Back in time: Community collaboration and preservation revive this magnificent Kolkata Library

Turning a page from the history of North Calcutta, we found ourselves at the remarkable three-storey institute of knowledge, which had Rabindranath Tagore as one of its trustee members. The Chaitanya Library on Beadon Street, established in 1889, was a space for intellectual progress and a reservoir of popular, rare, and lost books that lie covered in dust today.

While the entrance has been worked upon the first and second floors, still need preservation. Lakhs of books lie stacked surrounded by some wobbly stairs and broken walls, the lonely corridors and pelting cement tell stories of bygone days and their gradual degradation over time. However, shining like a ray of hope and a prime example of community conservation efforts are the numerous steps taken for the restoration, preservation, and conservation of the Library, to restore it to its former glory, when many others succumbed to the dust.

A magnificent start

Speaking to Indulge, executive committee member Siddarth Sarkar in whose mind the seed of restoration first germinated, mentions, “When the library was instituted it was for the ‘Indians’ by which it meant the locals and not the elite class. The idea was to spread the word of education, knowledge, and wisdom among the local community. What struck me was when my father said that these old libraries and buildings are slowly disappearing. That’s when we decided to do something to carry on the legacy for the future generation.”

He continues, “At one point the Library had patrons like the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj, Darbhanga, Burdwa,n and Cooch Behar. With the modernization of the city, everything started becoming futuristic. Since the books here were from the 70s, 80s, and  90s, in philosophy, history, fiction, etc, there were not many readers. The library also has a one-time membership fee which cannot help sustain its maintenance.”

Apart from the magnificent building, it’s a storehouse of lost and rare prints. “We have a book which is a compilation of letters written by Tagore’s wife, printed at a time when these communications were not allowed to be publicized. There’s the second or third print of Pride and Prejudice and  Bongsho Porichoy, a 12-volume book on histories of elite families like Kalikatar Thakur Bongsho, Balihar Raj Bongsho etc. Printed volumes of speeches by revolutionaries, initially banned, find a place here.”

Taking a step back

While the library was quite active till the 70s and 80s, several factors hit hard. Commenting on them he mentions, “With the advent of the digital era, the habit of picking up a book or indulging in the smell of old books started waning. Then came a time when the library was supposed to be given to promoters but we stopped it since we did not want to lose a part of history. When we found the library it was in a dilapidated state and natural disasters also hit hard.”

Restoration on point

Delving deeper into the actual restoration process, Lt. Col. Nitin Shrestha, from the Committee opens up, “Initially the place had not been kept for almost four / five decades. There was inadequate lighting, paint was ripping off, and the staircase leading to the first floor was in bad condition. Gradually we started connecting with other organisations and individuals and have been able to do up the entrance hall. Calcutta Heritage Collective also took up the initiative with us. It is indeed a continuous process and will take a long time. We are seeking professional help for the restoration of the books too.”

Interestingly, even in a collaborative effort, the liberty to make the decision lies in the hands of the Trust and its notable members comprising President Pradip Sengupta, Vice President Sankar Sarkar, and others like IPS Soumen Mitra, Pradip Dutta, whose family donated the original building and French Chevalier Kanchana Mukhopadhyay.  

When asked if the restoration will comprise original elements, he confirms, “Being an iconic building, we are planning to keep everything original. We found a clock in bad shape and I restored it. Whatever comes out of the library will be restored and used and nothing new will be added so that it looks its time.”

The vision ahead

Signing off with the future objective, “We need funds and professional assistance to complete the entire process. The way we are inching I guess it’s a journey of 4-5 years more. Our vision is to make it one of the most premiere research institutions, digital repository and place it in the tourist map of Kolkata so that it lives up to its name ‘Chaitanya’.”