The largest library of the nation...02 Nov 2014

With a pass for the reading room in one of the hallowed educational institutions of the country, I was eager to enter and have a taste of what is it inside the largest public (or otherwise) library of India.

Few days back only I along with Dr. Misro and Dr. Biswas had become members of the elite institution; how we became members is another story. We were supposed to be introduced by any gazetted officer as per the regulatory requirement; a gentle request to the Astt. Librarian was enough for him to be convinced for signing the membership form. From his eagerness it was clear that there was dearth of readers and such requests. I was eager to use the card to enter the reading hall and then chronicle the institution rather than having it done the previous day.

The entrance is simply marvelous and the location is absolutely bang in the centre of the city. It is hardly 75 mtrs from Zoological Gardens and almost the equal distance from Taj Bengal, Alipore. On the main entrance (which clearly speaks of the vintage) we have a beautiful sculpture of Mother Teresa along with a pile of books. Once inside, there is a post office and beyond that we have a large collection of trees, it seemed as if it was a large forest and that the library building and the related concrete structures (administrative buildings, staff quarters) have been scattered/placed in the forest. The trees, trust me also speak of vintage. Particularly the left one which had innumerable plants within itself infact it was a mini eco-system in itself. Then there was a tree which probably has seen the torture of cyclone; it has been split in the middle and the fallen part has not been touched, it lies naturally and in a small way, an ecosystem is developing on it.

Then we have the old building which has been taken over entirely the ASI; streams of ladders and rods can be seen covering the entire monument. The backside of it is however majestic. I have some pictures of the same. The lawn has been impeccably maintained. Close to it is the massive Bhasha Bhawan, the modern area which houses the library. The entrance is impressive; let me accept primarily because of the disgusting heights. Close to the reception, we have the reading room; or should I say a book palace.

Coming to the historic part, I found few materials covered through glass some placed on a table horizontally and some inside a glass cupboard. Many rare photographs are kept inside. Some of them are:

a. Metcalfe Hall, the first location of Imperial Library 1844-1923.

b. Memorial tablet of John Macfarlane, first librarian of Imperial Library (1901-1906).

c. Original main gate of Belvedere House.

d. National Library from East (showing preservation division).

e. Golden Jubilee celebration and formal opening of library dated 01-02-1953. Dignitaries present were West Bengal state governor, H C Mookherjee, Dr. S S Bhatnagar, Prof. Humayun Kabir and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

f. There is an aerial view of the same library of 1961 also.

g. Children’s section opened in 1960.

h. Another picture of the Golden Jubilee celebration Day with Sri B C Roy, Maulana Azad, H C Mookherjee, Dr. S S Bhatnagar, Prof. Humayun Kabir and Sri B S Kesavan.

i. Still another one of the same date containce H C Mookherjee, Sri Rama Prasad Mukherjee and B S Kesavan.

j. Some treasures from the Ashutosh collection.

Few rare books / publications are also on display. They are as follows:

a. Temples of Satrunjaya- the celebrated Jaina place of pilgrimage near Palitana in Kathiawar. It is a collation of 45 photos by Skye's and Dwyer with historical and descriptive introduction by James Burgess (MRAS, FRGS) published by Skywes and Dwyer in 1809.
b. Illustration of the Rock-cut temples of India by James Fergusson (London, 1845). This was added to the collection of the library on 03-02-1931; the date seal of the library is embossed on the exhibit.
c. The rock-cut temples of Elephanta or Gharapuri by James Burgess; published in Bombay in 1871 by D H Skyes & Co. and Thacker Vining & Co..
d. Monuments of Sanchi by Sir John Marshall, CIE, Litt D, FSA and Alfred Foucher.
e. inscriptions on the Tombs or monuments in Madras by Julian James Cotton, CS and printed by the Superitendent, Govt. Press, madras in 1905.
f. Hindostan: Its landscapes, palaces, temples, tombs. The shores of the Red Sea and The sublime and Romantic scenery of the Himalayan mountains by Emma Roberts & Fischer. The same is published by The Caitun Press, Angel Street, London in 1850.
g. the Wonders of Elora or the narrative of a journey to the Temples & Dwellings atElora i East Indias by John B Seely (Captain of Bombay Native Infantry); printed for geo B Whittaker, 1825.
h. A comparative view of the antient monuments of India by John Nichols, 1785 (it was received by the library on 14-07-2009). I have typed correctly, there was a spelling mistake in antient which should have been ancient.
i. Memoirs of the cave temples and monastries by John Wilson, published in Bombay 1850.
j. Paintings in the Buddhist Cave-temples of Ajanta by John Griffiths (1897).
k. Monumnets Anciens Et Modernes de L' Hindostan; published in Paris 1821.
l. Preservation of National monuments in India by Major Henry hardy Cole (Delhi, 1884).

Once I entered the reading hall, I felt suffocated with the collection. Once inside only, I realised what it is meant by the largest library of the nation. There were topics on every possible aspect that one knows. Racks and racks were filled with subjects known and unknown. There were areas filled with books on witchcraft, bibliography, bioethics, Judaism et al which I had never imagined.

Overall, it is a place to be there; there one comes to know how much one does not know. as I always say, one should seek oppurtunities which makes one realise how less we know and how little we have scratched the mountain of knowledge post so many years / decades of reading and our existence.

And as I always say, brickbats and bouquets welcome!    

The main building, did not take up the front picture because of the rails and rods (excavation)

The amazing tree with fruits I had never seen in my life

The new building, "Bhasha Bhawan" besides a large statue of Tagore

The back part of the old building; splendid Oriental look 

Lost in the groves is an old historical remnant

Seemed like a forest

Another view of the back part of the Old Building

Just besides another historic aspect

At the entrance; found the design to be unique and befitting for the structure

The Mecca of Science...08 Oct 2014

Today was a red-letter day for me as I was able to visit the museum dedicated to one of the revered names of science in India. Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose has always been a respected name in my family for his scientific genius. Some of his other aspects and the respect that he commanded amongst his famous peers was a story which was unraveled by me during the course of my visit to Bose Institute.
Located close to Sealdah station on APC Road, this would be missed by many until one is keen on seeing it; nevertheless the institution now a centre for higher research is offering courses only at MSc and PhD level. The first entry was unique. I was told that entry is only for researchers and that too it required the Director's permission because of the rarity of the objects kept in the museum. They must have taken me and my colleague Dr. Biswas as casual tourists. the moment I showed them this blog with all details mentioned every week, the person took us seriously and soon allowed us to get into it. He was also kind enough to request the curator to guide us throughout our visit. Photography was not allowed but the awe was enough to keep us through the visit excited and thrilled.

The section on the ground floor had collection of the instruments that he used; most of which were invented by him. They were primarily in 3 segments namely physics, chemistry and plant physiology. Before I proceed with the list of the instruments, let me mention one thing that with my limited knowledge of science, I would still consider them to be modern by today’s standard. One has to be there to believe that such inventions (infact truly original inventions) are possible.

The instruments on display were compound lever crescograph, Photosynthetic babbler, Response recorder, Socionograph, Oscillating plate phytograph, Strain cell (for qualifying an object as living / non-living), Optical sphygmograph, Oscillating recorder and Microwave apparatus.

