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Sister Nivedita Heritage Museum

Galleries

History of the House

Restoration Efforts

NIHAR

A Living History

Galleries

The slideshow above shows the galleries and exhibits at the museum that bring alive Nivedita’s extraordinary life and her contributions to Indian society.

The 16 Bosepara Lane building itself is of great historical value. It’s the very house where Nivedita spent her first days in India.

Plans are on the anvil to convert the building next door at 17, Bosepara Lane – where she shifted her historic girls’ school, and later lived – into a knowledge hub and women’s empowerment centre.

 

A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE MUSEUM 

History of the House

History of the House

The slideshow above depicts the historical importance of the museum site. Architecturally, the house was, in Nivedita’s words, “a rambling specimen of the true old Hindu style of building.” It was host to giants of 19th century Bengal, and witnessed events that shaped a nation.

To see the archival photos in our collection, please click on the following link,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aLAX1MKs2YKnMbwRSk65Uahte1n9Rc-3/view?usp=sharing

Restoration Efforts

Restoration Efforts

When the house was handed over to the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission in 2013, it was in an advanced state of disrepair with important features plastered over and hidden.

Samples from the house’s walls and foundation were carbon dated to determine age accurately. Features and elements that dated back to Nivedita’s time or earlier were isolated and restored. Those that were added later were removed. Archival photographs were used to visually verify historical accuracy.

Sections too damaged to restore were recreated with under the guidance of highly qualified specialists to period-correct specifications by skilled artisans trained in traditional methods, utilising techniques and materials in use at the time of the house’s original construction in the mid-19th century.

Modern technological know-how was utilised, out of sight, to support and secure the structure from future weather damage.

View a video here, or for an in-depth read, see বাগবাজারে দুটি বাড়ি, ভগিনী নিবেদিতার ঐতিহ্যপূর্ণ ভবনের সংরক্ষণ, The House of Sister Nivedita - The Story of Restoration, published by Sri Sarada Math and available at Sister Nivedita Heritage Museum & Knowledge Centre.

RKSM Sister Nivedita Heritage Museum & Knowledge Centre

FUNDED BY 
MINISTRY OF CULTURE, GOVT. OF. INDIA &
TCS FOUNDATION
RKSM Nivedita Institute of Human Advancement & Research (NIHAR)

LAND PURCHASE FUNDED BY TCS FOUNDATION

RKSM Nivedita Institute of Human Advancement & Research (NIHAR)

 

NIHAR

Be free and work for the freedom of the universe

 

After returning to India in 1902, Nivedita stayed at 17 Bosepara Lane on rent and reopened the school there. As students increased, the school was shifted 16 Bosepara Lane in 1904 where it continued till 1914. The original building of no. 17 exists no more, but the site No. 17 Bosepara Lane was declared a heritage site in 2017 by the Government of West Bengal. Ramakrishna Sarada Mission has acquired one-third portion of the present building at No. 1 7and the adjacent property no. 19, Bosepara Lane with the financial support of TCS Foundation.

Objective:

“I would like much to make No. 17 a real University Settlement….”

(Letters of Sister Nivedita, Vol. I, January 20, 1903)

Keeping the above dream of Sister Nivedita in mind, RKSM wants to implement her vision of a university, by establishing Nivedita Institute for Human Advancement and Research (NIHAR) at 19, Bosepara Lane (present Ma Saradmoni Sarani), the premises adjacent to No. 17, Bosepara Lane where sister lived from 1902 - 1911.

The key contributions of Sister Nivedita to Indian Society can be summarized as follows:

  1. Her support to the cause of women's education
  2. Her work among women
  3. Her contribution in the field of national awakening
  4. Her service to the poor and the needy

Following Sister's footsteps RKSM NIHAR has identified five major areas of intervention, which are as follows:

  1. Education                               
  2. Service & Care
  3. Leadership                              
  4. Empowerment
  5. National Awakening

RKSM NIHAR has already started the groundwork to implement courses for women in line with the above-mentioned areas of intervention.

