Post News Network
Puri, Sept 23: Construction of the Netaji Museum at the ancestral house of legendary leader Subhas Chandra Bose at Gopalballav Road here has reached its last phase.
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which has been engaged by the culture department to preserve the old building and set up a museum here, will hand over the museum to a trust.
The residential building, constructed by Netaji’s father Janakinath Bose, was lying in a state of dilapidation. The culture department decided to preserve the building and set up a museum here to showcase the life and activities of the leader. The state government had allocated Rs3.96 crore for the project. Former culture minister Maheswar Mohanty had laid the foundation stone for the museum December 30, 2013.
INTACH sources said the basic structure of the building has been left untouched while designing the museum. “Galleries showcasing rare photographs and personal belongings of Netaji and his family have been laid out in the museum. There are separate galleries on Netaji’s early life, his political activities and formation of Indian National Army (INA). All the galleries have been fitted with air conditioning systems and close circuit television cameras,” an INTACH official said.
INTACH sources said a souvenir counter and a bronze statue of Netaji have been set up on the museum premises. Besides, the museum has a water fountain and an open-air stage. “We have preserved the reading room of Netaji, his bedroom and meeting hall with utmost care. The museum has some rare photographs of the leader and the articles belonging to INA. The museum will be handed over to the culture department soon,” INTACH’s state chapter director Mallika Mitra said.
District culture department sources said a trust has been formed to manage the affairs of the Netaji Museum. People will have to pay between `5 and `10 to visit the museum. “INTACH will hand over the museum to culture department by October. Then, the department will dedicate the museum to people,” district culture officer Nalinikant Sahu.
According to sources, the district administration had allotted 433 decimal land to Janakinath Bose on lease for building a house in 1916. Subsequently, the land and the building were recorded in the name of Netaji and other members of his family.
However, Netaji’s family had urged the revenue divisional commissioner (central) to exclude the name of the leader from the owners’ list a few years ago. The then RDC Aravind Padhee had rejected the plea and directed the district administration to acquire the land and the building. Accordingly, the district administration took control of the land March 3, 2013.
