If there is one thing that Devjani Mitra does not do, it is back down from a challenge. Be it an unfavourable pronouncement by a doctor about her husband’s health, an architect’s discouraging verdict about the prospects of a family property, or the possibility of shutting down her beloved hotel in Yorkshire, England, owing to the ravages of Covid-19 – Devjani refused to accept defeat. Needless to say, in all three cases, she triumphed.

This, indeed, was the underlying thread that wove its way into our fascinating, two-hour-long conversation – Devjani’s dogged resistance to giving up, even in the face of serious odds and daunting challenges. Let’s begin with her Kolkata home – which, as I soon found out when I sat down to talk to her, used to be the outhouse to their main (now sold) home. “This was the oldest part of the original building, and it belonged to my mother-in-law,” said Devjani. “It was a dilapidated house, on a very narrow plot of land, with small rooms between the walls; an architect friend told us that we cannot do anything with it, so we should sell it.”

‘It’s so easy to give up, so why not try once?’

Devjani, of course, took that as a challenge – “It’s so easy to give up! Why not try once?” – and the fruits of her refusal to take the easy way out are evident as soon as one steps into her tastefully-decorated, warm and spacious home, complete with a beautiful terrace and an elevator (the last is not easy to install in structures that were not originally constructed to accommodate modern needs).

Devjani Mitra, pictured here in her beautiful Kolkata home Nayantara Mazumder

Indeed, this resolute will and clarity of purpose are palpable as I get to know the soft-spoken, gracious Devjani more, especially when she talks about her husband, Romit, and their shared labour of love – a beautiful, 17th-century hotel called Rowley Manor, located just 20 minutes away from their home in Kingston-upon-Hull.

It is a remarkable story of grit and success, but more on that later – a lot, after all, has preceded Devjani and Romit’s eventual ownership of a hotel in England. Devjani, an only child, has been married to Romit for 43 years. They met when they were both students, and married in 1981, when Devjani had joined Jadavpur University. Graduation and parenthood followed, as did years spent with each other in London and Kolkata. Devjani has worn many hats across continents – she has worked with Duncan Agro, run a fashion boutique, and run Chiriyakhana, a resort in Bihar, with her brother-in-law (“Nabaneeta Dev Sen wrote a short story about Chiriyakhana, and Buddhadeb Guha’s novel, Jhanki Darshan, is about our family and the resort,” revealed Devjani.) Apart from this, she worked for six years at one of the largest food packaging and manufacturing companies in the north of England, and also held the role of administrator at the Calcutta School of Music.

Devjani and Romit Mitra with their son and daughter-in-law Courtesy Devjani and Romit Mitra

‘I am indebted to the NHS’

It was during her stint at the CSM that Romit started to fall ill, and Devjani faced another challenge. “Nearly 10 years ago, we went to a top kidney specialist in Kolkata, who told us that Romit would die if he did not get a transplant in the next six months,” said Devjani. “It was a deeply alarming diagnosis, but I was bent on getting a second opinion. Given that we are permanent residents in the United Kingdom, it made sense for us to get advice from there as well. Lo and behold, the doctors there told us that Romit cannot have a transplant! They put him on normal medication, and did not start dialysis till 1.5 years ago!” It was a blessing that Devjani decided to soldier on and get the correct diagnosis, for the effects of the care Romit has been receiving are evident – as Devjani’s friend told her, “Looking at him, no one would know he has a number of ailments and is on dialysis several times a day.”

For this, Devjani swears by the UK’s National Health Service. “I am indebted to the NHS,” she declared. “Not only did they train me to take care of my husband, but we got, and continue to get, the best care without having to spend a single penny, whether I am in England or in India.” Such a scenario, unfortunately, does also shed unfavourable light on the state of healthcare in India – “here, in order to get a patient the kind of care that Romit would need, one would have to spend several lakhs a month. We are privileged, but where does this leave people who must sell everything they own in order to procure treatment for their loved ones?”

From Chiriyakhana to Rowley Manor

It was on moving back to England, to a city called Kingston-upon-Hull, that the new phase of the Mitras’ lives started – the era of Rowley Manor. With Romit having worked in hospitality for several years, and with Devjani’s experience in running Chiriyakhana, they both felt like they could, perhaps, run a hotel together in England. “We found this place 20 minutes away from us, in the countryside,” said Devjani. “We loved it.”

An aerial view of the centuries-old Rowley Manor in Yorkshire Courtesy Devjani and Romit Mitra

Thus began the chapter of Rowley Manor in the lives of the Mitras. With 16 bedrooms – all unique from one another – and three reception rooms that can accommodate sit-down dinner seating for 150, Rowley is a popular wedding venue, and draws visitors from all over the world.

But even more fascinating is Rowley’s history – the Georgian Grade-II listed building, constructed in the 17th century, was the rectory to St. Peter’s Church, Rowley. “The family that owned Rowley moved to America in the 1600s, and created another settlement called Rowley in Massachusetts,” said Devjani. “Even now, residents of Massachusetts’s Rowley come to England to see the place of their forefathers.”

