career at the intersection of technology, business and people. As a senior leader at ServiceNow, he works on how organizations can use AI and automation to make work better and more effective. He is especially interested in a question that reaches beyond technology: as machines take on more work, how do people make sure the outcomes remain responsible and accountable?

That question inspires his writing. Sankha is the author of A Novice’s Guide to Wealth, The Wealth Engine™: Let Money Learn. Let AI Work., and What “A”I Believe… Autonomous Work. Accountable People. Across his books, he explores wealth, technology and the choices people make as the world changes. He donates the net proceeds from his books to support scholarships through Hariom Helps Foundation.

Giving back is a family commitment as well as a personal one. Through Hariom Helps Foundation and its connected projects—including Fund My Dreams, Emotional Teen and Let Money Grow—the family supports education, student opportunity and well-being. Their guiding idea is simple: use what you know and what you have to help someone else move forward.

Away from work and writing, Sankha is a proud husband and father. He takes joy in watching Anushka and Ashank discover their own interests, build ideas and find ways to contribute. He hopes their family story will be remembered not only for what they achieved, but for the care they showed one another and the good they tried to do along the way.

Arbelia today

On the heritage trail

During the autumn festival, Arbelia and the nearby "castle village" of Dhanyakuria form a well-known heritage cluster. Guided tours such as the Bonedi Bari Trails bring visitors from Kolkata to see the old family mansions and traditional ekchala idols, away from the crowded city pandals.

Through the generations

Key ancestors

  1. First recorded generation

    8th century

    Kirti Nag

    Appointed Mahasamanta by the king of Gaur

  2. 11th generation

    Late 11th century

    Shankar Nag

    Given the title Raja at the court of Gaur

  3. 12th generation

    Sen era

    Debdatta Nag

    Courtier of King Ballal Sen

  4. 13th generation

    Sen era

    Mahananda Nag

    Received the Siddha Maulik clan rank

  5. 18th generation

    Early 16th century

    Tituram Nag

    Received the title Chowdhury

  6. 21st generation

    1542–1545

    Kamalakanta Nag Chowdhury

    Settled Arbelia and began the Durga Puja

  7. 26th generation

    18th century

    Srikanta Nag Chowdhury

    Courtier of the Nawab of Murshidabad; bought the Atkabala taluk

  8. 28th generation

    Rajmohan Nag Chowdhury

    Built the One-Rupee Gate and the One-Night House

  9. 31st generation

    1928–1937

    Dr Sushil Kumar Nag Chowdhury

    Head of ENT and later Principal, Calcutta Medical College

The family tree

Generation by generation

Translated from two sheets of the family's printed Bengali chart. Both share the line from Kirti Nag down; each then follows different branches of the 30th to 32nd generations. Each generation is grouped by parent, so you can follow every branch. Green-edged names are Sankha's direct line. A question mark means the name is hard to read on the chart and still needs checking.

Visit the Arbelia Estate page — the house, its letters and the chart

Sankha's line

From Pitambar to Anushka and Ashank

Father to son, as the family records it. The line continues upward, unbroken, to Kirti Nag.

  1. 1Pitambar Nag ChowdhurySankha's 5th great-grandfather · Generation 26
  2. 2Digambar Nag ChowdhurySankha's 4th great-grandfather · Generation 27
  3. 3Rajmohan Nag ChowdhurySankha's 3rd great-grandfather · Generation 28
  4. 4Chandranath Nag ChowdhurySankha's 2nd great-grandfather · Generation 29
  5. 5Purendranath Nag ChowdhurySankha's great-grandfather · Generation 30
  6. 6Santosh Kumar Nag ChowdhurySankha's grandfather · Generation 31
  7. 7Rajat Nag ChoudhurySankha's father · Generation 32
  8. 8Sankha NagChoudhurySankha himself · Generation 33
  9. 9Anushka NagChoudhurySankha's daughter · Generation 34
  10. 10Ashank P NagChoudhurySankha's son · Generation 34
  1. Generation 1

    • Kirti Nag

      কীর্তি নাগ

      Of the Saupayana rishi gotra and the royal Karkotak Nag line. Appointed Mahasamanta by the king of Gaur in the 8th century.

