What makes it a must to visit the Netaji Birth Place Museum in Odisha’s Cuttack

Right at the heart of Cuttack (Odisha) on Jail Road in Darga Bazar area stands a towering gateway topped with figures of marching army complete with statues of armed men with bayonet-mounted guns and a cannon. The meandering road from the gate leads to the house which was the birth place of one of India’s greatest freedom fighters: Subhas Chandra Bose, popularly known as Netaji.

Janakinath Bhavan

Subhas Chandra Bose was born in Janakinath Bhavan on January 23, 1897. His father was Janakinath Bose, a prominent lawyer and mother Prabhabati Bose, a homemaker and a spiritual lady. Subhas spent his early years in this house with a large family of eight brothers and six sisters.

He studied at Ravenshaw College and cleared his entrance examination in 1913. Thereafter, he left for Calcutta (Kolkata) for higher studies. In 2007, the government of Odisha transformed this historic house into a museum to preserve and celebrate the legacy of Netaji. The museum came to be known as the Netaji Birth Place Museum.

Approach to the museum

Jail Road provides access to the museum. The giant gate topped with statues of Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army (INA) soldiers leads visitors towards the museum via a meandering road. On the right side of the road are several graffiti depicting the life of Netaji. They cover a large range of topics ranging from the ‘great escape’ to the marching of INA.

The meandering road finally leads to the entrance gate where a bi-lingual (English and Odia) sign welcomes visitors to the Netaji Birth Place Museum. Apart from the main entrance there is another small entrance topped with an equestrian statue of Netaji.

Museum complex

Right on the left of the main gate stands the stable of Bose family. Once the stable housed the horses of the Bose family along with luxurious horse carriages. Today, one of the vintage carriages has been restored to its former glory. It is fitted with the model of a horse and displayed in front of the stable. The stable also displays a model horse. A saddle, stirrup and other riding accessories are also on display.

In front of the entrance is a bust of Subhas Bose topped with an umbrella. A twin flight of stairs leads to the statue and is used for garlanding the statue on January 23, the birth anniversary of Subhas Bose. To the left of the statue is a small temple built in Odia style. The temple dates back to 1887 and was built by Janakinath Bose, father of Subhas Bose.

Museum and galleries

A graffiti-lined pathway leads to the interiors of the building housing the museum. The two storeyed-building houses a total of 12 galleries with four on the ground floor and eight on the first floor. The ground floor galleries comprise:-

1. Study room

2. Early life

3. Prison life

4. Political life

First floor galleries include:

1. National Bank of Azad Hind

2. Indian National Army (INA)

3. Provincial Government of Azad Hind

4. Azad Hind Radio

5. Birth room of Netaji

6. Spiritual life

7. Family life

8. Netaji Subhas and Odisha

Each of the galleries comes in with a series of displays consisting of photographs and documents. Bank notes and stamps from Provincial Government of Azad Hind are on display. The birth room displays the bed on which Subhas Bose was born along with some old photographs. The family life gallery mentions about Subhas Bose’s marriage with Mill Emilie Schenkl and their daughter Anita. Spiritual gallery connects Subhas Bose with the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Sri Aurobindo and the Bhagavad Gita. The display also comprises a series of letters written by Bose from across the world.

Quick info

· Open: Open all days except Mondays and government holidays

· Timings: 10am – 5pm (lunch break: 1.30 pm – 2pm)

· Tickets: Indians Rs 10 and foreigners Rs 200

· Photography: Allowed inside the complex but not within the museum