- Amar Kutir (আমার কুটির)
(meaning:
my cottage in Bengali) was once a place of refuge for independence movement
activists. Post-independence it was converted into a cooperative society for
the promotion of arts and crafts by local artisans.
 |
| Amar Kutir Showroom (picture from internet) |
- It is located on the banks
of the Kopai River, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Shantiniketan in Birbhum
district.
- Amar Kutir was set up in 1927 by Sushen Mukherjee. Mukherjee had been
associated with the revolutionary movement and was inspired to take up this
venture after he met Gandhi at Shantiniketan in 1922.
 |
| Sushen Mukherjee |
- Sushen Mukherjee, was a
follower of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Culture and ideology, a prolific traveller and
an active participant of the freedom movement of India. He decided to set up a
place where young revolutionaries could earn their living by engaging in
activities such as sari printing, handloom and leather craft production.
- In
1930, Amar Kutir was raided by the British rulers and Mukherjee was put behind
bars for political activities. This led to the temporary closure of Amar Kutir
for seven years.
- Contrary to certain perceptions, Rabindranath Tagore never
visited Amar Kutir nor extended any support.
- From 1938 many revolutionaries released
from prison started living and working in Amar Kutir. They organized night
classes and spreading Marxist ideas amongst the rural masses. Many of the
revolutionaries left Amar Kutir and were directly involved in organizing
peasant movement in the villages during the Second World War and the Quit India
movement in 1942. Three freedom fighters died in police firing in a raid on
Bolpur Railway Station conducted by thousands of people assembled by Amar
Kutir.
- Amar Kutir Society for Rural Development was
formally registered in 1978.
- After the demise of Sushen Mukherjee, his
adopted sons Kamalaksha Bose and Alok Bose took up the organization. They ran
it from 1955 to 1978/ 1980. Later the property was transfered to create an
autonomous body known as Amar Kutir Society for Rural Development and gifted
the property to this society.
- Local people bring their merchandises such as
needle works, bamboo crafts, batik works, and leather handicrafts and sell them
to the above society who in turn sell them to the tourists or export them to
foreign countries.
- It also has batik, needlecraft and shola and lac crafts
units. Under a Central government scheme, a craft development centre was opened
in 1992 at Amar Kutir. In 1993, the Central government set up a hand-block
printing training centre.
- The adjacent Khoai river, the large statue of
Rabindranath Tagore and the floral bloom are aesthetic addition to the place. Amar Kutir not only has a glorious
involvement in India’s freedom movement but continues to support local artisans
and keeps indigenous art forms alive.
- Following are images from Amar Kutir museum which preserves artefacts and informations related to the ich legacy of the place.
 |
| Sushen Mukherjee and Kamaleshwar Bose |
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amar_Kutir
https://amarkutir.org.in
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