  2. Generation 2

    • Jayaram?

      জয়রাম

  3. Generation 3

    • Phani Nag

      ফণি নাগ

  4. Generation 4

    • Darpanarayan

      দর্পনারায়ণ

  5. Generation 5

    • Abhayakar?

      অভয়াকর

  6. Generation 6

    • Jayadhar

      জয়ধর

      Held the title Raja.

  7. Generation 7

    • Harihar

      হরিহর

  8. Generation 8

    • Heruk?

      হেরুক

  9. Generation 9

    • Pashupati

      পশুপতি

  10. Generation 10

    • Ganapati

      গণপতি

  11. Generation 11

    • Shankar Nag

      শঙ্কর

      Known as Raja Shankar; honoured at the court of Gaur.

  12. Generation 12

    • Debdatta Nag

      দেবদত্ত নাগ

      Courtier of King Ballal Sen.

  13. Generation 13

    Children of Debdatta Nag

    • Kanda Nag?

      কন্দ নাগ

      His branch is known as the Bangaja line.

    • Mahananda Nag

      মহানন্দ নাগ

      Received the Siddha Maulik rank from the Sen court; his line became the Dakshin Rarhi Nags.

    • Shiv Nag

      শিব নাগ

  14. Generation 14

    • Shatananda

      শতানন্দ

  15. Generation 15

    • Pitambar

      পীতাম্বর

  16. Generation 16

    Children of Pitambar

    • Dhir Nag

      ধীর নাগ

    • Ananda Nag

      আনন্দ নাগ

    Descendant of Shiv Nag

    • Sadananda Nag?

      সদানন্দ নাগ

  17. Generation 17

    • Kaladhar Nag

      কলাধর নাগ

  18. Generation 18

    Son of Kaladhar Nag

    • Tituram Nag Chowdhury

      তিতুরাম নাগ চৌধুরী

      Received the title Chowdhury from the court of Gaur in the early 16th century.

    Descendant of Sadananda Nag

    • Hariram Nag?

      হরিরাম নাগ

      A descendant of Sadananda; the chart skips the generation between them.

  19. Generation 19

    • Keshab Nag Chowdhury

      কেশব নাগ চৌধুরী

      Lived at Boral, 24 Parganas.

  20. Generation 20

    Children of Keshab Nag Chowdhury

    • Kamdev

      কামদেব

      His branch lives in another village.

    • Gunananda

      গুণানন্দ

  21. Generation 21

    Son of Kamdev

    • Ramkanta

      রামকান্ত

    Son of Gunananda

    • Kamalakanta Nag Chowdhury

      কমলাকান্ত নাগ চৌধুরী

      A trader in cotton, yarn and salt. In 1542–43 he moved with his wife from Boral to Arbelia, cleared the land and built the house, thakurdalan and temples.

  22. Generation 22

    • Ramgopal

      রামগোপাল

      Arbelia, 24 Parganas.

  23. Generation 23

    • Srikrishna

      শ্রীকৃষ্ণ

  24. Generation 24

    • Raghuttam

      রঘুত্তম

  25. Generation 25

    • Ramprasad

      রামপ্রসাদ

  26. Generation 26

    Children of Ramprasad

    • Srikanta Nag Chowdhury

      শ্রীকান্ত

      Courtier of the Nawab of Murshidabad; bought the Atkabala taluk.

    • Jaykrishna?

      জয়কৃষ্ণ

      The chart lists many distinguished descendants of this branch.

    • Dewan Ramkanta

      দেওয়ান রামকান্ত

    • Gopikanta

      গোপীকান্ত

    • Pitambar Nag Chowdhury

      পীতাম্বর

      Placed as Sankha's family gives the line (Pitambar → Digambar → Rajmohan). The printed chart instead shows Pitambar as Srikanta's son and Rajmohan's father.