On display were the enlarged photocopies of his Doctorate of Science (Honoris Causa) from Benares Hindu University, University of Calcutta, University of Panjab, University of Dacca and Allahabad University besides his original DSc from University of London (1896). We also see a Honorary LLD Certificate from Aberdeen university. The prized Certificate was the awarding of Knighthood. His name was followed by CIE, CSI, FRS denoting Commander of Indian Empire, Companion Star of India and Fellow Royal Society (obviously London).

There are several handwritten notes, some request letters for demonstration and some letters of thanks. There is an invitation from Royal Institute of Great Britain for Friday evening meeting and a thanks letter to Royal Institution dated 01-Feb-1899.

On another side of the same floor we have original slides used by him (1905), his hand calling bell, hand-made projector and a Stopwatch (make of Wittnaver). There are handwritten notes of many famous people addressed to him; important ones were one of George Bernard Shaw requesting him to go through 1 book (from the lot of 3 books which he wanted him to go through; just in case his luggage would become too heavy), that of M K Gandhi calling himself stupid for forgetting Dr. Bose’s birthday and that of few high ranked British officers including Governor General. Most of the letters address him as Sir Jagdish. Some of his books are also kept namely “Voice of life” and “Quest of Truth and destiny”.

There is a detailed description of the conference hall of Bose Institute where one gets to know that the ceiling  was designed by Nand Lal Ghosh (a painting probably) and we have embodiments of Sun God (which was personally designed by Dr. Bose). We also have portraits of 4 personalities who influenced Dr. Bose namely Michael Faraday,Hertz,Maxwell and Marconi.

The staircase to the floor above is adorned with many rare letters exchanged between him and personalities like Subash Bose (signed in the capacity of Mayor of Kolkata) and Tagore.

The top floor has certain items on display again including his personal belongings (dress materials, his wife’s sarees are also displayed). There is a kurta which is believed to have been worn by him the night before his death.

We also see some rare rare pictures enlarged of Lord Rayleigh. Amongst his famous students were Meghnad Saha (a genius himself) and J.C Ghosh(an institution in himself and the founder of IIT, Kharagpur). Patrick Geddes, who wrote his first biography also finds space in the room. Dr. Bose’s letter to Tagore on his renunciation of knighthood and congratulatory letter on the Nobel Prize is also displayed.

The best part of the first floor was a display section where the demonstration of microwaves is given by Dr. Bose in the presence of Dr. Prafulla Chandra Ray (another genius and a junior to Dr. Bose).

I came out feeling absolutely blessed and thrilled wondering as to who would come close to him genius-ness. But, as they say there are thousand suns and our lives gets over seeing one moving from the East to the West.

St. Andrew's kirk...07 Oct 2014

There was a temporary break from the Sunday escapades because of the ongoing Pujas. The same spirit resumed today again. This time it was again the father-son duo (from where it all began) as my better-half was presumably busy in her newly founded mission.

The large board at the entrance

The frontal view; I had to take an inclined picture to try to cover as much of the structure in a complete frame and that too from as close as possible

The point of survey and research was the St. Andrew's Church; I would prefer the word "Kirk" because of the fact that this is technically the term used for Scottish Church and since this is the one of its kind in Kolkata, let a degree of distinction be attached to the same. It is located besides Writer’s Building; this infact connects Writer’s Building with BBD Bagh. It is at a stone’s throw distance from the High Court on one side and the Old Mission Church (of the fame of being established in 1770) on the other side.

The triangle is visible and so are the pillars; the triglyphs and metopes are distinctly visible

What catches one’s eye is the imposing size (in terms of height). The loftiness speaks also of the thickness of the walls and the girth of the pillars. The pillars so thick that one cannot cover by ones own arms. The structure for sure is very strong because there was no single crack (or sign of decay) on the structure or inside it despite it seeing 196 summers. Yes, I have my statistics correct and doubly checked; it was made public on 08-Mar 1818 though the foundation stone was laid om 31-Nov-1815.

The large pillars are I believe quiet large in diameter

The structure with an isosceles triangle and pillars below it is similar to that of the Greek Church at Rashbihari. There are Doric columns below the stylobate with triglyphs and metopes. I would like to enlighten myself about the uniqueness of this structure; there must be something about the same else there is no reason why a race as enlightened like the Greeks used it extensively for all the temples.

Another distinct visible uniqueness was the presence of the cock over the spire. There is a long story behind the same as to the cold-war between the then Bishop present at St. John’s (which is nearby) and the first Minister of the kirk namely Dr. Bryce. The Bishop insisted that having a spire was the prerogative of the Church and the kirk cannot have one. Stubborn and true to the Scottish style of functioning, Dr. Bryce took the case head-on and insisted on placing a cock on the top of the spire symbolizing that it would crow at the Bishop and also further up the already high structure’s height. The spire also bears a clock which is still working.

The famed cock at the top of the structure; infact this itself makes it distinct in the city's skyline too.

The famed clock on the spire

Photography was not allowed inside; hence all the photography in the blog is thus from outside. I was not that unlucky afterall; found the chief administrator to be an Odia (Mr. Chuintamani Behera from Bhadrak). Needless to say, he was kind enough to be kind with me and my son; almost treated us as his personal guests.

The design was very simple. Once one enters, there is a room on each side of the entrance, the left one used by the Chief Administrator and the right one by the Presbyter Revd. Andrew Simick. As one enters the sacred space, one is stupefied by the absence of any structure or portrait related to Jesus as is typical to any Protestant Church. I felt odd because of my previous Church visits had been to St. Pauls, the Portugese and that of St. John’s which all were Catholic ones. There is a first floor also but I was advised by the Administrator not to venture there; so I (rather we) did not.

This picture has been taken from the internet to make the write up informative. One may notice the two levels, the altar for preaching (one on the ground and the other slightly elevated. One also sees the circular arrangement of chairs typical to this structure.

The frontage is marked by two levels of podiums. One is leveled with the ground which is used for the normal addressing but there is also a raised one which is used by the speaker for large gatherings. The table was a heavy and huge one with the following inscription which was etched on the same: THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME; probably referring to the Passover supper where Jesus broke the bread and shared and then shared the wine with all people around.

Another distinct thing that visually seemed different was the arrangement of the audience chairs which was in a circular fashion and not the typical straight arrangements as was the case in the above-mentioned churches. The chairs were solid black with a typical cane arrangement. It seemed there were not much followers as the chairs at the back showed up that there not many sitters out there.

One appreciation point was the fact that it was well maintained. As I and my son were hopping from one memorial notice to the other, the carpet was removed and the sweeper was carefully mopping the floor with care so as not to touch any of the chairs. I stood in awe at the care being taken by an almost illiterate person. If the wet cloth touched any of the chair, it would not damage much but yes the damage would be miniscule; why not be slightly careful and avoid that too!

