Author: Srijata Saha Sahoo
Publication: Press Information
Bureau
Date: October 1, 2004
URL: http://www.pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=4154
Kolkata has added another glory
to its cultural heritage. Just before the 'Puja', the renovated ancestral
home of Swami Vivekananda at 3, Gourmohan Mukherjee Street, in North Kolkata,
was opened to the public amidst much fervour and devotion and the cultural
centre adjoining has been formally inaugurated by the President of India,
Shri A.P. J. Abdul Kalam.
It took nearly five years to complete
the restoration work of Swamiji' ancestral home, though the decision of
turning it to a memorial-cum-museum was taken in 1962. The edifice standing
on 30 cottahs of land along with the newly constructed research and cultural
center, the textbook library and the social and philanthropy building would
soon turn into a notable site like Belur Math. According to Swami Bishokananda,
who was in the charge of this project, the President has not only inaugurated
the research-cum-cultural centre, he has also formally opened the textbook
library meant for students of Higher Secondary and those who are pursuing
graduate and post- graduate studies.
The 18th century building was in
a dilapidated condition, worsening day by day. The Ramkrishna Mission acquired
it, along with an adjacent plot, in May 1999 through State government.
A committee was set up- comprising, among others, conservation engineers
of Archaeological Survey of India sto advise on the renovation and coordinate
with the agencies involved in the process.
The Centre, the State government
as well as public donation to Ramakrishna Mission, funded the Rs. 20 crore
restoration project in which the Central grant was Rs. 9 crore 90 lakh.
Ramakrishna Mission restored Swamiji's
ancestral house without changing any of its original architectural features.
It houses Swamiji's birthplace, meditation hall (first floor) and museum,
where some of the articles used by Swamiji, his father, mother and brothers
are preserved.
Swamiji was born in this house on
January 12, 1863 as the eldest son, Narendranath, of Viswanath Dutta and
Bhubaneswari Devi. His great grandfather Rammohan Dutta originally built
the house.
During Swamiji's time, the house
was surrounded by a garden and beyond that there was a large open space.
But in later years, owing to the city's growth and its ever increasing
buildings, the approach road to the house got narrowed into a lane, now
known as Gour Mohan Mukherjee Street.
Earlier a massive doorway opened
to the street outside. The spacious courtyard was bordered on two sides
by the main building, which had two parts. To the right was a single-storey
structure having rooms for men-folk. Facing the doorway and across the
courtyard, was the two-storey ladies' apartment. The ground floor of this
was used as a kitchen and dining hall. Above this were dwelling chambers.
The roof of this building served as the place where the ladies met, talked
and moved freely. It was a small temporary shade on this roof that Swami
Vivekananda was born. This is now being turned to a beautiful shrine, where
a rosewood simhasan carrying the photograph of Swamiji has been placed.
The untimely demise of his father
made Vivekananda take the responsibility of his mother and his two younger
brothers-Mahendranath and Bhupendranath. Mahendranath was an avid traveller,
while Bhupendranath, was a patriot and was deeply involved in the Indian
freedom struggle for which he had to take refuge outside the country. Their
rooms too have been preserved with due honour.
In one of the rooms in the ground
floor, several musical instruments like tabla, khol and tanpura were displayed.
Swamiji sang well and had lerned the Indian Classical music from his father
as well as renowned singers of the day like, Pt. Beni Adhikary and Ustad
Ahammad Khan. He even wrote poetry for which he often composed music himself.
Swamiji quite often played these instruments.
The textbook library comprises books
prescribed for college students. Textbooks following the syllabii of five
Universities, viz. the Universities of Calcutta, Jadavpur, Burdwan, Rabindra
Bharati and Kalyani are kept here. The library already has 5,000 titles
on different branches of science, commerce and arts. The research center
named Vivekananda Research Centre is meant for conducting studies on various
aspects of Indian culture, history, spirituality, the message of Shri Ramakrishna,
Swaradama and Swami Vivekananda. It will have three main departments -
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda studies, Religious Studies and Cultural and Scientific
Studies. The building where philanthropic activities will be carried on
is Rural and Slum Development Centre. This center will undertake studies
on the problems of unemployment, health and sanitation in rural areas of
Bengal.
An eminent British historian has
described Swami Vivekananda as 'one of the main moulders of the modern
world'. Indeed, many thought processes and social attributes of the 20th
century show direct or indirect influence of Swamiji, although it may not
have been always recognized as such. He was essentially a man without frontiers
and must be honoured as one of the architects of global unity in the years
to come. The present generation is fortunate enough to be able to maintain
his birthplace as a heritage building.