    • Gourkanta (Gouranga)

      গৌরকান্ত (গৌরাঙ্গ)

  27. Generation 27

    Son of Srikanta Nag Chowdhury

    • Ramgati

      রামগতি

    Son of Gopikanta

    • Madhabram

      মাধবরাম

    Son of Pitambar Nag Chowdhury

    • Digambar Nag Chowdhury

      দিগম্বর

      Rajmohan's father, as Sankha's family records it; not shown on the printed chart.

  28. Generation 28

    Son of Digambar Nag Chowdhury

    • Rajmohan Nag Chowdhury

      রাজমোহন

      A zamindar of great standing; built the One-Rupee Gate and the One-Night House.

    Children of Madhabram

    • Bhubanmohan

      ভুবনমোহন

    • Nabakumar?

      নবকুমার

  29. Generation 29

    Children of Rajmohan Nag Chowdhury

    • Chandranath Nag Chowdhury

      চন্দ্রনাথ

      Married to Nistarini, daughter of Kashinath Ghosh of Panihati

      Skilled in managing the estate.

    • Kashinath Nag Chowdhury

      কাশীনাথ

      Married to Kumudini, of the Ghosh family of Panihati

    • Brajanath Nag Chowdhury?

      ব্রজনাথ

      Married to Nagendranandini, of the Mitra family of Bidon Street

    Descendant of Jaykrishna

    • Priyanath

      প্রিয়নাথ

      Married to Kalikamini

      The chart skips the generations between Jaykrishna and Priyanath.

  30. Generation 30

    Son of Priyanath

    • Upendranath

      উপেন্দ্রনাথ

      Married to Pramodsundari, daughter of Nandalal Ghosh

      1868–1930. A disciple of Krishnananda; friend of the lawyers Sir Rashbehari Ghosh and Nilmadhab Basu. Sheet 3 of the chart draws him under Chandranath and gives a different set of children (shown here too) — to be checked.

    Children of Chandranath Nag Chowdhury

    • Daughter

      Krishnabhamini

      কৃষ্ণভামিনী

      Married to Rai Bahadur Amritanath Mitra

    • Daughter

      Krishnajivani?

      কৃষ্ণজীবনী

      Married to Rai Bahadur Biharilal Mitra

    • Surendranath

      সুরেন্দ্রনাথ

      Married to Nripendrabala, daughter of Abhayacharan Basu Mallik

      Known as 'Mejobabu'. A landowner and social worker who looked after much of Rajmohan's estate; sheltered villagers in his home during the great flood. His sons are on sheet 3 of the chart.

    • Purendranath Nag Chowdhury

      পুরেন্দ্রনাথ

      Married to Shatadalbasini, daughter of Mahendranath Basu of Baghbazar

      1870–1941. Lived at 17 Haripada Dutta Lane, Kolkata, and worked as a cashier. Chandranath's son, as Sankha's family records it; the printed chart draws him under Kashinath.

    Son of Kashinath Nag Chowdhury

    • Bhupendranath

      ভূপেন্দ্রনাথ

      Married to Nagendramohini

      1891–1916.

    Children of Brajanath Nag Chowdhury

    • Shailendranath

      শৈলেন্দ্রনাথ

      Married to Sushilabala, of a Ghosh family

    • Khagendranath?

      খগেন্দ্রনাথ

      Married to Mrinalini, daughter of Priyanath Mitra

      Skilled in managing the estate.

    • Daughter

      Krishnakamini?

      কৃষ্ণকামিনী

      Married to Prabodhkumar Basu, 153 Cornwallis Street

    • Daughter

      Swarnaprabha?

      স্বর্ণপ্রভা

      Married to Narendrakumar Basu Mallik

  31. Generation 31

    Children of Upendranath

    • Bidyutkumar

      বিদ্যুৎকুমার

      Died in childhood.

    • Daughter

      Nirmala

      নির্মলা

      Married to Nagendranath Ghosh, Medinipur

    • Daughter

      Umasundari

      উমাসুন্দরী

      Married to Haricharan Mitra

    • Daughter

      Prabhabati

      প্রভাবতী

      Married to Haridas Mitra, Ahiritola

    • Daughter

      Anupama

      অনুপমা

      Married into a Basu family of Lansdowne Road.

