Today, Palashi is a non-descript town located around 170km north of Kolkata in Nadia district. National Highway (NH) 34 (now NH-12) meanders through the crowded unplanned town. The name originates from the palash tree known for its bright red flowers and is often referred to as the Flame of the Forest. But Palashi is no ordinary place! On June 23, 1757, this very place was witness to the battle that changed the course of the sub-continent’s history.
The gateway on NH-34 (now NH-12) welcomes visitors to the Plassey War Memorial
Battle of Plassey (Palashi is anglicised as Plassey) was fought between the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daula and the British East India Company led by Robert Clive. The battle took place in Palashi about 50km south of Murshidabad, the capital of the Nawab of Bengal. The 3,000 and odd soldiers of the East India Company met the might of the Nawab’s 50,000-strong army on the banks of river Bhagirathi (upper course of the Hooghly). But a conspiracy within the nawab’s army led to their defeat in a battle that lasted only 11 hours.
The Plassey War Memorial and (inset) the plaque mentioning the date of the historic battle
Today, no trace of the battlefield can be seen. It is believed that the changing course of the meandering Bhagirati has long swallowed up the historical battlefield (or least a large part of it). But a pair of memorial or monument still stands amid the agricultural field of Palashi as the reminder of the battle that marked the beginning of the British rule in India.
While travelling through Palashi along NH-34 visitors will notice an arched gate with bilingual (Bengali and English) signage mentioning about the Plassey War Memorial. The gate will fall on the left side of visitors coming from Kolkata. A left turn from the highway and through the gate will lead to a towering obelisk with the inscription ‘Battle Field of Plassey June 23rd 1757’.
Through the mustard fields, we head towards the three obelisks
But is it the exact location of the battleground? There are doubts. It is even believed that the memorial came up at a later period. There are various versions of the construction date of the memorial. Some believe it was constructed just after the war, while others believe it was constructed in 1857 to mark the centenary of the war. Even another group opines that it was built in the early part of the 20th century during the time of Lord Curzon.
The memorial is a simple obelisk standing on a square base. The front side has the inscription, while there is no inscription on the other three sides. It is enclosed with a circular masonry wall with a gate on the eastern side. Next to the gate is a bust of Siraj-ud-Daulah. The bright coloured golden bust was installed in 2007 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Plassey.
A dirt road from behind the memorial meanders through the agricultural fields to the other memorial consisting of three obelisks standing on a common platform. These three obelisks stand at the spot where Bakshi Mir Madan (the chief of the nawab’s artillery), Bahadur Ali Khan (commander of musketeers) and Nauwe Singh Hazari (the captain of artillery) were killed in the battle.
The memorial was set up in 1972–73 to mark the silver jubilee (25 years) of the Indian Independence. This memorial is surrounded by the yellow hues of the mustard field lies in complete neglect. The inscription of the marble plaque is hardly readable and the walled complex is often used for storage of collected firewood.
The three obelisk of Bakshi Mir Madan (the chief of the nawab’s artillery), Bahadur Ali Khan (commander of musketeers) and Nauwe Singh Hazari (the captain of artillery)
Today, these two forgotten memorials are mute testimony to one the greatest events that changed the history of the sub-continent. A winter day trip from Kolkata can provide a short glimpse of the great historic event. It also comes in with a bonus of a walk through the sparkling yellow mustard fields along with a fresh dose of oxygen.