A crest has been given presented by Calcutta Police to commemorate the First Police Commemoration Day on 22-Oct-1978. This is the only crest while all others are memorablias.There were the following memorial tablets dedicated to

a. John Clarke.

b. Capt. I J R Bowman (Late 1^st attendant of this port and nominated by the Hon. The Court of Directors of East India company) erected by Bengal Pilot Service. I came across this specialized wing of the Britishers for the first time here.

c. Warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Ist battalion of The Queen’s own Cameron Highlanders who died in India & Burma during the batallion’s tour of Foreign Service (1914-1934). I appreciate the due respect given to all the ranks of members of this battalion.

d. Alexander Garden ESQ M.D., Presidency Surgeon. ESQ stands for Esquire, a rank below knight.

e. Charlotte W/o James Forlong.

f. Col. William Dunlop, Quarter Master General of the EI company’s Bengal Army.

g. Robert Eustace Dalrymple Laudes Harley.

h. Anna Dorothee W/o Thomas Dickson Junior.

i. Lieut Col William Mactier of Bengal Light cavalry; came across this specialized group also for the first time.

j. James Ogilve of University of Calcutta.

k. 2^nd Batallion of The Royal Scotts Fusiliers who died during the tour on foreign service (1919-31).

l. James Shaw, Judge of Sudder Dewanny and Nizamut Adawlut of this Presidency.

m. Donald Macleod, MD, Inspector General of HM Hospitals in India.

n. Alexander Chalmers MD, Presidency Surgeon d 28-Apr-1851.

o. James Brown, DD; junior minister of the Church. From here I came to know that DD stands for Doctrate in Divinity. I had no clue about the same till now.

As has always been my mission i.e. to get to know something new; this time too there were many things which I came to know about the city and the British era.

A design I found just outside the kirk

As I have always done in my past escapedes, I end with the picture of my fellow traveller; this case only of my son.

Asiatic Society: 03 Sep 2014

Asitiac Society: 03-Sep-2014

This is one of the rarest escapedes of Swains in Kolkata because of the sheer fact that I was not present and the same was covered by my better-half and the kid. The trouble came up because of the fact that Asiatic Society is open from Monday to Friday.
The entry was very difficult because only researchers are allowed inside and that too with permission. Entry was made to the institution established in 1784 after persuasion. The entrance is through the new building of the organisation.
This institution was formed by William Jones. The first floor is the library section which has unique books, research papers collation on various Asiatic Society. Before we delve into the topic further, let me mention that the contents of the Society are Asia’s not limited to India or Indian sub-continent. It is linked to the old building by a connector. The old building has a large conference room aptly named after Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar where the educational deliberations and meetings are regularly held. Needless to say this is strictly academic and research-oriented in nature. In the open space we have few busts of eminent personalities namely Ashutosh Mukherjee, Alexander Csoma de Koros (Hungarian traveller who is regarded as the first Western exponent of Tibetan language and science), Sir F Chantre, Radhanath Sikdar, Upendra Brahmachari and Hugh Falconer.
In the same floor we had the restoration laboratory which smelt like a hospital’s ICU primarily because of the chemicals which are used to restore old manuscripts, recordings, books, tapes and lithos.
The second floor contains the museum which is the heart of the organisation. The curator was very informative about the objects in the building; she was educated in Archaeology and Museumology (I came to know about the same only after interacting with her).
The first object in the room was Proceedings of The Asiatic Society, Vol-1(1784-1800 AD); written in an impeccably cursive handwriting and signed by Warren Hastings. Few of the other items were as follows

Maitreyavyakarana (Date: 940 AD, Language: Sanskrit, Palm leaf)
The manuscript delineates in the form of ‘prophecy’ the life of future Buddha ‘Maitreya’ and his teachings. The text was written in the period of Buddhist literature which forms a transition from Sthaviravada to Mahayana Buddhist schools. This is one of the rarest compositions among the Buddhists texts.
Kalacakravatara (Author: Abhayakara Gupta, Script: Gaudi and Newari, Language: Sanskrit, palm leaf, Date: Saka 1047=1125 AD)
The manuscript is an important astrological text with special reference to astronomical speculation. It reflects on both Tantra as well as early Buddhist mysticism including the philosophy of the universe and mystical philosophy of cosmology.
Samputatika/Samputobhava Kalparaja (Date: 145=1025 AD, Subject: Buddhist Tantra)
This manuscript is extremely unique as it is a manual on ritual in Buddhist tantric tradition and the mystic philosophy of the macro and micro cosmos. It’s unique because of its early date.
Kubjikamatam (Date: 7th century AD, Script: Gupta Brahmi, Subject: Tantra)
It is a very rare text on tantric practices and philosophy. It prescribes different modes of virgin worship. The text is also valuable as a Vajrayana Tantric Buddhist text.
Vivekapancamrta (Date: 1852 Vikram Samvat=1795 AD, Subject: Philosophy)
This manuscript is an exposition of the 5 philosophical sutras. The importance lies in its several illustrations which are in a style reminiscent of the late Mughal and Rajput school.
Devimahatmya (Subject: Tantra)
This manuscript contains numerous miniature paintings and illustration of different stories. The manuscript is especially interesting as it represents invaluable and rare documents of an indigenous system of painting, as opposed to the Mughal and Rajput paintings.
Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita (Date: Nepali Samvat 191=1071 AD, Script: Newari)
This manuscript is illustrated on Buddha philosophy.
Lalitavistara (Date: Newari Samvat 873=1753 AD)
Subject: Biography of Buddha
Manuscript on illustrated Jaina deities (Language: Sanskrit, Subject: Jainism, Script: Devanagri script)
Tarakullakalpa (Subject: Buddhist Tantra, Script: Newari, Language: Mixed Sanskrit)
Farhang-I-Aurang Shahi (Script: Nasta’liq)
By Hidayatu’llah (Muhammad Mushinal- Qurayshi al Hashimial- Jafari dedicated it to Aurangzib)
Subject: A voluminous naturalistic encyclopedia of India.
Bist Bab (Author: Nasiruddin Tusi, Date: 1212 AH, Language: Persian, Subject: Astrolabe)
Shah Nama (Author: Abdul Quasim Firdausi Tusi, Date: 17th century AD, Script: Nastali’q, Language: Persian)
A valuable copy of the great work of Firdausi.
Ain-i-Akbari (Language: Persian, Date: 12th century AH=18th century AD, Script: Nastali’q)
Author: Abul Fadl Mubarak, Allami
Subject: Statistical account of Mughal empire under Akbar.
Jami-u’t-Tawarikh (Date: 9th or beginning of 10th century AH=16th century AD, Script: Khorasani Nasta’liq, Language: Persian)
Author: Rashid-ud-Din
A well known work on history dealing with the ramification of the house of Chingiz and the history of his sons.
Tarjuma-i-Mahabharat (Date: Sam vat 1908=1850-31 AD, Script: Indian Nasta’liq, Language: Persian, Subject: Mahabharata)
The manuscript is a Persian translation of the Mahabharata from Sanskrit, probably by a Hindu (judging from epithets of respect added after the names of Hindu deities). This was really surprising for me.
Padshah Namah (Author: Abdu’l Hamid Lahuri, Date: 1065 AH=1655 AD, Script: Indian Nastali’q, Language: Persian)
A History of Shahjahan’s Reign.
Bears Shahjahan’s Autograph 11th century AH; I believe the rarity need not be re-emphasized.
Translation and Transcription of Shahjahan’s signature
Tibetan Smon-Lam Sutra (Script: Tibetan-dbu-can, Subject: Pranidhana or Svasti text)
Burmese (Title: Manuscript on Ramayana (abridged), Script: Burmese, Subject: Ramayana)
It is an illustrated manuscript on Ramayana.
Ceylonese (Title: Balavatara: Kaccayana Dhatumanjusa by Kaccayana, Script: Ceylon)
Armenian (Title: Miracles of Jesus)
Javanese (Title not available, Script: Javanese)
Siamese (Title: Pathom koka, Script: Siamese)
Chinese (Title: Geography of China, Script: old Chinese)
Subject: National geography of China including Maps.
Letter dated 1826, August 2
Alexander Csoma de Koros informs H.H Wilson that he has received his letter and some articles of his subject; expresses his willingness to offer services to the society when he will be in Calcutta.
Documents of Alexander Csoma de Koros.
Mahavyutpatti (By Alexander Csoma de Koros, Date: 1831 AD)
Subject: Sanskrit-Tibetan-English lexicon
Prof. Nirmal Bose’s Diary
On Gandhiji’s Tour in Beliaghati and Noakhali district and Letter from Gandhiji to Prof. Nirmal Bose
Al-Quran (Date: 17th century)
A splendid copy of Holy Quran notable for its superb calligraphy.
Title- Jalala Gabani Ri Vata etc. (Date: Samvat-1808, Language: Rajasthani)
Subject: Folk song of Rajasthan
The author has narrated the amours of Jalal and gabani in mixed poetry and prose. It is one of the popular folk songs of Rajasthan.
Title: Rathauda RI Vamsavali (Language: Rajasthani, Date: Samvat-1972)
The manuscript deals with pedigree of the Rathoras.
Title: Brahmavrksakalpa (Script: devanagri, Language: Sanskrit)
Subject: Vrksayurveda/Botany
Title: Bhaisajyaratnavali (Author: Govindadasa, Script: Medieval Bengali, Language: Sanskrit)
Subject: Medicine
Title: Yantraraja Tika (Author: Mahendra Suri, Script: Devanagri, Language: Sanskrit)
Subject: Jyotisa
Title: Rasarnavakalpa (Date: Samvat 1760, Script: Devanagri)
Subject: Alchemy; the topic was surprising, I never knew that this science is so old.
Deals with various chemical preparations chiefly those combined with Mercury.
Title: Asvacikitsa (Author: Nakula, Script: Devanagri, Language: Sanskrit)
Subject: Treatment of Horse (Asvayurveda)
Bhakti-Pradipa (Date: Saka 1563=1641 AD, Script: Assamese)
Harinama Patala (Author: unknown, Character: Medieval Bengali, Date: BS 1111(AD 1704))
Subject: Vaisnavism
This manuscript is an interlocution between Caitanya deva and Santana on Vaisnavism. There are oft quoted Sanskrit lines and they are explained by the author.
Caitanyabhagavata (Author: Vrndavanadasa, Language: Bengali, Script: Medieval Bengali)
Subject: The earliest Bengali Vaisnava biography.
The manuscript contains the Adikhanda, Madhyakhanda and Antyakhanda
Title: Ses-rab-kyi-pha-rol-tu phyin-paston-phrag brgya-pa
Sanskrit title: Aria Satasahasrika; no further details were available.
Prajnaparamita (Translator: Sakyasimha)
Written in gold and silver on Indigenous paper with carvings and painted decoration on wooden covers.