    • Daughter

      Mrinalini?

      মৃণালিনী

      Married to Amulyanath Basu, Bagbazar

    • Jitendranath

      জিতেন্দ্রনাথ

      Lived on Upper Chitpur Road, Kolkata. A generous man and a patron of Arbelia village.

    • Daughter

      Hemnalini?

      হেমনলিনী

      Married to Prakashchandra Ghosh, Nilganj, Agarpara

    • Satyendranath

      সত্যেন্দ্রনাথ

      Lived on Upper Chitpur Road, Kolkata. A businessman, skilled in practical affairs.

    Children of Surendranath

    • Daughter

      Uma

      উমা

      Died in childhood.

    • Daughter

      Nirupama

      নিরুপমা

      Married to Debshankar Mitra

    • Daughter

      Pratima

      প্রতিমা

      Married to Dr Binayranjan Sen

    • Daughter

      Anila

      অনিলা

      Married to Sudhirkumar Basu

    • Pramodkumar

      প্রমোদকুমার

      Died unmarried.

    • Amodkumar

      আমোদকুমার

      Died unmarried.

    • Daughter

      Bibhabati?

      বিভাবতী

      Married to Bibhutibhushan Mitra, 57B Beltala Road

    • Saralkumar

      সরলকুমার

      Married to Lalita, of a Basu family

      A businessman.

    • Dr Sushil Kumar Nag Chowdhury

      ডাঃ সুশীলকুমার

      Married to Pushparani

      Calcutta Medical College 1928, Edinburgh 1933, head of ENT from 1937 and later Principal of Calcutta Medical College.

    • Kamalkumar

      কমলকুমার

      Lived at Paikpara, Kolkata. A company officer, closely involved with many charities.

    • Daughter

      Gopabati?

      গোপাবতী

    • Daughter

      Abhabati?

      আভাবতী

    • Daughter

      Parijat

      পারিজাত

      Died unmarried.

    Son of Bhupendranath

    • Chandikumar

      চণ্ডীকুমার

      Married to Arati, daughter of Purnananda Ghosh Majumdar

    Children of Purendranath Nag Chowdhury

    • Sankha's great-uncle

      Sudhir Kumar Nag Chowdhury

      সুধীরকুমার

      An officer of the Calcutta High Court.

    • Sankha's great-aunt

      Madhu?

      মধু

    • Sankha's great-uncle

      Subodh

      সুবোধ

      Died in childhood.

    • Sankha's grandfather

      Santosh Kumar Nag Chowdhury

      সন্তোষকুমার

    • Sankha's great-aunt

      Manjari?

      মঞ্জরী

      Married to Pareshchandra Mitra

    • Sankha's great-uncle

      Ajit Kumar Nag Chowdhury

      অজিতকুমার

      Married to Dipika, daughter of Anilchandra Basu

      A businessman.

    • Sankha's great-aunt

      Shefali

      শেফালী

      Married to Arunkumar Mitra

    • Sankha's great-aunt

      Pratima

      প্রতিমা

    Daughter of Shailendranath

    • Daughter

      Ashalata

      আশালতা

      Married to Sudhir Ghosh

    Children of Khagendranath

    • Daughter

      Jyotirmayi

      জ্যোতির্ময়ী

    • Daughter

      Hiranmayi

      হিরন্ময়ী

      Married to Jibankrishna Basu

    • Daughter

      Binapani

      বীণাপাণি

    • Bibhutibhushan

      বিভূতিভূষণ

      Married to Shantimayi

      A businessman.

  32. Generation 32

    Children of Chandikumar

    • Alok Kumar

      অলোককুমার

      Added by hand on the chart.

    • Daughter

      Dipika

      দীপিকা

    • Tilak Kumar

      তিলককুমার

    • Sunit Kumar?

      সুনীতকুমার

      Added by hand on the chart.

