Bengal Heritage
A slew of restoration activities is in store for the decaying colonial heritage of Serampore. Not only has the Union ministry of culture sanctioned funds for the Danish Governor's House, the Danish government has taken up preservation of the south and north gates of the complex. The Mamata Banerjee government is trying to include the erstwhile Fredriksnagore (christened after King Frederick VI who ruled from 1746 to 1799) with its eventful history and the physical remains on the list of World Heritage Sites. As the Danish administration functioned from Serampore, about 25 km north of river Hooghly, between 1755 and 1845, Kolkata and the adjoining areas were controlled by Denmark as a trading port. The Governor's House in the subdivisional court was their epicentre. The restoration, too, will begin with this building.
| Serampore College |
| Serampore College Crest (Coat of Arms) |
The efforts to revive the remnants of the Danish buildings of Serampore have resulted in the 'Europe-on-Ganga' project, conceived by the West Bengal Heritage Commission (WBHC). "The collaboration between the Centre, the commission and the Danish government is sure to give a fresh lease of life to the heritage of Serampore," said Shuvaprasanna, chairman, WBHC.
| The Main Building of Serampore College |
Danish conservation architect Flemming Aalund, historian Simon Rasten and ethnographer Bente Wolff will be here in November to execute the Serampore Initiative taken up by the National Museum of Denmark. NMD has raised private and public funds for Serampore, which still shows off an intricate tapestry of European and indigenous architecture dating back to 18th Century.
The culture ministry is expected to finalize the quantum of funds to be disbursed this month, but the commission is gearing up for a post-Puja date. Their focus - the derelict, single-storied Governor House - has already undergone piecemeal preservation. "During the first phase, which began in 2009, only a small part of the mammoth restoration project could be completed. Now, we are starting all over again," said Partha Ranjan Das, member, WBHC.
The second phase of restoration promises to be more extensive. It will include repair of the wooden staircase, the wooden skylights and the walls and replacement of doors and windows. Steps will be taken to prevent further deterioration. The building that used to be a mud-and-wattle construction with a thatched roof has survived for over 200 years. No wonder, it shows different characteristics reflecting Serampore's history through Danish, British and Indian periods. Much of it had collapsed during a dinner party on December 2, 1770. The rest was demolished in 1771 until Johan Leonard Fix, the new Danish head, reconstructed it. The British inherited the building in 1845. Finally, it was abandoned after a roof collapse in 1999.
The Serampore Initiative was conceived in 2008 by NMD's ethnographic department to supplement the Governor House project, but it hit a roadblock of rules prohibiting direct foreign funding of government projects. "Now an arrangement has been worked out. Intach, an NGO working on heritage conservation, has tied up with NMD. We are supporting them," said Shuvaprasanna.
| St. Olav's Church |
| William Carey's Tomb |
Also on NMD's cards is the restoration of St Olav's Church and the old Danish cemetery, upgrade of the square in front and setting up a museum with the Danish history of Serampore. The cemetery is under the Archaeological Survey of India, but the headstones are crumbling. "The restoration project will be backed by seminars, meetings and archival activity since the initiative aims at promoting knowledge of the cultural heritage related to Serampore," said Shuvaprasanna.
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| Map of Hooghly |
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Published in The Times of India
Date: 10th Oct. 2012
By Ajanta Chakraborty
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