Letters
Letter dated 23rd April, 1918 from P.C Roy about publication of Dr. Meghnad Saha’s paper.
Letter dated 24th December, 1915 Calcutta in which J.C Bose sends some of his apparatus for exhibition in February.
Letter dated 30th September, 1918 from M.N Shah regarding publication of his paper.
Letter dated 3rd March, 1922; Satyendranath Bose requests to send him the journals.
Letter dated 28th August, 1797 Madras in which Colin McKenzie apologizes to Henry Trail for the delay in sending some remarks made by him during his voyage to Ceylon on some remains of antiquity; sends a translation of a History of the Ancient Rajahs of Bijayanagar and a list of drawings and some Cingalese curiosities for the Society’s New Museum along with a paper room Dr. James Anderson giving an account of some mineral springs near Cape of Good Hope.
Letter of 15th February, 1815 Calcutta; Colin McKenzie forwards to Horace Hayman Wilson a copy of the rough minutes taken by the late Dr. Hunter at a meeting held at Malacca.
Letter of 16th January, 1926, Calcutta; C.V Raman wants to give a “Demonstration of some Physical Experiments” at the Annual meeting.
Letter of Prafulla C. Ghosh complains against subscription collector.
Letter dated 8th May, 1924 Calcutta; P.C Mahalanobis thanks for electing him Physical Science Secretary.
Letter dated 8th February, 1815 Calcutta; Colin McKenzie forwards to Horace Hayman Wilson some statues and other fragments of sculptures found by him from the Upper Provinces, with a list and 12 silver coins.

Plates
Kailan Copper Plate of Sridharanarata, King of Samtata, 7th/8th century
This plate was recovered from Kailan, a village under Chandina police station of the Tipperah district (now in Bangladesh).It has a seal attached to it. It records the grant of 25 patakas land in Guptinatana and Potaloyika Vishaya (district) to a Buddhist Monastery for the worship of the Buddha as well as to a number of learned Brahmans for the performance of their daily rites by Sridharanarata, king of Samtata at the request of his minister.
Bhagalpur Copper Plate inscription of Narayana Pala, 17th Regnal year
This plate records the grant of certain lands to the congregation of Pasupta teachers for the adequate worship of the Lord Shiva by Narayana pala Dynasty of Bengal.
This inscription is dated in the 17th year of Reign of Narayanapala and mentions many historical events in the early History of the palas, including Dharmapalas successful encounter with Indrayudha of Kanauj and his nomination of Chakrayudha to the sovereignty of that Historic city.
The Varuna Grant of Jayacandra Vikrama
1233 VS=1177 AD
It was found near the confluence of the Varuna or Varna with the Ganges near Banaras in 1823. This inscription records the grant of the villages of Godanti in the Pascima Ichapana Pattakas in the Antarvedi together with the Pattakas Ghantiamauyi and Nityamauyi to a ksatriya named Rauta Rajyadharavarman after bathing in the Ganges at Benaras on Saturday the 10th day of the Bright half of Vaisakha of the Vikrama year 1233 I.E 9th April,1177 AD. This was written by the Mahaksaptalika, the Thakkura Sripati.
Ashrafpur Grant of Deva Khadga, 13th Regnal Year
It was discovered at Ashrafpur near Dacca (mod. Bangladesh) records the grant of certain villages and portions thereof to a Buddhist Monastery, under the supervision of the preceptor Sangamitra by the king Deva Khadga, in order to secure longevity of his son Rajaraja Bhatti. It was issued in his 13th regnal year.
Copper Plate inscription of the time of King Vijaya Manikya of Tripura Saka 1410-1488 AD
It records the grant of certain villages including Bada-Kamta near Comilla in the Tippera district (now in Bangladesh) to Acarya Vanamali by Lady Punyavati, wife of General Daitynarayana and an aunt of King Vijaya Manikya of Tripura on Saka 1410-1488 AD.
The Madhainagar Grant of Laksmana Sena
It was discovered by a peasant named Raghunatha Bunia in the village of Madhainagar on the border of the Nimgachi forest in the Pabna district of Bengal.
This grant is a very important one for the History of Bengal and especially for that of the Sena Dynasty. It records the gift of the village of Dapaniya Patrika in the Paundra Varddhana Bhukti to Damodara Devasarman by Laksmanasena Deva.
The Bhawal (Rajavadi) Copper Plate of Laksamana Sena 27th Regnal year 1185 AD
It was discovered at the village Rajavadi Dacca (Now in Bangladesh) was presented to the society by Mr. Walters about 1829 AD. It recorded the grant of two villages to a Brahman Padmanabha, for the spiritual and temporal welfare of His two queens.