    Son of Sudhir Kumar Nag Chowdhury

    • Dad's cousin

      Dilip Kumar Nag Chowdhury

      দিলীপকুমার

    Children of Santosh Kumar Nag Chowdhury

    • Sankha's father

      Rajat Nag Choudhury

      রজত

      Married to Bansari Nag Choudhury (married 23 June 1974)

    • Sankha's uncle

      Sanath Kumar Nag Chowdhury

      সনৎকুমার

    • Sankha's aunt

      Bani

      বাণী

    • Sankha's aunt

      Shubhra

      শুভ্রা

    • Sankha's aunt

      Mridula

      মৃদুলা

    Children of Ajit Kumar Nag Chowdhury

    • Dad's cousin

      Asit Nag Chowdhury

      অসিত

    • Dad's cousin

      Shikha

      শিখা

    • Dad's cousin

      Snigdha

      স্নিগ্ধা

    Children of Bibhutibhushan

    • Tapan Kumar

      তপনকুমার

    • Ashok Kumar

      অশোককুমার

    • Daughter

      Aparajita

      অপরাজিতা

    Children of Saralkumar

    • Arunkumar

      অরুণকুমার

    • Tarunkumar

      তরুণকুমার

    Children of Dr Sushil Kumar Nag Chowdhury

    • Devkumar

      দেবকুমার

      Passed the Senior Cambridge examination at 11 years 10 months old.

    • Manaskumar

      মানসকুমার

    • Daughter

      Mitali

      মিতালী

    Children of Kamalkumar

    • Daughter

      Madhabi?

      মাধবী

    • Daughter

      Jyotsna

      জ্যোৎস্না

    • Shankarkumar

      শঙ্করকুমার

    • Daughter

      Kamala

      কমলা

    • Daughter

      Anjali?

      অঞ্জলি

    • Bhaskarkumar

      ভাস্করকুমার

    Daughter of Jitendranath

    • Daughter

      Kalyani

      কল্যাণী

      Died in childhood.

    Son of Satyendranath

    • Salilkumar

      সলিলকুমার

  33. Generation 33

    Children of Dilip Kumar Nag Chowdhury

    • Sankha's second cousin

      Ananya Nag Chowdhury

    • Sankha's second cousin

      Deepshika Nag Chowdhury

    Daughter of Asit Nag Chowdhury

    • Sankha's second cousin

      Nandini Nag Chowdhury

    Daughter of Alok Kumar

    • Daughter

      Ashabari

      আশাবরী

      Added by hand on the chart.

    Children of Rajat Nag Choudhury

    • Sankha's sister

      Srabasti NagChoudhury

    • Sankha

      Sankha NagChoudhury

      Married to Pallavi NagChoudhury, of the 18 Bari House of the Roychowdhurys

    Children of Sanath Kumar Nag Chowdhury

    • Sankha's cousin

      Sundeep Nag Chowdhury

    • Sankha's cousin; Sundeep's sister

      Madhumita Nag Chowdhury

  34. Generation 34

    Children of Sankha NagChoudhury

    • Sankha's daughter

      Anushka NagChoudhury

    • Sankha's son

      Ashank P NagChoudhury

Nag Chowdhury family crest: a shield with a crescent moon and a resting bull, a flag above, flanked by tridents and cobras, over a banner reading নাগ চৌধুরী বংশ

The family crest

A shield bearing a crescent moon and a resting bull, with a flag above it, stands between two tridents, each wrapped by a cobra. A banner below carries the family name.

