Mungpoo: Rabindra Museum to remain shut for 3 months

Amitava Banerjee, MP,  18 Dec 2021, Darjeeling: The Rabindra Museum in Mungpoo will close its gates to visitors for around three months from December 20 owing to renovation. The museum is a major tourist attraction in the Hills. 

"The West Bengal Heritage Commission and PWD have started renovation work. External work is nearly complete. Renovation of the interiors, including roof, terrace and walls will start soon. We need to shift all the artefacts for renovation," stated Dr Biswajit Chakravarty, quinologist, Government of West Bengal, in charge of the museum. 

He stated that it will take around three months to complete the renovation work. "We will shut down from December 20, 2021. We are expecting to open up by April 2022," he added. 

Mungpoo, 32 km from Darjeeling, was the bard's favourite haunt. Tagore had visited Mongpu in 1938 on May 21 and stayed till June 9. 

In 1939, he stayed here from May 14 till June 17 to return again on the September 12 to stay till the first week of November. In 1940, he arrived on April 21 and his birthday was also celebrated here that year. This was his last visit as he fell ill and had to return to Kolkata. 

He had written many memorable works during his stay at Mongpu, including Chelebela, Nobojatok, Sesh Kotha, Bangla Bhashar Porichoy, Mongpu, Giribas, Sanai, Akash Prodip and Jonmodin. 

In Mongpu, Tagore used to stay in the house of Manmohan Sen (husband of Maitreyi Devi) who was the chief chemist of the cinchona plantation. 

In 1944, this house was converted into a "Rabindra Smrity-bhavan." Later in 2009, the building was renovated, converted into a "Rabindra Museum." 

Furniture, artefacts used by Tagore, manuscripts, paints used by Tagore and even homoeopathy medicines which the bard used to have are on display in the museum.

(http://www.millenniumpost.in/nation/mungpoo-rabindra-museum-to-remain-shut-for-3-months-462187)