Jitwarpur Estate

traders by profession) of Bihar. The estate was purchased through a sale deed executed for an amount of Rs. 4 Lakhs on March 29, 1946, during an era which was witnessing the ending phase of British rule in India. The estate was acquired through the descendants of Lady Alice Hudson, wife of one of the administrators of Bengal during British India. During 1948, the estate was partitioned and thereafter is being managed by the descendants of the two brothers- Babu Thakur Prasad Sharma and Babu Rambahadur Thakur. During the subsequent years, the estate also became the centre for management of the Sugar Mill, Paper Mill and several other allied industries of India. Today most of these industrial operations and parts of the agricultural estate have been acquired by the Government for further industrialisation and social welfare purposes. Out of the remaining estate, managed by the descendant's families, several agricultural activities are being carried on. The estate possesses some of the most unique and exotic trees (Teak, Salwood) and plantations (mangoes, Lichis), sacred to India's traditional knowledge (turmeric, food-grains). The estate is preserving the rich natural beauty and picturesque surroundings of green trees, overlooking a stream of river, adjacent to the estate. Prayas has been carrying its operations since 2008, under the banner of 'Mayank Prayas' in the memory of Late Mayank Sharma, one of the descendants of the Sharma family, who met a pre-mature death. His unit of the estate runs a Juvenile Shelter Home (for street children) and Vocational Training Centre (computer training, fashion clinic) for students of the nearby village and district areas. It has now been accredited by the Government of India, under the Jan Shikshan Sansathan (JSS) scheme. Jitwarpur estate thus stands symbolic of several values and practices, tracing its origin to British India and providing an excellent example of social change, thereby retaining its rich glory and historical base.