Hindu Academy bldng to be restored
kolkata: Techno India in collaboration with Kolkata Police is restoring Hindu Academy on Raja Rammohan Sarani set up by Mahendranath Gupta, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and a mystic himself. He was popularly known as 'M' and is the author of Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita.
The partly two and three-storeyed building was constructed in 1908. The building is being restored following the initiative and financial support of educationist, Satyam Roychowdhury, who is the Chairman and Managing Director of Techno India Group and Chancellor of Sister Nivedita University.
The building is associated with the Ramakrishna Movement. M's writings had attracted Romian Rolland and Aldous Huxley. Huxley, who wrote the forward to Swami Nikhilananda's Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, had described M's work as of "stenographic exactitude." Paul Brunton during his visit to Calcutta (now Kolkata) had visited M at his residence.
The West Bengal Heritage Commission will organise a workshop on November 25 at the site on restoration of heritage buildings. A heritage walk will be held on November 20 by the Commission. M (1854-1932) had set up Morten Institution at the venue. He was the headmaster. Earlier, he had taught at the Ripon College, City and Metropolitan College. A brilliant scholar, M stood second in Entrance Examination, fifth in First Arts (FA) examination and third in BA exam from Calcutta University.
After his death, Hindu Academy was set up at 50, Raja Rammohan Sarani. Over the years, the condition of the structure became deplorable. There were no students and six teachers.
Soumen Mitra, who was the Commissioner of Kolkata Police, first thought of restoring the building. He had taken up the matter with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and finally Roychowdhury decided to provide financial assistance required for the restoration.
Biplab Roy, Administrator General and Official Trustee, West Bengal talked to the trustees, who agreed to restore the house. Discussion is on how to utilise the space effectively. Well known restoration architect Partha Ranjan Das is restoring the century-old building.
