The name Porabari Chamcham instantly evokes the image of a syrupy, mouth-watering sweet wrapped in a layer of thickened milk. For generations, this delicacy has delighted the Bengali palate. When one says ‘Chamcham,’ Bengalis almost instinctively think of the famous sweet of Porabari in Tangail.
Thus the saying was born: ‘Chamcham, Tomtom, and Sari - these three make Tangail’s glory.’ (Chamchamp, Tomtom, Sari— Ei Tinee Tangailer Bari).Â
Porabari’s Chamcham has long been renowned both at home and abroad. Whether at weddings, birthdays, or religious festivals, the presence of this sweet treat brings satisfaction to every celebration. Not only in name but also in taste, aroma, and texture, Porabari’s Chamcham is hailed as the ‘King of Sweets.’
However, the birthplace of this legendary delicacy is now losing its identity. While Tangail town’s Panch Ani Bazaar still sells the famous Chamcham, its production in Porabari itself has almost disappeared. Once a flourishing hub, now only 8-10 households continue the tradition, and many old sweet-making families have shifted to other professions.
Responding to an application from the Tangail District Administration, the government’s Geographical Indications (GI) Unit, under the Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Act, 2013, officially recognized Tangail’s Porabari Chamcham as a GI product on April 25, 2024.
A short six-kilometer journey west from Tangail town by easy-bike through the scenic landscape of Santosh-the birthplace of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani-leads to Porabari, located on the bank of the Alenjani, a branch of the Dhaleshwari River.
Though Porabari is a small union under Tangail Sadar Upazila, its riverine beauty is captivating. Sadly, only four sweet shops remain in the Porabari market today.
Once, local farmers used to produce abundant milk from native cows, but now, in search of higher yields, they rear crossbred cattle, which have changed the taste and quality of milk.
Previously, 200-300 maunds of milk were sold daily, but the figure has dropped to around 100 maunds. The current price ranges from Taka 70 to Taka 80 per kg. Sweet-makers and traders come from various places to buy this milk for making sweats.
According to locals, the Alenjani branch river was formed when the Dhaleshwari curved southward near Charabari Ghat in Dainya Union. In the British era, the loud horns of the steamboats plying between Dhaka and Kolkata would draw crowds-men, women, and children-from the nearby Charabari and Porabari villages just to watch the vessels.
Though Charabari was the river landing point, Porabari became famous as the birthplace of Chamcham. It is this sweet that made Tangail known across the Indian subcontinent and beyond.
The history of Chamcham-making dates back to the British period, when a man named Dashrath Gaur migrated from Assam and settled in Porabari on the bank of the Dhaleshwari River. Using pure cow’s milk and river water, he first crafted the Chamcham. Records suggest that as early as 1608, Porabari Bazaar had already been a thriving trading center on the western bank of the Dhaleshwari.
Later, during the early 19th century, Dashrath Gaur’s relatives-Raja Ram Gaur, Narayan Gaur, Koshai Dev, brothers Madan Halui and Kokan Halui, Mohan Lal, Shib Shankar Gaur, and Prakash Chandra Dey Sarkar-continued the tradition. Among them, Narayan Gaur gained fame across the subcontinent during the Pakistan period. His craftsmanship in sweet-making was so admired that Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani honored him with the title ‘Bangali Halui Kar’ (Master Bengali Sweat maker).
By the late 1930s, sweat makers Ramendra Thakur and Tirthabasi Thakur from Assam began producing sweets in Tangail’s Panch Ani Bazaar, which soon became known as the ‘Sweet Lane’ (Misti Patti) of Tangail.
Historically, the founding of Porabari is attributed to Pir Shah Zaman, a Mughal administrator appointed by Subedar Islam Khan between 1608 and 1613. It is said that a massive fire once devastated the southern part of Charabari village, destroying homes and markets; hence, the area came to be known as ‘Porabari’ - literally the burnt neighbourhood.
With the improvement of communication in the 1960s - especially the establishment of road links between Dhaka-Tangail and Tangail-Mymensingh - Porabari Chamcham gained widespread fame across Bangladesh and beyond.
Many prominent personalities were fond of Porabari Chamcham, including Sher-e-Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, magician P.C. Sorcar, Nawab Ali Chowdhury, landlord Wazed Ali Khan Panni, Principal Ibrahim Khan, and writer Pramatha Nath Chowdhury, among others.
Today, the traditional sweet industry of Tangail is represented by Joy Kali Mistanno Bhandar, Gopal Mistanno Bhandar, and Gaur Ghosh Mistanno Bhandar. Porabari Chamcham is now exported to India, Pakistan, Thailand, China, the USA, the UK, Canada, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, among other countries.
Veteran sweet-makers of Porabari said their families have been in this trade for generations. They recall that during their childhood, a pot of milk sold for just two to four paisa, sugar cost 3-5 anna per seer, and Chamcham was sold for 6-8 anna per seer.
In the 1960s, just before Bangladesh’s Liberation War, Chamcham sold for Taka 2-3 per seer.
Those involved in the production and sale of Tangail’s famous Chamcham are making tireless efforts to preserve this craft. However, due to the greed of a few profit-hungry sweet-makers, the renowned Chamcham of Tangail has lost much of its heritage and is now on the verge of extinction.
Sweet-maker Pradip Chandra Gaur, owner of Shankar Mistanno Bhandar, said, ‘Our family has been in this craft for 100 years. My grandfather, Chandra Gaur, and Gosai Chandra Gaur made the famous Porabari Chamcham. We are still trying to maintain the same quality.’
According to Sri Mantu Chandra Gaur, owner of Porabari Chamcham, the secret of the authentic Chamcham lies in the sweet water of the Dhaleshwari, pure cow’s milk, brown sugar, rare tamarind wood used for heating, and perfect temperature control.
‘Even after independence, I used to sell two to three maunds of Chamcham a day. Now, selling even 20-22 kg is difficult,’ he said. ‘It costs Taka 400 per kg to make the original Chamcham; we also produce a lower-grade version that sells for Tk 250,’ he added.
A customer from Dhaka, Manik Mia, said, ‘Sweets from Tangail are far tastier than those from other regions. I come here several times a year just to buy them.’
Swapan Ghosh, president of the Tangail Hotel, Restaurant and Sweet Shop Owners Association and proprietor of Joy Kali Mistanno Bhandar, said, ‘Our shop has been upholding the taste and quality of sweets for 85 years with honesty and dedication. The demand for Porabari Chamcham is now growing even internationally.’
Freedom fighter Hamidul Haque Mohon, founder president of Tangail BNP and president of the Nagorik Odhikar Surokkha Committee, said, ‘When a river ghat was established on the Dhaleshwari near Charabari, the area became a commercial hub. Local and foreign traders who came to buy jute from Tangail would also take Porabari Chamcham back home. Though the original taste is rare today, sweet-makers like Swapan Ghosh and Gopal Chandra Ghosh are still maintaining its quality. We hope they will continue to uphold the legacy of Tangail’s Porabari Chamcham.’
