The world’s first museum devoted to the life and teachings of the 16th Century sage Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was inaugurated in the Bagbazar area of north Kolkata today by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The museum will be open to the public from tomorrow (Aug. 14).
The three-storied museum, with over 1,000 square metres of galleries, is aimed at spreading the messages of peace and love as propagated by Lord Chaitanya. The function and the running of the museum was organised by the Gaudiya Mission, Bagbazar.
Highlights of Chief Minister’s speech:
Greetings to all Maharaj, devotees and the Bagbazar Pujo Committee. The Durga Pujo area here is quite well-known, and represents a bridge between all cultures and politics of the country.
I am proud that the world’s first Sri Chaitanya museum has come up in Bangla. I am grateful to all of you. Sri Chaitanya has created a place in our minds over the centuries. He had spoken about the dangers of divisiveness 500 years ago. He spoke about the need for interfaith cooperation, and over the ages, the sages that followed him have spoken about the same ideals.
A lot of people envy Bangla’s talent, culture and humaneness. But Bangla does not envy any other region – this is Bangla’s education, its civility and its tradition. Do not envy Bangla, do not try to intimidate it. Around the time of our Independence, Gandhiji was in Kolkata. Bangla has borne the ideals of peace over the ages, as inculcated in the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Those who sit in Delhi and say Mamata Banerjee does not allow Durga Pujo, I want to tell them that the maximum number of Pujos have come up during our governance; Lakshmi Pujo, Ganesh Pujo are happening in home after home, Chhat Pujo and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Pujo are also carried out. Hinduism is for all – nobody can own it.
The world will continue, and mortals will come and go. But his teachings will remain. One must think big to be big, and tolerate a lot of suffering on the way. Our teachers and elders have taught us to live with all the people.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy had to face a lot of torment before he succeeded in ending the practice of sati.
We are setting up a hub for Sanskrit at Nabadwip, and will award University status to the Sanskrit college there. Clearance for 700 acres has been given for an ISKCON township there.
The Government has given Rs 50 lakh for the museum. In addition, another Rs 50 lakh will be given from the MP’s Local Area Development Fund. Another building across the road will be arranged by the Government. A gate for Bagbazar will be erected by the Kolkata Corporation.
There are plans by the I&C department to make Bagbazar a tourist spot for pilgrims. The Government has done a lot for the development of Hindu pilgrim and religious places.
We believe in humanity, the same humanity that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu believed in. Humanism does not have any caste or religion. It teaches everyone to love one another, to move ahead with one another, so that peace prevails.
India is largely matriarchal, which is why one cannot be humane without respecting mothers and sisters.
I am declaring the residence of Sir Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay a heritage building of Kolkata Corporation today.