 

PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN

1.  Related to Education : Training in Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Since April 2021 NIHAR has started online interactive training program involving 45 teachers from different schools throughout India on Social-Emotional-Learning in collaboration with Labhya Foundation of New Delhi as part of their training for Happiness Facilitators at the school level. The introductory online training of 30 hours duration was followed by a 4-day onsite Workshop on designing grade-specific SEL curricular content. The video of this workshop has been made available on Youtube.

 

2. Related to Service & Care : Geriatric Facilitator Course

By keeping in mind Sister Nivedita’s respectful care-giving to Gopaler Ma in the terminal phase of her life, a 4-months course (including one-month internship) on Geriatric Facilitator has been conducted as a Pilot Project with 15 graduate women students as a CSR Initiative of eJunction.

 

3. Related to Academic Research

  1. Analysis of Footfalls in Museum
  2. Webinars to celebrate Sister’s Birthday on October 28 
  3. Celebration of Sister’s 125th year of arrival in Calcutta
  4. The Architecture Department of different universities are conducting research work on the restoration & conservation of this Heritage MuseumArt historians are coming down to collect information & artefacts on Sister Nivedita’s contribution in revival of Indian Art and establishment of Bengal School of Art
  5. Professors of Museology are selecting this unique personalia museum as one of their chosen centre to carry out comparative studies
  6. Students of different colleges & universities are carrying out projects on the organization, display and ambience of the museum
  7. On the contribution of Sister Nivedita

4. Related to Social Welfare
  1. Relief work for 221 victims of YAAS Cyclone in two remote villages of West Bengal
  2. Free Covid Vaccination Camp for 1056 beneficiaries
  3. Financial Support for the Mothers of the families of Migrant Workers and local people during pandemic etc.

An overarching view of a conceptual framework summarizing the foundational pillars or driving forces, consequent needs, and associated mission derived thereof, is shown below in the following table:


THE ACTIVITY MATRIX OF NIHAR : A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Driving Forces

(Based on key contributions  of Sister Nivedita)

Need analysis

(Based on the contemporary context)

Defining a mission

for NIHAR

Courses Designed


Her service to the poor and needy


Means of livelihood


Vocational training

Training for Happiness Facilitators at the school level

Her work among women

Specialized services for women

Support for the aged

Specialized service for the “Aging in Place”

Training for Geriatric Companionship 

Her support to the course of National education

Integrating values to

Life-skill Development

Train the Trainers program

(Teachers’ Training)

Training for Leadership in Nivedita’s way 

Her contributions to the field of National Awakening

Identifying and implementing solutions

 

Research & innovation

On-going

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The selfless man is the thunderbolt.”

– Sister Nivedita

“Let us strive only for selflessness, and we become the weapon in the hands of the gods.”

– Sister Nivedita

“In nation-making, there is but one ideal, carried out by different methods, and the interest is the common interest of self-sacrifice.”

– Sister Nivedita

“I believe that India is one, indissoluble, indivisible.”

– Sister Nivedita

“National unity is built on the common home, the common interest, and the common love.”

– Sister Nivedita

“Technical education, without higher research, is a branch without a tree, a blossom without any root.”

– Sister Nivedita

“By our own vision of the ideal, and by our own struggle to reach its height do we really rise; by no other means whatsoever.”
– Sister Nivedita

“It is not by teaching a Bengali girl French, or the piano, but by enabling her to think about India, that we really educate her.”
– Sister Nivedita

“We must surround our children with the thought of their nation and their country. The centre of gravity must lie, for them, outside the family.”
– Sister Nivedita

“The highest art is always charged with spiritual intensity, with intellectual and emotional revelation.”
– Sister Nivedita

“All that matters is our own struggle. By that do we rise.”
– Sister Nivedita

“Struggle is worship. What else does the Gita teach its people?”
– Sister Nivedita

“A man may be a fool in technical and academic knowledge and yet a sage in which he feels and desires.”
– Sister Nivedita

“Real life begins when we die to the world of the senses.”
– Sister Nivedita

“If we learn nothing else, let us learn to give, let us learn to serve, let us learn to renounce.”
– Sister Nivedita