COOCH BEHAR, Nov. 22: The demand by the Heritage Society of Cooch Behar to declare the age-old Sabitri Lodge at Patakura as a heritage building and its renovation by the government is gaining momentum. The lodge that once housed patriot Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das is now ironically known to be haunted by the local residents of the area. Sabitri Lodge was the residence of Kumar Gajendra Narayan (senior), the great grandson of Maharaja Harendra Narayan of the Cooch Behar royal family. Kumar Gajendra Narayan was a barrister. He went to England in 1878 and after acquiring his degree at the age of 25, joined the Calcutta High Court in 1881. He married the second daughter of Brahmnananda Keshab Chandra Sen on 13 August, 1881.The construction of the house began in 1885-86. Bangababu, a follower of Keshav Chandra Sen, had sent lime, for the construction of the house, from Dha-ka by waterways. Sabitri Devi wrote how the house was constructed in her autobiography. Gajendra Narayan named the house after his beloved wife. A school was set up at Sabitri Lodge to give moral education to the students. A technical school was established in 1908 for women. Arya Naree Samaj and Anti-liquor Consumption Society were also started here. The building turned into a shelter for the preachers of Nava Bidhan sect of Brahma Society. After the Maharaja Nripendra Narayan's death on 18 September, 1911, the situation got adverse for Kumar Gajendra Narayan. He and his family members had to go in exile following a complaint of theft. Renowned barrister Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das had come to fight the legal battle for them and stayed in the lodge for many days then. The charges against Gajendra Narayan were withdrawn after four years but he never returned to the house.