Lithos
Title: Hieroglyphics (Subject: Egyptian script, Year: 1823)
Author: Drawn by M.A Nicholson and engraved by Thomas Young.
Place and publication- London, Royal Society for Literature
Title: Illustration of Himalayan Plants
Author: Drawings by J.F Cathcart, Description and analysis by J.D Hooker.
Plates executed by W.H Fitch
Place and publication: London, Lovell Reeve
Subject: Botany
Year: 1855
Title: First Part of African Scenery and Animals
Author: Drawn and engraved by Samuel Danielle
Place and publication: London, Samuel Danielle
Subject: African Scenery and Animals
Year: 1804
Title: Antiquities of Mavellipoor or Mahabalipooram
Author: Collin Mackenzie
Subject: Mahabalipooram
Year: 1807-1816
Title: Manuscripts of Antiquities-A Collection of Drawings on Antiquities
Author: Collin Mackenzie
Subject: Drawings on Antiquities
Year: 1794-1803
Title: Drawings on a Journey from Bengal to the Coast of Coromandel
Author: Collin Mackenzie
Subject: Architecture and sculptures
Year: 1814-1815
Title: Views of Calcutta
Author: Charles D’oyly Bar
Place and Publication: London, Dickinson and Co.
Subject: Calcutta
Year: 1848
Title: Map of Calcutta and its Environs
Author: A.Upjohn
Subject: Map
Year: 1792
Hollow Monolith from Jaintia Hills, Assam
This monolith is of the male type with carvings from Bolosan in North Cachar, near the boundary of the Jaintia Hills
Presented by Mr.J.P Mills
I.C.S., F.R.A.S.B; honestly, I have no clue about the expansions of the initials.

There was a large stone in the middle of the row. This Edict of Asoka (B.C 250) is here placed by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Honour of The Philosophy the Antiquarian and the Philologist by whom its characters were first deciphered.
James Prinsep
Language: Prakrit
Script: Brahmi
The curator was well versed with the script; she could read it comfortably as if it were simple English.
Besides the objects mentioned, there are many rare objects which remain nowadays as ones to be used by researchers only.
The location of the place is very Central to the city of Kolkata unlike the previous ones. Sadly, as I have mentioned in some of my previous texts, we do not have a penchant for history. Most of the stuff available are the remnants of the total collectibles of various British and Indian discoverers over centuries and picked from a latitude of places. As per the curator the objects were first kept in the Fort William College (which does not exist anymore). Britishers, even 200 years back were infatuated with history and had a great vision of the rarity which these items would once hold in time. A large part was not given to the society, it was shipped to their country and can now found in their museums.
The visit throws open an important aspect of Indians (including me); we are so enamored with anything foreign that we seldom give (even think) importance to our own history. Indian history in particular has so much to offer that we can take our place of pride in the annals of history and civilisations.

St. Pauls calling....24 Aug 2014

The name is a familiar name for me because my school where I spent 12 years of my life also had the same name. The picture that one sees above seems to be a large one; yes I did it purposefully to do justice to the original sheer size of the structure.
It is at 1 Cathedral Road and to be more simple bang opposite Birla Planetarium.The vintage is visible from outside; let me clarify not in terms of the colour but in terms of the sheer size. Nowadays, no one would ever build anything close to the dimensions. As I entered the premises, I was again disappointing to note that cameras were not allowed inside. Another distinct piece of the complex was the clock which was seemingly working when I entered the complex. I am using the word seeming because I forgot to check the same while returning.
The entrance itself leaves one spellbound. At the left immediately on entering is the original chapel which is now called The Memorial Chapel. The wooden panel surround the same and there is a beautiful carving of large marble around which are small chairs and pillows (probably used for kneeling down). This cathedral served as the metropolitan and mother church of the Anglican province of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon till the inauguration of the church of North India on 29 Nov 1970.
The place is full of memorial notes written in marble, some on metal and some just engraved on the walls; paeans written by the followers, juniors or family / friends of the departed with a brief history about their acts. I am sure while writing these, the thought must have been that some day an acquaintance might drop in and have the memoirs read. Now after many score of years later, I doubt any of the names would be identified by any of their acquaintances; this is the power of time. Sigh we do not recognise that today; someday, there would not be a single soul alive on the Earth who would know that a person by mine / your / our name ever existed.
The walls are atleast 50 ft. high. Some cracks are visible in some of the corners; probably that was the corner reported in the papers some days back. There is a large statue (sitting position) of Heber to the right of the entrance. There are many rare photographs also. One of them is the house of Bishops of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon which met at the General Council of Calcutta in Jan-1970; it was here that the historic decision of entering the Church of North India was taken. We have pictures of Charles Freer Andrews (d 05-04-1940) and Sir Robert Barlow Bart.
The list of Cathedral Chaplains and Cathedral Vicars from 1847 is mentioned in a place. From another memorial, I came to know the names of the first Bishops of Calcutta. They were as follows:
Thomas Fanshaw Middleton (1814-1823)
Reginald Herber (1823-1829)
John Thomas James (1827-1829)
John Matthew Turner (1829-1832)
Daniel Wilson (1832-35)
To the left is the Mass place. Chairs, really old ones are there; the space can accommodate 1000 people. There are beautiful frescos; only if cameras were allowed. This was empty with prayer books scattered around; probably the mass had got over in the morning. Besides this, there was a small prayer room where the lectures were on. Behind this, the collection of engravings, statues and artwork continued. We have a huge marble piece in the memory of comrades of Bhutan Field Force. There is a marble engraving of Nagendra Nath Sengupta (scientist and Director of Govt. Test House, Alipore) and his wife (Lulu Putalie Sengupta) in their memory. The last memorable piece which I came across was a small memorial in honour of Maj. Gen. William Nairn Forbes of Bengal Engineers who was the architect of the Church.
Tragedy then struck me as I was interrupted by a staff member asking me not to take notes.
As usual, this visit also reminded me of the temporal nature of nature. Souls glorified of those days have just become names etched on walls, marbles or metals. Perhaps this is the reason history is taught as a compulsory item in schools, alas if some could appreciate that!

