Preserving Heritage: Bangiya Sahitya Parishad Museum gets new life, library digitised

Imagine reading the marriage invitation card of Rabindranath Tagore, penned by the Nobel Laureate himself. Or seeing the tools of Rakhaldas Banerji, the pioneer of the Mohenjodaro excavations. Or getting a glimpse of the only original manuscript of ‘Shreekrishna Kirtana’, regarded as one of the most significant works in Bengali literature. Soon, all these rare documents and manuscripts and many more will be on display at the newly renovated museum of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad in Kolkata. The 133-year-old Bengali literary society, once known as The Bengal Academy of Literature, has refurbished its first-floor museum.

Established during the British Raj with the aim of promoting Bengali literature, the society had Romesh Chunder Dutt as its first president in 1894, with Tagore and Nabinchandra Sen serving as vice presidents. Today, it houses one of the most coveted collections of literary treasures associated with Bengal’s iconic figures. With the support of the state PWD, the Parishad has renovated both its museum and library.

“We always had a museum, but it was in dire need of renovation. PWD came forward and helped us. Now we have a larger space, which allows us to display rare artefacts, documents, manuscripts and books in a much better way. These treasures preserve the heritage of Bengal, the Bengali language and the identity of the diaspora. We have documents and manuscripts of Romesh Chunder Dutt, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Hara Prasad Shastri. We also have chairs used by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the death mask of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and the marriage invitation card penned by Tagore himself,” said Ramen Kumar Sar, Secretary, Bangiya Sahitya Parishad. The literary society has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to inaugurate the newly renovated museum. The Chief Minister’s office has shown interest and a visit is expected soon.

Work has begun on installing a lift in the heritage building, a long-pending need, especially since many of its 1,200 members are senior citizens. The PWD has assured that the lift will be completed by March and has also agreed to beautify the building’s surroundings.

To connect with younger audiences, members have created a 15-minute audio-visual presentation narrating Parishad’s history, legacy and rare collections. To promote energy efficiency, a solar system has been installed. The conference and meeting room have also been equipped with standby air conditioning with PWD’s assistance.

The library has also been renovated. To cater to the internet-savvy generation, Parishad has digitised its system so that readers can easily access information with a click. “We have introduced a three-month reader card at just Rs 50, which allows access to all facilities. Currently, 4,000–5,000 students visit us for research,” Sar said.

What began with a handful of donated books from authors, publishers, editors and well-wishers has now grown into a vast collection of more than 1,01,719 books and 17,558 journals. The library houses rare and valuable works, including 19th-century periodicals in Bengali and English. Besides Bengali literature, it also has a substantial collection of books in Sanskrit, English and Hindi.

Sar further informed that next year, Parishad plans to renovate the second floor of the building, which houses a collection of musical records.