A museum awaits recognition in Cooch Behar

A museum awaits recognition in Cooch Behar

A 'museum' that came up in Cooch Behar is still to be recognised. Officially, it is not possible for the citizens to get a chance to see the historic articles kept in the museum. For some undisclosed reasons the state government is not issuing the required approval to the museum and making it open to all.

Sometime ago, in the house journal of the public works department, 'Purta-Katha', the opening of the 'museum' in Cooch Behar was mentioned in the editorial.

Different organisations like Cooch Behar Heritage Society and Concern for Cooch Behar have conveyed appeals to the state government on several occasions to declare the collection of rare articles as a museum. But, the required approval is yet to be issued.

It may be mentioned here that the erstwhile public works department of Cooch Behar State initiated the railway service in Cooch Behar. But, in October 2009 the Union railway minister inaugurated a separate Railway Heritage Museum at Cooch Behar railway station. It consists of the artefacts of the then Cooch Behar State Railway. The PWD's museum might be more enriched if any initiative is taken to bring that collection here.

A number of eminent citizens opined that the authorities of the PWD should come forward to take an initiative to get the official recognition for the museum. Here the citizens and especially the students and others who are interested in history would be able to see the historic articles of the regimes of the Maharajas of Cooch Behar.

PWD (Roads), Highway division sources in Cooch Behar said it is up to the PWD minister to decide the fate of the museum. At present, the rich collection of rare historic articles is being kept in a room in the office of the PWD (Roads), Highway division, in Cooch Behar near the Madan Mohan temple. There are two such museums of the PWD in the state – in Kolkata and in Darjeeling. 

It may be recalled that a few years ago, replying a letter the Chief Engineer (Roads) requested the executive engineer of Cooch Behar Highway Division to keep the historical articles and documents in a selected room in the office building with proper care till declaration of a museum by the government.

The public works unit was set up in Cooch Behar in 1864 during the Raj-days for construction of buildings, bridges and roads. Before that the jobs were done under Baxikhana. This department also constructed the railroad from Mogulhat (now in Bangladesh) to Buxa.

Among the collections in the 'museum' there are age-old tools and instruments, mileposts, books on architecture, maps, ledgers, documents, drafts and designs of various buildings and bridges. A few copies of gazettes printed from Cooch Behar State Press in those Raj-days are also there. When Cooch Behar was a princely state, lampposts and water stand-posts were brought from England. A few of those are also in the museum.

Specimens of royal emblems, furniture made with Burma-teak, bricks made by royal PW unit and documents of Cooch Behar Airport during Second World War are also collected for the museum. Samples of concrete water-tubs installed along the roadsides for cattle in those good-old days are also here. Citizens believe if these historic objects were displayed properly in a gallery it would help attracting tourists to this heritage town.