On an autumn morning in 2016, while speaking at a science gathering at the Bose Institute in Kolkata, I found myself struck by the sheer scale of Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose’s vision. As we discussed the applications of frontier science in agriculture at the Raja Bazar campus, the institute—founded in 1917 by the great Bengali polymath—was nearing its centenary.
Sir JC Bose, renowned for his pioneering work in radio signals and the invention of the crescograph, founded this centre of interdisciplinary research on his 60th birthday.
Since that session in Kolkata, I had longed to visit a place closer to home – his ancestral abode in Rarikhal, Munshiganj — just an hour’s drive from Dhaka. It was there, in 1921, that he founded a school that has since evolved into the Sir JC Bose Institution and College.
Earlier this month, I finally made it to Rarikhal.
The Rarikhal estate, now known as the JC Bose Complex, spans nearly 30 acres of lush greenery and tranquil ponds. Yet, while the natural surroundings offer a serene escape, the state of the heritage site itself is heartbreaking.
The museum within the complex is a shadow of what it should be—a collection of shabby, derelict rooms that appear to be used for purposes entirely unrelated to science or history.
While the outdoor walkways and tree canopies are pleasant for a casual stroll, the core mission of preservation is in shambles. Visitors are restricted to a single small room containing a few photographs; the rest of the historic structures remain neglected. It is a stark indictment of the Department of Archaeology’s apathy toward one of our nation’s greatest legacies.
Interestingly, I found more solace at the adjacent Sir JC Bose Institution and College. There, the artifacts and historic records are far better maintained. I saw detailed photographs of the crescograph, that incredible device of gears and smoked glass capable of magnifying plant movement 10,000 times. It remains a powerful reminder of Bose’s genius in proving that plants respond to external stimuli like light, temperature, and chemicals, with sensitivity akin to animals.
A concrete monument stands proudly on the grounds to commemorate his contributions to radio technology and botany, but the contrast between Rarikhal and Kolkata’s Bose Institute is painful.
Had our ministries of science, education, and culture shared a unified vision, this great estate in Rarikhal could have been transformed into a modern center of excellence. Instead, it stands as a testament to missed opportunities and a legacy left largely uncared for.
