KOLKATA: Art and
heritage
lovers were relieved after the long-standing controversy over the fate of the garden villa associated with
Abanindranath Tagore
in Konnagar was resolved on Wednesday in a meeting at Konnagar Municipality
The site was slated to be converted to a highrise. Veteran artist and chairman of
West Bengal
Heritage Commission Shuvaprasanna is optimistic about building a museum in Tagore’s memory there.
For the past three years, this property — measuring approximately 12 bighas — has been in the middle of a controversy. Current owner Satish Lakhotia said, “Over the years the property changed hands. We purchased this house 15 years ago from Pradip Kumar Roy. The
Tagore family
wasn’t the owner of this house. But Abanindranath Tagore used to visit this property.”
Incidentally, Tagore has written about his stay in this house in his book “Jorasankor Dhare” published by Visva-Bharati. The book has vivid descriptions of him spending his childhood in this house.
Locals had feared that the house would be demolished to make way for a highrise. “We had a meeting in the presence of the local MLA and other dignitaries. We requested the current owner to respect people’s sentiments. We have to save this house which has such historical relevance. We have assured all cooperation from our side if he develops another plot adjoining 2, Mirapara Lane,” said Konnagar Municipality chairman Bappaditya Chatterjee.
According to Shuvaprasanna, the owner has the legal right to develop his property. “I told him that being an entrepreneur, he is known for charity. I requested him to leave this part of the property so that we can conserve the house and convert it into a museum. We will soon draw up a plan and prepare a deed,” Shuvaprasanna said.
Lakhotia has agreed to Shuvaprasanna’s proposal. “I am a businessman, but I respect people’s sentiments. We will develop the vacant portion of the property. We shall maintain Tagore’s old house so that it can be used as a museum. No portion of the house will be damaged. This house will not be blocked,” Lakhotia said.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Priyanka Dasgupta is the features editor of TOI Kolkata. She has ...
Read MorePriyanka Dasgupta is the features editor of TOI Kolkata. She has over 20 years of experience in covering entertainment, art and culture. She describes herself as sensitive yet hard-hitting, objective yet passionate. Her hobbies include watching cinema, listening to music, travelling, archiving and gardening.
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