As has been always, my gems were with me

Portugese...17 Aug 2014

Today was Janmashtami!
The original plan of the day was to reach this place; this had already been seen while making the trip to the synagogues. As I had always held on to the principle of exploring one place at a time, I had not ventured into this historic relic the previous day. Having been there once, there was no problem in reaching there. There was a desperation in my mind because I had once enquired and I was told that the church opened only from 08:00 - 12:00 in the first half.
The Portugese Church is located at the crossing of Brabourne Road and Canning Street. It is popular as the Church of When we reached there, a baptism ceremony was on. There was a congregation of about 30 people. I was glad to see that the crowd also included teenagers and just-out-of-teens. That was succeeded by the Sunday Mass probably.
The structure is an imposing one from the outside but more than the size, I found it to be photogenic.

The imposing structure from outside

I tried capturing the large windows and their sills which has been done by sheer patient-work. Thanks to the new tab (read toy), I was able to capture the right hand side tower in a single footage. But one thing I must admit: the structure belies the origin i.e. 1799. This for me is the oldest institution that I have come across till now in Kolkata.


The interior is to be seen to be beleived. An imposing hallway welcomes the person. The picture is attached below.

The front view of the church

Another view of the main hall

The mass in progress; look at the sheer height of the structure, the interior design and the ventilation. 

The allays to the right and the left is adorned with full statues and busts of Jesus and Her Mother. The one of the left ends in a small structure, but by Jove I must say, too beautiful.

Given a chance, I would stand there and gaze at the statue which is shown below.

I could not make out the details of the painting below below somehow liked it; hence took an exclusive picture of the same. I could not lay hands on the name of the artist but I am sure it refers to the "washing of the feet" by Jesus himself.

As I mostly try to place the parting shot as that of the two entities who normally accompany me; here for that day

Signing off for now; planning for the next Sunday...

Delhi chalo...10 Aug 2014

Today was Rakhi and the escapede was planned post the special breakfast; special not because of any innovative item on the plate but because of the fact that it was pre-decided and I never have it predecided, I go by whatever is given to me.

Coming to the itenary of the day, it was Netaji Bhawan at Elgin Road. It was absolutely easy to reach there because of a nearby metro station i.e. Rabindra Sadan. One observation I would like to make before I enter into the famed house is that each of the houses of the famous personalities in Kolkata have an epitaph in front of the concrete structure mentioning either a famous quotation of the person or something written about him/her by another great personality. This was the same at Jorasonko, at Aurobindo Bhawan and now we had a similar thing at the residence of Netaji.  A picture of the same is attached below; what a quote. India is independent but it simply made my hair stand up; the sheer power of the words and dialogues.

The entrance itself leads to a barrage of stairs; again made of wood and the bannister being the same which I saw at many historic places. To the right at the first floor is the bedroom of Netaji which contained two large cots, one was used by the leader and the other belonged to his father. The wall was full of large half-man size portraits so nicely painted that the original colours still have the glaze and freshness. I could not stop marvelling at the collection. We also had some of the personal belongings of the great leader; I consider him to be my personal best amongst the lot of people who fought for our independence. Well that is a bit digressing from the main topic of description but I can't help it.

In accordance with the elite households, the room had a tastefully decorated dressing table and a mirror. The belongings were out of touch for us because of the glass partition that had been installed. I am glad that it had been done because otherwise going by typical Indian hands, they would reach expiry much before than their expected vintage; more so when we are talking of priceless items. There were a collections of trunks, suitcases, a table lamp, and a grandpa's clock. A rare picture of Gandhi visiting the room in 1946 was also there. The Great and the famous escape began from this room. He tiptoed downstairs, was driven by a car (picture below).

The room next belonged to his brother and an equally important link of Indian freedom fight i.e. Sarat Bose. The room contained a large cot and a huge bust of him. Huge portrait paintings of his parents were on each side of the cot besides a typewriter. This room had a huge collection of rare pictures. First on the list is an editorial written by Sarat Bose an hour before his death on Feb 20, 1950. He was Chairman of the Editorial Board of "The Nation". There is a portrait of him in Rome (1948), with Eamom de Valera (Calcutta, 1947), with M K Gandhi (Sodepur, 1947), with Bivabati (London, 1949), with Bivabati (Switzerland, 1948), with Generak Aung San (Rangoon, 1946), mother Prabhabati (1938), a portrait in Delhi (1938), a portrait in Vienna (1948), ona boat from Naples to Capri (1948) and in a press conference of the Interim Cabinet (besides Nehru and Rajendra Prasad). We also saw a rare family group photo at Vienna (Nov 1948) which also had Bivabati, Sisir Kumar, Anita, Roma, Emilie and Chitra.

To the left of the stairs was the study of Subash Bose. It had a huge table which he probably used. The sofa sets present in the room suggested that it was used also for meeting guests. A small write-ups also suggested the same. One queer fact I observed that there were two tables which resembled computer tables; no idea how or what it was used for.

The upstairs contained a museum. The contents made my day. Through an array of rare pics one gets a sense of his times and timings. The right room starts with an enlarged picture of the diary pages of Netaji's father (Janakinath Bose) where he mentions about the birth of the legend at Cuttack. In fact that was the first place in the complex where we have the mention of Orissa. Many people would not be knowing the fact that the legend has his roots in Orissa. His father was one of the richest lawyers of Cuttack of those days.The room has a splendid and rare collection of photographs encompassing the life of Netaji. Amongst the many pictures, we have a family photograph (Cuttack, 1905), an enlarged photograph of his handwritten note about his family (published for Indian Piligrimage 1937), as a boy, as a high school student, that of Beni Madhab Das (his teacher from Collegiate School. Cuttack), with a friend in 1913, a copy of the letter written to Sarat Bose (1913), a letter to Hemant Sarkar (1913), in England (1913), his first passport (birth place is mentioned as Cuttack and the state was mentioned as Bihar & Orissa and height as 5'9"), copy of the song "Aton and other Verses" written by E F Oaten (presented to the museum by the writer in 1969, this was an obituary), copy of the resignation letter from ICS (22-04-1912), with friends in England (K P Chottapadhyay, C C Desai and Dilip K Roy), as CEO of Kolkata Corporation 1924, I was surprised seeing the age), a copy of the letter written to Bivabati (from Burma in 1925), in Mandalay Jail (1926), after release (1927), letter written to Basanti Devi (wife of Deshbandhu C R Das, the letter is stamped "Censored and Passed"; probably then, each letter was opened and read), of C R Das and his wife, family photo at Shillong (1927), at Calcutta Congress meet (with Motilal Nehru, he is in military uniform) and at Lahore (during Naujawan Bharat Sabha Conference, 1929). Each of the photo had a story behind it and it was good that all have been kept almost chronologically thus making us easier to understand them and guess his life phases.
There are many more photographs speaking loudly of the boldness and the popularity of the person. There is a photograph of him being the Mayor of Calcutta (1931), of him enroute to Europe (1933 on S S Gauge), of his arrival at Vienna (1933), with Vithal Bhai Patel (19330, with the Mayor of Rome (19330, with the Mayor of Vienna (1933), in Prague (1933), him at the inaugural function of Indian Students Association (Milan, 1934), of his during study tour of industrial establishments (Europe, 19330, of him performing his father's shradh at this house, Jan 1935), of him in Egypt enroute to Europe (Jan.' 19350, with Rene & Heddy Fulop (Budapest, 1934) and with his Emile Schenkl (March 1936). There are various pictures of his association with the Congress party and partymen like Maulana Azad, Sarojini Patel, Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Abdul Gafar Khan and Rajendra Prasad in various meetings and sessions like Calcutta, 1939. He is also seen in the inaguration of the National planning Committee at Bombay in Dec 1938.
Amongst his further memorable pictures from Europe is the one of his arrival at Berlin (1941, the pseudo name used was Orlando Mazzotta). The picture of him working on his desk is simply amazing. It captures the yogi-like concentration moment which has been tinctured with strength and confidence. The best of the collection in the room and probably in the entire building is the one handshake with Hitler.

