Netaji Bhawan, Kolkata

Netaji Bhawan once served as home to the renowned Indian nationalist - Subhas Chandra Bose. In 1961, this house was reconstructed and converted into a biographical museum by Netaji Research Bureau.

The museum is a magnificently structured biographical museum, devoted to the life of Netaji. The museum displays stuff collected from across the globe related to Netaji. The Netaji Bhawan in Kolkata is unique and splendid in its way. It offers a good understanding of the visitors about the challenging life and career of an outstanding personality, like Netaji.

Stocked with a wide collection of items related to Netaji, this museum has attracted and continues to attract countless visitors from different parts of the country and the world.

History behind

Netaji Bhawan is the inherited home of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He was a great patriot of the freedom movement in India. His deeds and preaching have taught a lot to the new generation. To restore its prominence, his house has been preserved. It was the residence of Netaji during his childhood.

This memorial hall has been pleasingly restored and preserved by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Netaji Bhawan is the center of the Netaji Research Bureau.

It also lines up a museum, which showcases the life and time of Subhas Chandra Bose and the set of steps, which Netaji used for his secret disappearance from this house. The car is also there that was used by him at that time and is also on display. This is the inherited house of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

It was built in 1909 by his father Janakinath Bose. Netaji lived in this house during the Indian freedom movement and this house was the center of political activities for freedom fighters. Netaji’s study and bedroom are preserved inside this house in original conditions. The site has enormous historical importance and worth a visit.

The architecture of Netaji Bhawan

From outside, Netaji Bhawan appears like a typical Bengali house with tall pillars and spacious porticoes. At the entrance, there is a marble plaque that bears the name of Netajis father- J. N. Bose. The main portico of the building has a replica of the imperial INA Memorial with the motto Ittefaq, Itmad, Kurbani imprinted on it. Netajis belongings and bedroom on the first floor, Janakinaths large bedstead, and the articles and furniture used by Sarat Chandra Bose are preserved in their original condition.

What does this museum include?

It includes everything from

• Photographs to documents and articles,

• From a student at Cambridge to being a Swarajist,

• Sojourn in Europe,

• Visits to the Andaman Islands and

• Prisoner at Mandalay

Everything related to Netajis life and works, every important phase of Subhass life, has been arranged in chronological order. There has been depicted through pictures at the museum. Postage stamps, Azad Hind journals, Hindi translations of German military texts are some of the museums proud possessions.

Netaji Bhawan houses a library named Freedom Library, whose shelves are filled with Sarat Chandra Boses marvellous collection of books. Besides books, this library has periodicals and documents from the entire freedom movement of India. One of the main highlights of Netaji Bhawan is the newly built auditorium called Sarat Bose Hall that can easily house 115 people.

Special film-shows on Netaji and documentaries on the Indian struggle for freedom are shown in this auditorium. Academic meetings, as well as domestic and international conferences, are being conducted within an air-conditioned conference room there.

Location of Netaji Bhawan at Kolkata

Netaji Bhawan is located at Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani, earlier known as Elgin Road in Kolkata.

Best time to visit Netaji Bhawan

During the birthday week of Netaji in January, Netaji Bhavan experiences a huge footfall of several visitors. A nice celebration also takes place during this time with several cultural activities.

Interesting facts about Netaji Bhawan

1. Netaji Research Bureau established the Netaji Museum in the Netaji Bhawan of Kolkata in 1961.

2. The Netaji Museum is unique and splendid in its way and it displays all the remnants belonging to Netaji in an orderly way.

3. Sarat Chandra Bose contributed this ancestral house for the service of the nation on 23rd January 1947.

4. Post Second World War, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru visited Netaji Bhavan. Off late in 2007, Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan also visited the place.

5. There exists also a gallery depicting Azad Hind Movement in Europe and East Asia and it also showcases vital documents related to the event.

Other historical museums

1. Indian museums

2. Swami vivekanand’s ancestral house

3. Rabindra bharati university museum

4. Kolkata tram museum Smaranika

5. RBI museum

6. Rabindra Tirtha

7. Kolkata Police Museum

8. State Archaeological museum