Nimtita, Sept. 26: The 152-year-old Nimtita Rajbari in Murshidabad - immortalised by Satyajit Ray in his film Jalsaghar (the music room) - is in ruins. But that hasn't stopped the descendants of the Chowdhury family from holding the Durga Puja there every year.

The Chowdhurys, who live in Calcutta, said it was not possible for them to restore the palace to its lost glory. The Rajbari is in a shambles, with creaking doors, cracked walls and plants growing out of them.

Rabindranarayan Chowdhury, one of the descendants in his seventies, said: "My elder brother Somendranarayan and I come to Nimtita for about a week every year to conduct our family Puja. Actually, it is not possible for us to carry out large-scale repairs of the palace that our ancestors Gour Sundar Chowdhury and Dwarika Narayan Chowdhury built around 1865."

Chowdhury said they had repaired a portion of the palace to conduct the Puja and for their weeklong stay.

Asked about the shooting of Jalsaghar, Chowdhury couldn't hide his glee.

"I was only 13 when Jalsaghar was shot in the palace. I remember the tall structure of Satyajit Ray and actors like Chhabi Biswas who stayed here during the shooting. I used to run around the place and see the shooting. I still can't forget the excitement I had," said Rabindranarayan.

Jalsaghar depicts the last days of a lonely zamindar (landlord) - Biswambhar Roy - and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with acute financial crisis. The zamindar loved to live a lavish life, listening to music in his Jalsaghar, rather than work towards overseeing his properties.

The character of Biswambhar Roy was played by Biswas. Ray's Jalsaghar is also famous of Ustad Vilayat Khan's haunting music and the on-screen performances by singer Begum Akhtar and the exponent of Kathak dancing, Roshan Kumari.

Brajagopal Goswami, a villager of Nimtita in his sixties, said: "The once famous Durga Puja of Nimtita is now no longer there. We think the Puja will last as long as our barobabu, Somendranarayan, is alive. The Chowdhurys now come to their ancestral home only during the Pujas. Such a huge palace is crumbling before our eyes."

Sambhu Roy, who has been working as a caretaker of the palace for 20 years, said: "This palace has become a tourist spot, thanks to Satyajit Ray's Jalsaghar. Often, a few people turn up to see the famous structure. The main entrance remains closed but tourists can take the small gate on the southern side of the palace to reach the Jalsaghar. But most of them are disappointed as the music room has crumbled and plants have come out of the walls."