Ship of unremitting passion – Kolkata farmer’s quest to built a stunning house designed as replica of Titanic
It has been more than a decade now since Mintu Roys, a vegetable farmer from Hellencha district of West Bengal started building his dream house modelled on the famous doomed ship, only to relive the grandeur and magnificence of the vessel.
Roy has spent the best part of 10 years determined to turn his dream into a reality, funding the project by selling his seasonal vegetable crops at local farmers’ markets.
He saw decorations built for the Durga Puja festival in the shape of the Titanic. Since then, he has been steadily working on creating his dream home, replicating the famous ship as closely as possible.
He went to Nepal to learn masonry and construction techniques to build a house from scratch.
“The house will have three levels, with the first level resembling the Titanic’s deck, complete with railings, lifeboats, and even a replica of the ship’s wheel, with an anchor hanging by its side,” Roy says.
His attention to detail is exceptional. He wants to recreate the Titanic’s grand staircase as well as intricate woodwork which was the centrepiece of the ship’s interior.
“The house’s interior will be designed to resemble the Titanic’s cabins and lounges, ”He adds.
The facade of the home has been designed to closely mimic that of the original, including the bow and stern, using steel and concrete.
According to him it was a grueling task, “I had to break and rebuild the bow of the ship a few times because the local masons were not able to get its perfect shape,”He informed.
Roy’s house in the village of Nijbari, Phasidewa, about 14km from the Indo-Bangladesh border, has become a landmark, popularly known as Jahaj bari, or the ship house. The house is often visited by people from journalists to school pupils keen to get a glimpse of wonder he is creating.
Ever since the inception of the project in 2013, Roy has made slow but steady progress and is hoping with the funds from this year’s crops, he’ll be close to completing the ship’s third floor.
He wants to run a small cafe or restaurant tea shop on the deck and host guests.
