WHO WE ARE
OUR HISTORY
“Tarun Shakti Sangha Pathagar” was formed due to the sincere effort of a group of culturally inclined youth 78 years back.
It started its journey with limited resources in 1944 (Bengali 1351) from the residence of late Shri Kanai Lal Nandi. Shri Himangshu Shekhar Ganguly entrusted with the responsibility of the secretary in the absence of any elected managing committee. Subsequently the Pathagar shifted to 74, Kansari Para Road and Shri Ajit Kumar Roy become the first elected president.
Over its existence of 78 long & glorious years “Tarun Sakti Sangha Pathagar” evolved into its present form BHOWANIPUR PATHAGAR, cultural hub & foremost library of South Kolkata. The sincere effort, good wishes and patronage of many kind, enlightened individuals have helped it reach such height.
In 1952 “Tarun Shakti Sangha Pathagar” was rechristened as “Bhowanipur Pathagar” and shifted to 24, Sankhari Para road (currently 24A, Dhirendra Nath Ghosh Road). Late Smt Malini Sundari Devi came forward to rent out a room to the library at a nominal rent.
A standing forum called “Abhirvab” was started under the able stewardship of well-known poet & literary figure Shri Sajikanta Das as president. Although this forum ceased to exist after a few years’ continuity its essence was carried on through specially organized literary meet & function where renowned literary figures of that time, a veritable who’s who list graced with their presence
Shri Dakshinaranjan Basu, shri Narendra Deb, Shri Sukumar Bandyopadhyay, Shri Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay, Shri Birendra Krishna Bhadra, Shri Achinta Kumar Sengupta, Shri Bimal Mitra, Shri Kalidas Nag, Shri Soumemdra Nath Thakur, Shri Harinarayan Chattopadhyay, Shri Tripura Shankar Sen, Shri Premendra Mitra, Shri Suvash Mukhopadhyay, Shri Balaichad Mukhopadhyay (Bonoful), Shrimati Mahasweta Devi, Shrimati Bani Roy, Shri Deviprasad Roy Choudhury, Shri Manmatha Roy, Shri Ashutosh Bhattacharjee, Shri Anandashankar Roy, famous Journalist Shri Vivekananda Mukhopadhyay, Swami Nirmalananda , Mayor of Kolkata Corporation Shri Bijoy Kumar Bandyopadhyay, famous Actor & Director Shri Madhu Basu Bandyopadhyay, Shri Ahindra Choudhury, famous Singer Shrimati Niharbindu Sen, Shrimati Suchitra Mitra, Shri Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Professor Shri Haripada Bharati, Shri Tripurari Chakraborty etc.
The library was registered under Rule 21 of the society Act. In 1955. Subsequently in 1968 Shri Manindrara Nath Chakraborty, a renowned professor and the Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Shri Govinda Chandra Dey inaugurated the ‘Study Book Section’ of the library with 18 members and 174 books.After the demise of Shri Jamini Mitra, as ex-president of the library this section was renowned as ‘Jamini Mitra Memorial Section’. In the effort to reach out to the educated mass of the locality and beyond, an open reading room was started. It was named in the memory of Shri Shailendra Chandra Acharya. Everyday numerous patrons avail the convenience of reading room facility with daily newspaper and periodical being especially in demand.