A dedicated Museum cum Archive
Heritage, Professor Ray knew, did not rest with buildings of historic or artistic interest alone and included intangible cultural heritage also. He thus proposed to the Government of West Bengal the creation of a dedicated Museum cum Archive for the city. It was to not only focus on little known aspects of Calcutta’s past but also house and preserve precious archival materials lying scattered and uncared for with individuals and families, business houses, chambers of commerce, etc.
The Museum cum Archive, as he planned, was to have
• Dedicated reference library on Calcutta
• Exhibition cum Lecture hall
• Documentation unit
• Reprography unit
• Repair and rehabilitation unit
• Art gallery of old Anglo Indian prints on the city, Kalighat pats, lithographs and Chitpore wood cuts
And also serve as a Centre for the exclusive study of Calcutta’s history.
The Government of West Bengal responded by allotting a plot of land at DD Block in Salt Lake to the Society for creating an Archival Museum on Calcutta. The land was purchased by the Society and the foundation stone was laid on 10 December 2004 in a glittering ceremony attended by eminent personalities.
Sri Asok Bhattacharya, Hon’ble Minister of Municipal Affairs & Urban Development, Govt. of West Bengal, unveiling the foundation stone in the presence of Dilip Gupta, Chairman, Bidhannagar Municipality, Amiya Gooptu, President of the Society, Professor Monideep Chatterjee, former Working President of the Society and Hon’ble Bangladesh Dy. High Commissioner, Kolkata.
The Society undertook the first phase of construction on its land by erecting an office and named it the Nisith Ranjan Ray Bhavan. It was inaugurated on the 103rd birth anniversary of Professor Ray on 9th November 2013 by Professor Suranjan Das, then Vice Chancellor, Calcutta University.
Professor Das had kind thoughts on the Society
President Dr. Arun Bandopadhyay addreses the members
