The Museum and Art Gallery at RKM Golpark

  • The Museum and Art Gallery at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark was founded in 1976. The objective of the museum is in sync with the ideology of ‘Methods of Action’ as laid down by Swami Vivekananda, especially that the Mission will ‘promote and encourage arts and industries’. 
  • The collection comprises of artworks and antiquities classified under – painting, sculpture, manuscripts, folk art, ivory painting, textile, Pata painting, litho-print, silver ornament, terracotta, and laminated photographs. The museum organizes exhibition and periodic displays. 
Entrance to the museum




  • The Museum acquires artifacts by purchase and through donations. Many donate their collections of art and antiquities to the museum. Famous Indian artists such as Jogen Choudhury, Sanatan Dinda, S. Nandagopal, Wasim Kapoor, Yusuf Arakkal, Paresh Maity, Chandi Lahiri, Surya Prakash, M. Senathipathi, and Lalita Lajmi – have each donated an artwork to commemorate the 175th year of the advent of Sri Ramakrishna (2011) and the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (2013). 
  • The vast number of items on display can broadly be enlisted as following:

1. Statues of deities including Buddha, Krishna, Ganesh, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and others in bronze, wood, marbel and stone

2. Portraits and paintings of personalities, figures and landscapes. Paintings on paper and chroma lithographs are displayed in large numbers.

3. Clay moulds used to make sweets

4. Bead embroidery works

5. Scultures by Sri Pramathnath Mullick occupies a separate section

6. Variety of items of daily use such as paan dani, aatar dani, kajal lata, betel nut cracker

7. Baskets weaved in Manipur

8. Hand painted home magazine for children by Smt. Ashabori Chaudhuri (librarian and wife of Sri Probash Jibon Chauduri)

9. Terracotta fragments from different archaeological sites of West Bengal, Orissa, UP, Bihar

10. Pata and Sara paintings of Bengal

11. Jain manuscripts and other ancient manuscripts on paper and palm leaves

12. Statue of two wise monkeys made by a fisherman from Sunderban. The statue of the third monkey was lost.

11. Extrinsic handwork on Jambwar shawl from 19th century Kashmir

12. Paintings on cloth

13. A huge kantha work depicting the life of Swami Vivekananda

14. Several large lamp (diya) holders made of brass adorns the hall.

15. Items of dokra, ivory and cloth dolls showcase folk art diversity.

16. Paintings by Jamini Roy and Nandalal Basu

17. Old and ornate furnitures, doors, gramophone

18. Suri Bowl or Sarai from Birbhum

19. Miniature ivory painting from Kerala

20. Tanjore paintings

21. Fragments collected from stupas including Buniyar temple of Kashmir

22. Bhramanical sculptures from Kashmir

23. Different forms of Bengal temple architecture

24. Terracotta bricks

25. Items used in Indian worship and different types of conch shells

26. Artefacts from Mughal Raj durbar

27. Ancient silver ornaments

28. Early Bengal oil paintings beautifully restored showing detailed strokes and vibrant colors

29. A replica of Bhagawad Gita by Keelathiruthongal press, Sivakasi, India

30. A huge durga idol in shoal

31. Masks and dolls of different states

32. Wedgewood tea set with extrinsic work of elegance

33. Intricate windows from Rajasthan, Gujrat

34. Stamps to commemorate Swami Vivekananda

Sculptures byShri Pramothnath Mullick (picture from internet)

A part of the display (picture from internet)

A part of the display (picture from internet)
 

The meticulous collection, classification, preservation and aesthetic display leaves one in awe. The serenity of the place resonates for long as we leave the place. Photography is strictly prohibitted here.

 

 Reference:

https://sriramakrishna.org/the-museum-and-art-gallery/

 

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