Museology Notes

BRIEF REPORT ON MUSEUM VISIT
State Archaeological Museum, Alipore Museum ,1st

December: Yesterday the Department of History Bethune
College arranged an educational tour for us, the students of
semester 3. The tour was generally conducted for our SEC
paper of the CBCS examination. In the morning all the
professors of our department went to visit the two museums
that is State Archaeological Museum in Behala and Alipore
Jail Museum in Alipore. First, we went to State Museum
where we found the following gallaries.1)sites and
sights.2)Paintings of Bengal 3)Sculptures of
Bengal,4)Jagjivanpur,West Bengal in early historic period.
There were also pre-history, proto history, ethnic art and
numismatics, coinage in Bengal. After that we went to
Alipore jail Museum where history came alive to us. There we
visited the various cells of the various freedom fighters of
India and also in the gallow where we had goosebumps. We
felt like we went back to those days. To give detailed
information about the museum first we will start with State
Archaeological Museum.
State Archaeological Museum was inaugurated by the
then chief minister of West Bengal Honorable Jyoti Basu in
1980 and it contains 5 galleries which are sites and sights,
paintings of Bengal, sculptures of Bengal, Jagjivanpur
Excavation and West Bengal Early Historic Period. There is
also pre-history, proto -history, ethnic art, numismatics and
coinage of Bengal.
In the first gallery we saw rich artistic heritage of Bengal,
general view of susunia hill, Neolithic site in Kalimpong,
paleolithic implements in sukarnarekha,photos of
excavations of Pandu Rajar Dhipi(1961-62),Baneswar
Danga(1974) and also Late Paresh Chandra Dasgupta
excavating a skull from the site. Terracotta figures from
Chndraketugarh, Bangarh(Ist to 6th century BCE), large brick
from Gupta Period, discovered from Jalpaiguri District,
photos of excavated citadel from Bangarh ,Dakshin Dinajpur,
excavated temple complex from Rajbadidanga in
Murshidabad. Dated 10th to 12thcen and excavated stupa
from Burdwan District.
In the galleries of paintings of Bengal we saw Durga the
Mahishashur Mardini of Krishnanagar, Mahabidya soroshi of
Hugli,Radhar Manbhonjon , sitar porinoy,Binodoni of Kalighat
style and women with roses, an old lady found from Bankura
and Jamini Roys picture etc.
In the gallery of sculptures of Bengal we saw Mahishashur
Mardini from 11th century,tugisahar of Gaud Malda,
Chamunda in uttar Dinajpur,miniature jain temple at Panihati
, tirthankara shantinatha at Medinipur District.Ombika at
Bankura,Dakshin Dinajpur.There were also excavation at
Hatpara where we found bangles,terracotta lamps
etc.Hatpara is located in the Murshidabad district .By
excavating the sites the items archaeologists found were
colourful glass bangles, terracotta rattels and terracotta
lamps,terracotta dabber.Through the site excavation the
history of human habitation has pushed back to almost
40,000 years ago.But the state archaeological museum has
kept only those items which dated back to sultanate period
which is 14th or 15th century.
In the gallery of Jagjivanpur excavation we saw discovery of
copper plates and five major mounds Akshidanga, Maibhita
etc. This village was the eastern fringe of Malda District
adjacent to Indo Bangladesh Border to find an important
place in the archaeological map of Bengal.We got to know
that Pala king Mahendrapala son and successor of Devapala
granted pieces of lands in this area for building a monastery.
In the gallery of sculptures we saw Trimatrika by
Birabhadra from uttar Dinajpur.Important sites were
Deulbari,moynamoti paharpur and also some areas of
Himalayan region.
In the gallery of Early Historic period we saw narratives
and social scenes,seals and sealings, metals and
coins,animals and birds, sculptures of mother
goddess ,designed pottery ,artefacts etc.
There was also a Bus museum where we saw terracotta
artefacts from Post Gupta period and coins from the Mughal
Period.
ALIPORE JAIL MUSEUM : The Alipore central jail earlier seved

as a correctional home until 2019 when all its inhabitants
were shifted o Baruipur and it was declared as a Heritage site
located at the heart of Calcutta.This building is 117 years old
and brick red colour is one of its prominent feature.From
being silent witness to the brutalities inflicted upon the
freedom fighters of the country the Alipore correctional
home is now transformed as a memorial and museum to
honor for those who sacrificed their lives for the
independence of India.
Alipore jail museum also consists of gallows, special cells,
seminar hall and a library and a light and sound show
exhibitions (one in cell 5 and hospital building).Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose, Rishi Aurobindo,Bidhan Chandra Roy,
Jawaharlal Nehru were among the prominent national figures
who were arrested and kept here.Along with these
prominent figures we come to know about women martyrs
of Bengal.Here we get a brief knowledge of women freedom
fighters like Bina Das , Matangini Hazra etc.
CONCLUSION
In fine it can be concluded that both the places were
extremely informative and it boosted our natural learning
and gave us first habd and wonderful experience.

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BRIEF REPORT ON MUSEUM VISIT

State Archaeological Museum, Alipore Museum ,1st

ALIPORE JAIL MUSEUM : The Alipore central jail earlier seved

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