First renovation for world’s second-oldest Bible Society

KOLKATA: A stately Romanesque building on Kolkata’s

Chowringhee

that houses the world’s second-oldest

Bible Society

has undergone its first thorough repair in over two centuries. The restored building will be inaugurated on August 13.



A Grade-I heritage structure, the Bible House survived a demolition attempt in 2011 when Christians in the city came out strongly against the society’s proposal to tear down the building and use the prime land for development. The fierce protests led to the Bible Society abandoning the plan and instead chalked out a restoration proposal in 2014. The plan was approved by the KMC heritage committee in November 2016 and work got under way three months later.

“Ten artisans are polishing the grand Burma teak staircase. Once it’s completed, the renovation will be over. We have plans to set up a café later,” said Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society senior secretary Sajal Kumar Sarkar. There are 15 such auxiliaries in India.

The Bible Society was set up in Fort William in 1811 and moved to the current premises a few years later. There is no documentary evidence on how old the building is. Restoration architect Manish Chakraborti, the consultant appointed for the repair of Bible House, believes it is close to 200 years old. “The building was in shape because it was in constant use. But lack of proper maintenance for over a century has made the protruding porch vulnerable, the roof was leaking, iron beams had rusted and rot had set in the wooden windows and balcony doors. The plaster, the roof of the porch and the wooden doors and windows have been changed. The building now has a fresh lease of life,” said Chakraborti.

Ashish Mukherjee of Mascon — that carried out the repairs — used chun-surki (limemortar) instead of cement to maintain the building’s heritage integrity and authenticity. “Additions to the building, including partitions, have been removed,” he said.

The interiors too have been restored and a 130-seat auditorium has been created on the first floor without making any structural changes to the building that was the Bible Society headquarters in India before the head office moved to Bengaluru in the 1960s. On the ground floor, a Bible shop that had become inconspicuous has been revamped and turned into a shopcum-reading room.

“The Bible is the reason why churches exist. Hence, the significance of the building where the Bible has been translated and published for two centuries. It has served as the cradle of Christianity in the country,” said Bishop Ashok Biswas, chairman of the Kolkata auxiliary or chapter of Bible Society. Bible Society of India president PNS Chandra Bose and the society’s general secretary Mani Chako.

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