Barisha museum to display history of Calcutta from February 7 to 15

In 1929, two 13-year-old school girls Shanti Ghosh and Suniti Chowdhury fired at Commillah collector killing him on the spot.

After the incident, Ghosh and Chowdhury were sent to juvenile home. Inspired by Netaji  Subhas Chandra Bose and trained by Surya Sen, the duo did not hesitate to kill the British collector. 

Ghosh and Chowdhury were later released from the juvenile home. When they grew up, Ghosh became a Congress MLA and Chowdhury a doctor. 

To commemorate the birth centenary of Ghosh, the blood-stained sari which she was wearing while carrying out the operation will be exhibited at the International history and heritage museum at Barisha. 

The exhibition has been organised by Sabarna Roy Chowdhury Parivar Parishad and will be held at Sabarna Sangrahasala at Barisha between February 7 and 15.

The theme of this year’s exhibition is Colonial India between 1615 and 1947.

The important documents regarding the right to rent of Calcutta which was signed between the descendents of Sabarna Roy Chowdhury and Sir Charles Eyre, Job Charnock’s son-in-law, in 1798 will be exhibited. 

There was a misconception till early 1990s regarding Kolkata’s birthday. It was believed that Charnock was the father of modern Kolkata and the city’s birthday was August 24, 1690, the day when Charnock came to Kolkata. 

The Roy Chowdhury family brought all the documents relating to Kolkata’s right to rent from British Library with the help of the then British Prime Minister John Major. The documents show that the right to rent was signed in 1698, four years after Charnock’s death. 

The matter was taken to Calcutta High Court where the judge directed that Charnock was not the father of modern city and also Calcutta’s birthday was not August 24. Charnock during his lifetime (1690 to 1694) lived in Calcutta as a tenant of Roy Chowdhury.

Debarshi Roy Chowdhury, curator of the museum, said there was enthusiasm among the visitors and people even from the districts came to see it. 

The theme of the exhibition is Sri Lanka. Artifcts, stamps, coin from Sri lanka will be exhibited there.

Roy Chowdhury said a sword used by Kalikinkar Das, a British police officer during Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, would be exhibited. Also, deputy superintendent of police of Assam Nibaron Mitra’s belt and sword would also be exhibited. Mitra was a DSP between 1905- 10.

Roy Chowdhury said cultural exchange was a major thrust area of the exhibition. India and Sri Lanka have close cultural ties. 

Emperor Asoka had sent his son Milinda and daughter Sanghamitra to preach Budddhism in Sri Lanka. Lord Buddha’s tooth has been preserved at a museum in Sri Lanka.