Krishnanagar, Sept. 20: Krishnanagar Women’s College authorities on Tuesday organized a heritage walk in Krishnagar to make its students aware of the rich heritage installations and cultural legacy of the town.
The walk was organized in association with the ‘Know Your Neighbor’ (KYN), a social initiative that aims to promote cultural harmony in the state joining hands with Social Network for Assistance to People (SNAP).
Krishnanagar town, the district headquarter of Nadia is named after Lord Srikrishna during the second half 17th century and has an immense tourist attraction for its religious, historical, and cultural heritage that made a mark in the past few centuries.
40 students in the 6th semester of the geography department of the college walked about 5 km in the town on Tuesday morning when they visited six heritage sites, which are lesser known but bear a significant role in the local historical and cultural perspective.
The walk that started from the college campus at 8.30 am concluded at about 11.30 in the morning at 122 years old sweet shop – Adhar Chandra Das, known for identical traditional sweets like Sarpuria and Sarbhaja.
Speaking to The NfN head of the Geography department, Jayasree Mandal, an assistant professor, said, “The rich cultural heritage of Krishnagar town always fascinates me. I often talk to the students about the town and inspire them to know its history and heritage. But it appeared to me that they know little as there are many sites that are lesser known but have heritage value. So I invited the KYN to arrange a walk as I knew that they organized such walks in other heritage towns”.
“At the same time my aim was to show the students how people even in the recent past lived peacefully in the town ignoring their religious differences”, Professor Mandal said.
With these objectives, the KYN team in presence of the teachers of the Geography department led the walk. They took students to Krishnagar Government College(1846), Roman Catholic Church, and Cemetry Peer Alaal Dost (1750). Krishnagar Royal Palace (1683), Ranikuthi, Grace Cottage and some other heritage sites.
Sabir Ahamad, founder of KYN said, “The present generation of students is little aware of their neighbor. Even in Krishnanagar, I found people who mostly claim that the town is named after the Nadia king Krishnachandra….even students are now aware of the reality…They have even no idea about Grace cottage where poet Nazrul spent a remarkable part of his life”.
Welcoming the initiative local historian Sanjit Dutta said: “Kazi Nazrul Islam stayed at the Grace Cottage during the period 1926-28.” During the early Twenties, Nazrul actively joined the revolutionary movement encouraging people to agitate against British Rule. By this time he earned a reputation with the publication of his landmark poem “Bidrohi”. The British rulers banned many of his works and imprisoned him. After being released from jail in 1923 Nazrul got married but poverty posed trouble to him.
Priyanka Debnath, a student who took part in the walk said, “Today’s walk came to me as an eye opener. I rediscovered the know places in the town…places like Peertala, and Grace Cottage came to me with new identity”.
Sohel Reja of SNAP said, “Through such walk and interaction we are at the same time trying to create a legacy of mutual trust and friendship that will change the misunderstanding in the society in the long run