Three Bengal heritage buildings to be restored

The West Bengal Heritage Commission will embark upon restoration of three heritage buildings in the state, including the house of Alexander Duff, the first overseas missionary of the Church of Scotland to India, an official said on Saturday.

Mahishadal Rangibashan Rajbari, Dr Graham Home's Church in Kalimpong in north Bengal and the house of Alexander Duff on Nimtala Ghat Street here will be restored with "Rs 17 crore provided by the Ministry of Culture".

"Detailed project reports were sent to the ministry regarding the buildings. We have had discussions with state Public Works Department (PWD) to execute the plan. These buildings are in a dilapidated condition," Umapada Chatterjee, secretary of the state heritage commission, told IANS.

Alexander Duff arrived in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1830 and played a crucial role in higher education, actively supported by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the founder of Brahmo Sabha.

He established the Scottish Church College in 1830 (which was then known as the General Assembly's Institution) with an idea to link western education with Christian mission and the eventual progress of the people.

John Anderson Graham, a Church of Scotland missionary, who settled in Kalimpong, founded Dr Graham's Homes - a refuge for poor and needy Anglo-Indian children.

Mahishadal Rangibashan Rajbari, the grand estate in East Midnapore, has its roots in the estate bought by Janardan Upadhyay (Garg) of Uttar Pradesh in the 16th century.

There are two palaces in the Mahishadal Raj estate. The old palace was built around 1840 and the new one in 1937.