“Hari Din to Gelo Sandhya Holo”
Though it seems very familiar, many of us may not know who wrote this verse, when or how. However, let the conversation of our forgotten glorious history begin from here. Talking about Harinath Mazumdar, whom many of us may know as “Kangal Harinath” and the first printing press of Bengal established by him. The year was 1863. Even though the concept of newspaper or press had already started spreading around the world or Indian subcontinent at that time, this matter was still unknown to the common people in the province of Bengal. Harinath Mazumdar, the visionary of the future of Bengali literature and culture, set up a press machine in a small room of his own house in Kumarkhali, Kushtia district of present-day Bangladesh. Bengali’s first newspaper “Grambarta Prokashika” was started by placing letters in molds and printing them with ink. Literary writers and other personalities like Mir Musharraf Hossain were gradually involved directly and indirectly in the work of this newspaper. Under their direct supervision, the paper was published from 1863 first as a monthly, then fortnightly and finally as a weekly paper till 1879 from the printing house of Harinath Mazumdar.

View of the press house before-after

My final year thesis project in the Department of Architecture began with that lost printing press house. One of the many objectives of architectural practice is to represent the past tradition or history to the present and carry for future generations through aesthetic structures. For the thesis project, my priority was also to find out the lost past traditions with which architecture is related. Thesis supervisor Mr. Sonjit Kumar Nath, faculty of Department of Architecture, suggested to search projects of my root on such a lost tradition. It was then that Kangal Harinath and Bengal’s first printing press came up, which corresponded directly to my purpose. After researching, I realized that the first printing press of Bengal is almost a ruin today. Descendants of Harinath Mazumdar have painstakingly preserved his printing press, press machine and some manuscripts.
The real work of the project begins. How can this past be presented to the present and future? The only way to bring this past of Bengali literature to the present and future through architecture is to design a cultural center or practice center that will bring together the new and old writers. Now the question is what actually needed or will be in this cultural center? Since the history of Bengali literature is directly related to Harinath Majumdar and Grambarta Prakashika, the preservation and use of his dilapidated printing press and printing equipment is the first proposal of this design. Then designing some installations across a specific neighborhood through which the history and heritage of this printing press will reach young writers, they will find new enthusiasm and inspiration in literary practice. Among the facilities proposed are “training center” where various workshops on old and new ideas and technologies related to printing and literature can be organized; A “fair or festival venue” where literature and music festivals, writers’ gatherings, poetry festivals etc. can be organized. Multi-purpose auditorium, open stage, cafeteria etc. are also proposed in this design. The designs of the structures suggest an architectural style that makes the place spiritual and aesthetic.

Aerial view of proposed master plan

The thesis project also included new development of the river bank with the cultural center to inform the whole world about the proposed activity along the Madhumati River. Through which it will be considered as a tourist spot for domestic and foreign tourists.
Let’s end with spiritual Fakir Lalon Sai. Today many of us know only Lalon Fakir or Lalon Ankhira as Kushtia of Bangladesh. But none of us may know that Lalon’s philosophy was first written by Harinath Mazumdar, in the pages of “Grambarta Prokashika”. Lalon’s philosophy was first known to the whole India through this newspaper. While Lalon’s “Ankhra” is a thriving tourist destination, Harinath Mazumdar and his printing press are equally neglected. The “goal and destination” of my thesis project is to present this history that has sunk into the darkness of oblivion to the future through architecture.

Kaninika Tamanna is a student (Final Year) of Department of Architecture
Pabna University of Science and Technology