Mahfuz Adnan from Sylhet “Lokey boley, boley rey, ghor bari bhala nay amar” That means- “ the people say that the house in which I live is not good enough…”The spiritual lyric composer Hason Raja is living through the voices of the people on his touching lines like this.
Every one is eager to recite his verses. Every one feels curisity about him. And to satisfy that thirst, Museum of
Rajas was founded in Zindabazar in Sylhet on 24 2006 by the philanthropist Dao an Talebur Raja trust.
The director of South East Bank Syed Shahed Ali, writer Syed Mustafa Kamal, Film Actor Helal Khan, the son of the grandson of Hason Raja named Dao an Tasaur Raja were present during the opening of this museum. In this museum, there are the group and single photographs of the family of Hasan Raja, the utensils mode of white marble, shoes of Hasan Raja, the smallest Quran, various types of folk-instrument like Dholok, Ektara, Tumbira, Sarinda, Dotara etc.
In this museum the photographs of the dresses of Hasan Raja, his torch, the photograph of his second wife, Sajeda Banu, her utensils, the audio cassette of various singers who sang Hasan Raja’s songs, the copy of the movies based on him, the dresses used in those movies are kept here with great care.
There are also books available about Hasan Raja and of folk music in the museum. They include: Hason Raja by Dewan Eklimur Raja, Hason Raja with his passion and devotion by Aman Uddin, Collection of the works of Hason Raja by Dewan Taswaar Raja, Hason Raja in the area of love by Sadia Chowdhury Polash. The museum is situated on a place covering 25 disimel land.
At the very entrance one can see the sign-boards saying, “Welcome to the museum of Hason Raja,” “No smoking”, “No entertainment.”
One can also see the part of the monument built by Dewan Eklimur Raja in Rampasha, the iron-box used by Hason Raja and the statue of lion made of brass. There is a verse from the holy Quran inscribed over the entrace soying “Surely the Almighty is with the person, Who keeps patience.” There are also the list of the names of Hason Raja’s 78 horses, 9 elephants, 80 kora birds, his dear hores were named as-Kadam Raja, Lalboro ghori, Jin ghori, Bakka Bahadur and the like.
His elephants were named as-Jiba, Jang Bahadur, Mashujjan, Mukna, Hasan Pari etc. The Kora birds were called as Tok Tokia, gina kora, Tunia etc. The caretaker of the museum Md. Mahbubur Rahman. Sheikh and Jahangir Ahmed informed us that the museum is opened from 9 am. To 5 p.m. on all days except Sunday.
It may be mentioned that after the foundation of the museum, on 11 July 2006, many valuable relics have been stolen. Everything of the museum has been patronised by respectable persons of the Sylhet division.
When I was leaving the museum I also song- “O dear, why you play seek and hide with me you are such a dear… and I said to my self- “O hason Raja, really you are a great majestic person”.