The second room contained relics on more of the Netaji which we all know; the fiery leader starting up the army, being received in the foreign shores. The military victories, the assimilation of the armies. The photos  and collection items speak it all. It contains the cap and belt used by Netaji. It also contains a model of the Japanese submarine in which Netaji travelled across to Sabong & Sumatra in Apr-Jun 1943. The photographs as in the other rooms are rare. These are photographs of Sun Yat Sen Memorial in Nanking, China (1943), him boarding the Japanese submarine in Indian Ocean (Apr 1943), his arrival and reception at Sabong (May 1943), his arrival at Singapore Airport (July 19430, him reviewing troops at Singapore (1943), with Rash Bihari Bose (being handed over the leadership at Singapore, July 1943), him broadcasting to Indians from Singapore (1943), him taking the salute as the Supreme Commander (July 1943), leading proclamation of Azad Hiund (Singapore 21-Oct 1943), him in a cabinet meeting of Azad Hind Govt. (Oct 19430 and of him reviewing the Rani Jhansi regiment with its commander Lakshmi Sehgal (Singapore, 1943).
We also have photographs of the first presentation of arms by Rani Jhansi regiment, newspaper prints declaring Azad Hind movement and all religions (depicted through A Sikh, Muslim and a Hindu) dining in one of the barracks of Azad Hind Fauz. Some other rare pictures are that of Netaji with Asian leaders on the steps of Japanese Parliament (in Tokyo, Nov-1943), him speaking at the Hibiya Hall (Tokyo), him addressing the Greater East Conference (Tokyo, Nov-1943), with Marshall Sugiyama (Chief of Army Staff, Japan), with Japanese foreign minister, visiting the famous Meiji shrine, him coming out of the Cellular Jain (Dec 1943), him reading the Proclamation of the provisional Govt. of Azad Hind and that of the Azad Hind soldiers celebrating the capture of a strategic point in North East.

The best part of the room was captured in the various insignias designed by INA. The first was a set of postage stamps with topics close to the INA and the respective denomination mentioned over it. The second was a set for cars; the categories were for Major General to General, Major to Colonel, Sub-Officer to Captain and that of Netaji as the Head of state and the Commander-in-Chief. I was surprised to note that we had a charka on the last insignia; I guess Netaji had tremendous respect for Gandhiji despite being a stanch op-poser to his politics and style of working. The third was the INA shoulder insignia designed as per the grade (as per ascending order) namely Lance Naik, Naik, Havildar, Sub Officer, Second Lieutenant, First Lietenant, Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel, Colonel, Major General, Lt. General and General. I believe this is more or less similar to what we have today in Indian Army. We also had the last set of insignias categorised for the various functions of the military like anti-aircraft guns, workshop, Headquarters, anti-tank battalions and that of various battalions.
While one makes an exit from the hall, one cannot miss out the last few photographs; but yes nevertheless very important. Netaji is seen laying the foundation of the INA Memorial in Singapore (8th July 1945). Unity, Faith & Sacrifice is written there. We also have the picture of Netaji being taken to Saigon on 17-Aug-1945 (perhaps the last photograph available) besides the picture of the last letter written by him addressed to the members of INA.

Imagine that a person had the audacity to declare the country independent, hoodwicking the Britishers, getting the admiration of many global leaders, get the same ratified by few strong governments of those times, have a full barricade of proper army with the categorisation and insignias which the country would adopt almost entirely post independence. And all this, after quitting the prestigious ICS which was the most sought after service during the British days when the empire extended almost the entire globe. And top of it his entire Indian stint was spent in dhoti and in the typical Bengali attire even when he was elected as the President of the largest party of those times (now almost decimated to insignificance). Its difficult to picturise these things nowadays.

The best part of this particular escapede was that it rejuvenated me with some history and historical facts which somehow down the line had been lost somewhere in the gray cells. But yes, the tragedy of not been allowed the camera shall haunt me for some time.

Jorasonkho; the Nobel bari; 03 Aug 2014

The panaromic entrance

There was this special excitement amongst the minds of the discoverers today because the place choosen was about a Bengali (the most famous one till now) unlike many of the previous escapedes where it was purely on the historical perspectives of the Britishers or about their regale.

Courtesy Google (I am yet to claim myself as an established Kolkatan knowing all the roads and the B-roads), we arrived at Girish Park metro and some local quizzing saw that we were there in no time. The first thing that took me by surprise was the restriction on the usage of cameras (of any kind); infact mobile phones were not at all allowed in the premises. However, I was surprised to find herds of people comfortably carrying cameras, mobile phones; upon asking, it came out that only VC was supposed to give permissions. It would remain a request to all Kolkata acquaintances to help me out with the permission so that I can chronicle the same at the earliest properly (as I have done for the past many endeavours). Another thing that caught our attention was the soft and soothing buzz of Rabindra Sangeet (accoustics could not have been better). 
Thakurbari is held in high reverence not only because of the famous Rabindranath but because of the generations of Thakurs who stayed there during various phases of history. A lineage which would be reverred for times to come grew up there. I was all the more excited because of the subtle amalgamation of art, culture and education; things which the yo-generation of today despises and if at all it is into it does not respect them. Amongst the four-walls of the structure revolves the Bengali story of Bengal, the Renaissance, Bengal's cross-cultural association with the world and the enlargement of the Bengali outlook.    

The quote at the entrance speaks it all

The staircase leads us to the first room which is the Bard's dining room. It showcased few items related to the dining like the porcelain articles, few stools, the original wooden chair and the large table (presumably original). It had a rare collection of his photographs all around the walls; these included his visit to Japan (1916), with family members of Rash Behari Basu in Japan, in Burma (1916), with members of the Cosmopoli Club of Illionis USA, with Leornanrd Wright Elmhurst (his secretary) at Shantiniketan (1921), with Jogesh Choudhury and Sarala Devi, in Berlin (1921), Alexandria (1926), with Will Durant in US (1930), felicitation program at Moscoe (1930), in Iran (1932) and with Arab Bedoouins (1932).
Besides this room is the kitchen which was used by Mrinalini Devi (the Bard's wife).
The room next to the dining room is one of the living room of Tagore. It has a huge dressing room and two closets with few clothes worn by the poet. This room is also adorned with rare pictures. One of them is a picture with Upendrakishore Roy Choudhury (grandfather of Satyajit Ray), Priya Nath Sen (great and indispensible critic of Tagore's work), Baikunth Das, Pramathnath Roy Choudhury & Nagendranath Gupta in 1900. The bard is absolutely indistinguishable until keenly searched for few times; he does not possess any of the exteriors which we know him for. We also have separate pictures with Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, with Brojendranath Seal (1926), with Sir J C Bose & Loken Palit, at Visva bharati University inaguration (22 Dec 1921), with Subash Bose at the inaguration of Mahajati Sadan (Kolkata, 1939), with Mahatma Gandhi & Kasturba (1940) and with Satyaprasad, Soumendranath and their music teacher Srikatha.
Next, we are in another living room where we see large portrait of the poet and few pictures of London (1879-80). We also have a picture of Silva Levy taking a class in the presence of Gurudev (in Shantiniketan, 1941). A brahmacharya ashram was established at Shantiniketan in 1901; there is a picture of the same also. The greatness of the poet can be recognised from the very fact that he wrote a musical drama Valmiki Pratibha at the age of 20. This went on to be applauded by Goorudas Banerjee and Bankim Chandra also.
Next was a very vital room of the entire building where the poet breathed his last. It carries a photograph probably of his bedridden days (dt 07 Aug 1941).