নাগ চৌধুরী বংশ
The Nag Chowdhury lineageBengali
املاک اربلیا
Estates of ArbeliaPersian
নাগ চৌধুরী বাটি, আড়বেলিয়া
The Nag Chowdhury house, ArbeliaBengali

Ancestral home

The Nag Chowdhury House

নাগ চৌধুরী বাটি, আড়বেলিয়া

Village Arbelia, Baduria police station, Arbelia post office, North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal 743437, India

Family deities

  • Lakshmi Janardan
  • Shridhar
  • Balaram Jiu
  • Buro Shiv
A carved wooden throne with a domed canopy, the deities resting on it under red and gold cloths with flowers
Lakshmi Narayan — Lakshmi Narayan on the family's carved wooden throne.
Four round black sacred stones in a row on a small wooden bed, each with tulsi leaves on top and wrapped in white cloth
Narayan Shila — Four Narayan Shilas, sacred stones of Narayan, resting on their bed with tulsi leaves.
A deity dressed in red and gold cloth on a white marble seat, with a small painted owl beside her
Family deity — A family deity dressed in red and gold on her marble seat, with a small owl beside her.
Buro Shiv: a large black stone Shiva lingam marked with a red and yellow tilak, flowers on its base, seen through the open wooden temple doors
Buro Shiv — Buro Shiv in his temple at Arbelia, seen through the open temple doors.
A white temple with two large red domes and a small spire with a trident between them, family members on the steps and in front
The Buro Shiv temple — The Nag Chowdhury Buro Shiv temple, with family visiting.

Words to know

Zamindar
A hereditary landholder who managed an estate and its villages.
Gotra
A family's line of descent, traced to an ancient sage.
Mahasamanta
A senior feudal lord serving under a king.
Siddha Maulik
A respected rank among the Kayastha clans of Bengal.
Rarh
The historic region of western and south-western Bengal.
Mouza
A village land unit, the basic unit of an estate's revenue.
Taluk
A larger estate made up of several villages.
Bonedi bari
An old, established family house, often with its own Durga Puja.
Thakurdalan
The covered worship hall of a family house, where the idol stands during the Puja. Also called the chandi dalan.
Ekchala
A traditional idol style with the whole Durga family set in one single frame.
Pandal
A temporary public structure built to house the idol during the festival.

From the archive

Letters and records

Scan of the printed Bengali family tree chart, with handwritten additionsView the full scan (Bengali)

Family tree chart · 15 August 2025

The printed family tree of the Nag Chowdhurys of Arbelia

আড়বেলিয়ার নাগ চৌধুরী পরিবারThe Nag Chowdhury family of Arbelia

A printed chart of the family, numbering each generation from Kirti Nag, the first recorded ancestor, down to the 32nd generation. Beside many names it records the person's work, home and the family of their husband or wife.

It follows the line from Kirti Nag through Kamalakanta, who moved from Boral to Arbelia in 1542–43, to Srikanta, Pitambar and Rajmohan, and then branches into the families of Rajmohan's sons Chandranath, Kashinath and Brajanath.

A few names were added later by hand, including Alok Kumar, his daughter Ashabari and Sunit Kumar. The full English tree is on this page under "Generation by generation".

Original Bengali letter on Nag Chowdhury House letterhead, dated 22 October 2026View the original (Bengali)

Family letter · 22 October 2026

Vijaya Dashami greetings after the Durga Puja

শ্রীশ্রীদুর্গা শরণম্In the refuge of Sri Sri Durga

On behalf of the Nag Chowdhury family of Arbelia, we offer our respectful pranam to our elders on Vijaya Dashami, and our loving good wishes and greetings to the young. May the blessings of our family deities, Lakshmi Janardan, Shridhar, Balaram Jiu and Buro Shiv, be showered on everyone, and may all be well.

With the heartfelt cooperation of every member of the Nag Chowdhury family, the six-day Maha Puja was completed smoothly and successfully.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to every member of the Nag Chowdhury family, to Sri Ranajit Pal and his family, and to all the people of Arbelia. With your heartfelt cooperation, this Maha Puja was completed smoothly and successfully.

With humble regards,The Nag Chowdhury FamilyArbelia, North 24 Parganas

The printed Bengali family tree chart of the Nag Chowdhury family of ArbeliaView the full chart (Bengali)

Family tree chart · Photographed August 2025

The printed family tree

আড়বেলিয়ার নাগ চৌধুরী পরিবারThe Nag Chowdhury Family of Arbelia

A large printed chart traces the family generation by generation, numbering each ancestor from the first. It opens: "Of the Saupayana rishi gotra and the royal Karkotak Nag lineage, 1. Kirti Nag", who was appointed Mahasamanta by the king of Gaur in the 8th century.

