Imminent Destruction of a Rich Legacy

This dilapidated building needed to be photographed because in a month’s time it will be brought down to give rise to a high rise apartment (so common in Kolkata now)… I just want to share something which was told to me by a fellow historian… The address of this building is 13/1 Bidhan Sarani which was originally 13 Cornwallis street and was the residence of Upendrakishore Roy Chowdhury and his wife Bidhumukhi (daughter of Dwarakanath ganguly and his first wife) and Sukumar Roy, Sukhalata Rao, Punyalata Chakraborty, Subinoy Roy and Shantilata Chowdhury were all born here… This piece of news gave me goosebumps and I was transported to that era… I kept imagining toddler Sukumar ray playing hide seek with his siblings, the rooms of this building witnessing UpendraKishore Roy making sketches and developing photographs in his dark room… Unfortunately all will be lost soon… This building also housed a school founded by Dwarakanath Ganguly who was a renowned social worker and an activist.