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Judge Biplab Roy with the Vishnu idol made of black stone and dating to Pala dynasty, on November 18, 2022.
| Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri
A Vishnu idol made of black stone dating to the Pala dynasty, which ruled between the 10th and 12th centuries, was recovered by the Office of Administrator General and Official Trustee of West Bengal on Friday.
The statue was found during earthworks carried out at a pond in Bagnan in the State’s Howrah district. On Friday, Judge Biplab Roy, who is heading the Office of Administrator General and Official Trustee of West Bengal brought the antiquity to Kolkata.
“This is a priceless statue where, along with Vishnu, Lakshmi and Saraswati are also depicted. The statue has a height of 3.5 feet and a width of about 1.8 feet,” Mr Roy told The Hindu.
He said that several such idols are lying unattended in different parts of the State, either with locals, local bodies or improperly maintained museums that require proper maintenance and upkeep. “On Saturday, we will get another statue that was washed ashore during the erosion of river Ganga in Khardah Municipality. The idol has been lying with Khardah Municipality for quite some time,” Mr. Roy said.
The Administrator General and Official Trustee has written to officials in north Bengal districts regarding the recovery of idols that are lying “ unprotected” in different areas. Mr. Roy said that his office is in the process of setting up a Museum cum Research Centre where these antiquities would be housed.
“While Kolkata is a colonial city, we find a lot of artifacts relating to the British Raj in the rural hinterland of the State where several settlements existed before the colonial times. These idols which are lying here and there are reminders of our past and therefore there is a need to preserve them and put them on display,” Mr. Roy said.
The Office of Administrator General and Official Trustee of West Bengal has its origins in colonial times. The first Act relating to the Administrator General of Bengal was passed in 1874, which was then amended by another Act in 1913. There was also an Official Trustee Act, which was in effect from the 1870s. In 1916, the two offices were merged, and the Office of Administrator General and Official Trustee came into being and has continued to function since then.
Recently, Mr. Roy came across a cannon lying on a footpath and collecting dust outside the Office near the Calcutta High Court. The cannon, which could be a couple of centuries old, will also find a place in the upcoming museum, he said.
A few months ago, a treasure trove of artifacts about Kolkata’s colonial past including old property deeds, priceless photographs, sketches, precious stones and gold medals were discovered from an old warehouse of the Office of Administrator General and Official Trustee of West Bengal on Strand Road.
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