Ghare Baire - A Heritage Tour
On January 16, 2025, the Bengali Department of Loreto College, Kolkata, in collaboration with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), organised Ghare Baire, a Heritage Tour. Eight students participated in the tour, which was led by Dr. Amrita Dasgupta. The students visited three major heritage sites in the city: Raja Ram Mohan Roy's house, Rabindranath Tagore's house in Jorasanko, and Swami Vivekananda's house.
The first destination of the students was Raja Ram Mohan Roy's house. The house, located in the heart of the city, is a fine example of Bengali traditional architecture with wide courtyards, tall columns, and intricately designed interiors. Preserved letters, manuscripts, and piles of books in English, Persian, and Sanskrit adorned the rooms. Portraits of Raja Ram Mohan Roy covered the walls, encapsulating his dignified personality and his pioneering vision. One of the walls displayed the Sati Reformation Act of 1829. The tour left the students with a sense of admiration and a renewed commitment to upholding the values championed by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
The second stop was Jorasanko's Thakurbari, a structure which housed generations of the brilliant Tagore family, including Rabindranath Tagore. Under the skilled guidance of Dr. Dasgupta, the students explored the hallways, staircases, and innumerable chambers of the house, gazing in wonder at the snippets of information displayed on the walls. Unfortunately, some of the rooms, such as those of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore and Mrinalini Devi, were
temporarily closed due to ongoing renovation work. It is known that Tagore visited a total of 37 foreign countries in his lifetime. The Thakurbari features special galleries dedicated to each of these visits, with pictures of the poet in those countries, his quotes about the people there, and his opinions on India's relationship with those places. Some of the most fascinating ones were those on Tagore's trips to Hungary, Italy, and the United States of America. The displays gave the students a glimpse into Tagore's experiences abroad-from pictures of the great poet relaxing at the Elizabethan Sanitorium to detailed menu cards of what he had for dinner at one of the most famous restaurants in the world at that time.
The itinerary of Tagore's visit to the USA cannot be overlooked. In the October of 1912, he had arrived at New York, accompanied by his son Rathindranath and his daughter-in-law Pratima Devi. The students of Bengali literature experienced a proud and touching moment as they learnt about the warm hospitality Tagore had received from the American people, who hailed him as the "Wise Man from the East." Tagore spent his stay at the USA delivering speeches at every place he visited, with hopes of bringing the East and the West together. The students came across a unique and beautiful painting of Tagore by Edward Curtis, made with gold tone emulsions on glass. Next, they visited the maternity room where, on May 7, 1861, Tagore was born. They also observed the genealogical table of the Tagore family. The tour ended with a gallery of paintings, Mrinalini Devi's private kitchenette, and the chamber where the poet breathed his last.
The last stop was Swami Vivekananda's house near Girish Park. The house has two parts: one which has been converted into a museum, and the other which has been left as it originally was. The students visited the rooms of Vivekananda, his siblings, and his grandmother. They learned about Shyamasundari Devi, Vivekananda's grandmother, who wrote a book called Gangabhokti Tarangini and who had a great impact on his life. There was a separate gallery dedicated to different phases of Vivekananda's life, charting his gradual transformation from 'Bileh' to 'Swamiji.' The students were fascinated by the belongings of Swamiji preserved in glass cases along the walls, including clothes, musical instruments, and boxing gloves. The third floor, which houses a small prayer hall, had walls adorned with images of Swamiji in various poses-some focused, some in deep meditation, others during public speeches. Books by and about him filled the shelves, providing insights into his philosophical musings. The students were particularly moved by the small exhibition on his speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893. The entire experience allowed the students to understand the essence of his philosophy, which blended the spiritual wisdom of India with the modern outlook of the West, emphasising the universal unity of all religions and the importance of self-awareness and service to humanity.
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