The line runs son after son through Phani Nag, Darpanarayan, Pashupati and Ganapati to Shankar Nag in the 11th generation and Debdatta Nag in the 12th. In the 13th generation it divides between brothers, among them Mahananda Nag, who received the Siddha Maulik rank, and Shiv Nag.

Tituram Nag Chowdhury, the 18th, received the title Chowdhury. His son Keshab Nag Chowdhury was followed by Kamalakanta in the 21st generation, the ancestor who settled Arbelia. Srikanta, the 26th, and Rajmohan, the 28th, follow on the Arbelia line.

The lower part of the chart branches widely across the 29th to 32nd generations, with short notes on each person's work, marriage and home, including Dr Sushil Kumar of the 31st generation.

This photo is too small to read in full. The English family tree on this page is translated from the clearer scan of the chart, filed above.

First page of the typed Bengali family history titled আরবেলিয়া নাগ চৌধুরী পরিবারRead the original (Bengali, 2 pages)

Family record · August 2025

The family history, as written by the family

আরবেলিয়া নাগ চৌধুরী পরিবারThe Nag Chowdhury Family of Arbelia

Kirti Nag, of the Saupayana rishi gotra and the royal Karkotak Nag lineage, was appointed to the rank of Mahasamanta by the king of Gaur in the middle of the 8th century AD. According to the family genealogist Kashidas Thakur, the national history of Bengal and various Kayastha clan records, his forefathers were residents of the village of Kolancha.

Shankar Nag, the 11th generation of the Nag lineage, was known as "Raja Shankar". (Late in the 11th century, when Vijay Sen, father of King Ballal Sen, drove out Raja Shyamal Varma, or Adisur II, and became lord of Rarh Bengal, Shankar Nag was honoured with the title of Raja at the royal court of Gaur.)

Debdatta Nag, the 12th generation, was a courtier of King Ballal Sen between 1222 and 1239 AD. Mahananda Nag, the 13th generation, received the clan rank of "Siddha Maulik" from the Sen royal court, and became known as the Nag lineage of the Dakshin Rarhi community.

Tituram Nag, the 18th generation, received the title "Chowdhury" from the court of Gaur in the early 16th century.

Kamalakanta Nag Chowdhury, the 21st generation, earned great wealth in the cotton, yarn and salt trade, bought several mouzas and became known as a landholder. In 1542–43 AD he settled in the village of Arbelia with his wife. At that time Arbelia was surrounded by dense forest and marshland. He cleared it and built a mansion, the thakurdalan or chandi dalan, and temples to the gods. From 1545 he began the worship of Sri Sri Durga Puja in the thakurdalan of Arbelia.

Srikanta Nag Chowdhury, the 26th generation, was a courtier of the Nawab of Murshidabad. He bought the famous Atkabala taluk of the Nag Chowdhury estate of Arbelia from Shivachandra, son of Maharaja Krishnachandra, and greatly increased the prosperity of the Arbelia Nag Chowdhury estate.

Rajmohan Nag Chowdhury, the 28th generation, was a shining light of the Nag Chowdhury line and a zamindar of great might. In his time the family's ability and fame spread far and wide. It was in his time that the "Ek Takar Gate" (the One-Rupee Gate) and the "Ek Rater Bari" (the One-Night House) were built, which carry the heritage of Arbelia to this day.

Dr Sushil Kumar Nag Chowdhury, the 31st generation of the Nag Chowdhury family, graduated from Calcutta Medical College in 1928. In 1933 he earned a postgraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh in Britain. He returned home in 1936, and from 1937 he was made head of the Ear, Nose and Throat department of Calcutta Medical College, and later elected its Principal.

Information provided on behalf of the Nag Chowdhury familyThe Nag Chowdhury Family, Arbelia, North 24 Parganas