|
|
|
|
|
|
| Building a replica of the mausoleum of Raja Rammohun Roy at Radhanagar - 11th July 2012 |
 The 11th of June 2012 witnessed a very important event in the village of Radhanagore. The Radhanagar Raja Rammohun Roy Smriti Raksha Samity had decided to erect a replica of the mausoleum of Raja Rammohun Roy at Radhanagar. The mausoleum will be built with the same structure as the one that was built by Prince Dwarakanath Tagore at Arnos Vale in Bristol (UK), in the year 1843.
A replica of that mausoleum is going to be installed near his birth memorial stone in the premises of Raja Rammohun Memorial Hall at Radhanagar (Hooghly, WB), in order to mark the illustrious life of this revolutionary thinker and reformist that defines the new era of modern India, between his birth and death of Raja Rammohun Roy. It also stands as a symbol of a bridge between the ideas of the East and the West at one place. Interestingly, the Memorial at Radhanagar was designed by Rabindranath Tagore, in 1916 and it is still incomplete.
 The memorial soil for this occasion was brought from Bristol by Sri Anup Kumar Roy, one of the branch descendants of Rammohun Roy, resident of Kaiba village. At the functionm Mr Roy shared his experiences of getting the soil from Arnos Vale and narrated how it was his cherished ambition to have the soil of Bristol in Radhanagore. Incidentally Mr. Roy also carried the soil from Radhanagore and sprinkled it near the mausoleum in Arnos Vale.
 The auspicious occasion of laying the foundation stone of the replica by Sri Arindam Neogi, SDO, Arambagh, Hooghly, was held on July 11th 2012 with due permission from Hooghly Zilla Parishad authority. This is a momentous and very zealous endeavor undertaken by Dr. Pares Chandra Das and Sri Ramsingh Pal on behalf of Radhanagar Raja Rammohun Roy Smriti Raksha Samity.
The programme was well attended with the members of the Brahmo Samaj and the local authorities. The BDO of Arambagh and the Circle Inspector, also spoke at the occasion. The BDO in his speech praised the organizers for this august venture. He drew attention to the government guidelines that Hooghly Zilla Parishad had no objection if the said structure was made inside the memorial premises. In their speech the Government officials also stressed the need to develop these spots with tourism in mind - and develop souvenir shops, tourism literature in near future to attract the masses. Incidenatlly the maintainence of all property pertaining to Rammohun are mainatined by the Hooghly Zilla Parishad.
However there has been a small controversy as to where the actual site of the replica is to be made. While the members of Radhanagar Raja Rammohun Roy Smriti Raksha Samity want it to be near the birthplace at the memorial in Radhanagar, the Raja Rammohun Roy Mela Committee want to be erected in the mango grove - where the relics of Rammohun's house still stands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