A view of a Rowley Manor bedroom, all 16 of which are distinct from one another Courtesy Devjani and Romit Mitra

Rowley Manor remained the parish rectory until 1928, till the estate was purchased by a local shipping magnate named Thomas Filmer-Wilson. Since then, it has changed hands several times, having been owned by an Italian, a Gujarati, and, eventually, an English couple, Amanda and Brian Hewitt-Jones, who went on to sell it to the Mitras. “In March 2018, we took over the running of Rowley, with Amanda working with us since she knew the ins and outs of the place,” said Devjani. “In June 2022, we bought Rowley, under our old operating company, Pan India Lifestyles UK Limited, which had other major shareholders. Romit and I now operate the business under the flag of our new company, Rowley Manor Lifestyles UK Limited.” She paints a visual picture of the history-laden place: “We have a 1,000-year-old church on the property, and there is a list of all the clergymen, going back to 1060 AD! And given that the English are superstitious, many people think they see spirits,” she laughs, with a twinkle in her eye.

Devjani Mitra (centre) with (left) Shashi Tharoor at the launch of his book, ‘Why I Am A Hindu’, at Rowley Manor

A place for William Wordsworth

Running a property of this scale does have its challenges – especially since the pandemic hit business owners hard, and Devjani had to grapple with alleged defrauding from wedding bookings by a former staff member. But Devjani, as usual, was up for the challenge; unlike other properties in the vicinity that had to shut their doors, she refused to let Rowley meet the same fate. “We are picking up after Covid,” she said. “Rowley’s main challenges are maintenance, because restoration and repair regulations are very stringent. It is, after all, a 402-year-old building.”

Horses graze on the grounds of Rowley Manor Courtesy Devjani and Romit Mitra

But the joy of running a property as beautiful as Rowley, and with a staff that Devjani calls family, makes every hardship worth it. The pride is palpable in Devjani’s voice as she shows me photographs of Rowley and talks about its bespoke dining, special menus and its famous, sought-after afternoon tea. “My Rowley family is very dear to me; most of them returned to work after Covid, and I can put my full faith in them. Our friend’s son from India also works as a manager for us now! The lawns of Rowley are lush and gorgeous, and there is a stable next door, so the horses are always grazing, and at this time of the year, the driveway is blooming with daffodils.” Wordsworth would certainly have been happy at Rowley!

What about weddings? “Last year, we had 23 weddings!” laughs Devjani. “People often book the place 2-3 years in advance. There is no ‘wedding season’ as such; we have celebrations round the year.”

Glimpses of moments from weddings that took place at Rowley Manor Courtesy Devjani and Romit Mitra

But 23 weddings? That’s about two weddings every month! To this Devjani has both a practical answer, and a borderline hilarious – and heartwarming – one. “First, given that so many other places around us shut down, the weddings that had been booked over there came to us,” she explained. Fair enough; and the funny answer? “Oftentimes, relationships end before the date of the wedding. However, a deposit has been paid, and it’s usually paid by the parents. How, then, do they ensure that it does not go to waste? The parents themselves end up renewing their vows!”

“The interesting thing is, a lot of the couples who get married have grown-up children of their own,” smiles Devjani. “And it is their children who organise the wedding for them. It’s all quite lovely!”

Rowley Manor’s famed afternoon tea Courtesy Devjani and Romit Mitra

‘My years at Loreto House were the best of my life’

It was when the conversation turned to Devjani’s years in school – the years that, she says, shaped her into the woman who takes challenges head on – that one got a glimpse into the tender, vulnerable heart underneath all that strength. Devjani, who went to Loreto House in Kolkata, tears up at the mention of her school years. “My years at LH were the best years of my life,” she says. “We had the most wonderful teachers, and the friends I made at school are still the closest friends I have. The friendships I forged at Jadavpur are also very meaningful, and I hold them very dear to my heart, but my memories of school trump everything else!”

Devjani Mitra with her school friends on the grounds of Loreto House at the school’s 175th-year celebrations Courtesy Devjani and Romit Mitra

Devjani said she owed a debt of gratitude to her teachers, and to the revolutionary Sister Cyril, whose guidance and work changed countless lives and put English-medium education within the reach of numerous young, under-privileged girls who would otherwise have never been able to gain access to it. We went on to reminisce about our shared alma maters, primarily Loreto House – the hot lunches, the skills we learnt, the compassion we were taught, and, of course, memories of Sister Cyril.

A paradise of natural beauty in the heart of northern England

Kolkata and Rowley: Ties that bind

It was finally time to ask the looming question – as a business owner in the UK who hails from Kolkata, what does Devjani miss most about her hometown? “Well, if you ask me I would rather live here, in Kolkata,” she smiles. “This is home; our family and friends are here. Over there, we are lucky that our son and daughter-in-law live with us, and we do have good friends, but it does get a bit lonely at times.”

And yet, Devjani cannot imagine her life without Rowley. “I love Rowley so much!” she says. “As we say in Bengali, du diker pichhu taan ta khoob-i beshi (the ties that bind me to both Kolkata and Rowley are very strong)!”