“When I go from hence, let this be my parting word, that what I have seen is unsurpassable. I have tasted of the hidden honey of this lotus that expands on the ocean of light, and thus I am blessed—let this be my parting word.
In this playhouse of infinite forms I have had my play and here have I caught sight of him who is formless.
My whole body and my limbs have thrilled with his touch who is beyond touch; and if the end comes here, let it come—let this be my parting word.”

These were his last words written by him in his own handwriting; the same is displayed albeit enlarged. He was active till his last breath. He dictated a poem before going to the operation theatre few days before his death; the same has been translated by Krishna Kriplani and is also found here. There is vibrancy in the air of this room; dont know why. An old fan rotates and freshens up the air around.

This room opens up to a balcony where we have huge bust of the poet. In the same we also have a model of the compartment of the train in which Tagore made his last visit train visit (Shantiniketan to Kolkata in 1941); this was gifted by the Railways to the museum. This overlooks a huge open centrestage courtyard (probably was used for family gettogethers) with a Roman theatre (styled archs).

The courtyard I just mentioned above

Next was a gallery in Eastern style. This contained paintings done on him and by his family members; the same is properly stored within a airtight chamber. Most of the paintings are 1910 onwards. The date and year is mentioned only on very few paintings. It has the paintings of Abindranath Tagore, Rathindranath Tagore, Gorachand Sugar (Portuguese Church, Hoogly), Hand All Bose, Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury, Sushil Sen, Pratima Devi, Kamini Roy, Sukhamoy Mitra (Boil), Gaganendranath Tagore, Kamalaranjan Thakur, Kalipada Ghoshal, Kshitindranath  Mazumbdar, Pranakrishna Paul, Manindra Bhusan Gupta, Nirod Majumbdar, Ramkinkar Baiz, Roop Krishna (gifted to Gurudev), Manik All Banerjee and Indy Rakshit.
The next room is a gallery in Western style. It includes various posters with Gurudev's photograph but I could not make much of it because of the written stuff being in Bengali. It contains various postage stamps issued on Gurudev namely USSR (1961), Argentina (1961), Brazil (1961), Romania (1961), Bangladesh (2011), Venezuela (1997), Vietnam (on the occasion of his 125 the birthday) and Bulgaria (1982). Amongst all the other important stamps, we have the Swedish Nobel Day stamp and two stamps of the Bard designed by Satyajit Ray and another by M F Hussain. We have stamp displaying Einstein and a stamp on Dak That (his famous play). The first stamp on the Bard was of 15 NP....for the uninitiated, it stands for Naya Paisa. Within the hall but in a separate partition, we have huge portraits of Babu Nundoo Colmar Tagore, Babu Surendra Mohan, Raja Sir Surendra Mohun Tagore CIE, Probodhendu Tagore, Maharaja Bahadur Sir Prodyot Colmar Tagore (by Porash Nath Sen), Saradindra Mohan Tagore, Cally Kissen Tagore, Soutindra Mohan Tagore, Gopal All Tagore, Gunendra Bath Tagore (Parash Math Sen, 1903), Prosonno Coomar Tagore CIE and Dwarika Nath Tagore (Parash Bath Sen, 1902). Each of the portraits are huge in size and speaks of elegance of the individuals, the regale of the family and the aristocracy in the looks.
Next we have two rooms filled with simple household items and there is also the family tree. We also have a a family maternity room; here the Bard was born like many of his family members. It has  photograph of a 13 year old Rabindranath, a large portrait of his father and of his mother, Sarada Devi.
Next we have a gallery supported by Mitsubishi Corporation which highlights the Japanese linkage to Tagore. This is a super-chilled chamber and is beautifully decorated in the Japanese style. We find details of the famous art, historian and curator Kakuzo Tenshin Okakura. Between Tagore and him, there was great mutual respect and influence; both shared major thoughts on Westernization and Renaissance. Needless to say, interexchange of ideas was reflected in the art by each of them. The gallery also has pictures of Vivekanand, Sister Nivedita and Lord Buddha. In fact the later is present not only in various forms but also in various representation and one gets a peek into Japanese art and styles too. There is a painting of Tagore and Okakura and their are details of the Japanese influence in Shantiniketan in their course work. There is a huge repository of information on Kampo Arai and his association with Shantiniketan. There is a huge area dedicated to pictures of Tagore in Japan. Quotations of the Poet written in "Japan Yatra" is mentioned. Another huge painting which is distinctly visible is that of Nand Lal Bose, Taikkan, Hishida, Kampu Arai and others (1924).
Similar to the Japanese-dedicated area, there is also a Chinese dedicated area which tells tales of Indian association and also Tagore's association with the country. I came to know that the grandfather of Tagore was a frequenter to China and he was also instrumental in strengthening the Silk Route. The rooms are tastefully decorated with Chinese lanterns which we normally see during their New Years' celebrations. Chang Kien was the founder of Silk Route; was enlightening for me. There are details of the ship of the family i.e. Opium Clipper Water witch. The collection also contains letters written by Gurudev to his Chinese friends. Some of the books which have been translated to Chinese are also exhibited.
The last part of the house was the Vichitra Bhawan which showcases some household objects of the family and that of Renaissance. Here also we have rare photographs of The Bard with Hellen Keller (1930), with Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (Shantiniketan, 1940), with C F Andrews & Raman and Chatterjee and in his own exhibition in Paris (1930). We also have the personal room of Mrinalini Devi with some of her belongings and letters written to her by the poet. We also have a chronological map of all the trips made by the poet abroad.
A floor above that is the Renaissance gallery. It has belongings of Thakurdas Bandopadhyay (father of Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar) and Vidyasagar. We also have the pictures of Max Muller, William Carey, David Hare and Henry Louis Derozio. The belongings of Abanindranath is displayed. Among the prized possessions is the CIE commemoration; the easel used by him is also displayed.
At the end, I stayed silent for few minutes reminiscing the family that was built over the generations. Rabindranath was just one of the many illustrious Tagores of his family; there were so many accomplish-ers in his family. One pauses to think of creating a generation; the name thus created shall surpass one's life on this earth rather than any materialistic assimilation.

Mesmerised and captivated...

As I always say, brickbats and bouquets welcome....

Goodbye, till the next story