Sthan Kal Patra

Ordinary people would not recognize the name but in the world of antique books, not only in Bengal but throughout India and the World, collectors would recognize him immediately by the name Kumar. He lived in Lower Circular Road, opposite St. James’s Church, known as ‘Jora Girja’.

Here in his living room was his Library of antique and rare books. Rare books were stacked from floor to ceiling, bound in Vellum and Morocco, Gilt Edged from 300 to 100 years old in all sizes, pocket book to elephantine folio. Kumar used to collect these books not only from all over India but from abroad as they came up in auction and his agents were directed to bid for books specifically on India on all subjects. What a splendid world of books divine.

In the 50s the bookshop Cambray & Sons who used to provide rare books to Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee had long changed its course to trading in Law Books. Thacker & Spink was also on its way out. It is Kumar who held the fort to provide rare and antique books to the intelligentsia of the town.

It was not a bookshop in the true sense of the term. Kumar housed his books in his library which was in his living room and catered to only a handful of people who formed a close circle. And that too if he wished, otherwise books were lend for reading or you could spend your time at his residence going through different volumes of rare books from his collection. Here in his living room was his collection much like a well-appointed library, with books lined in shelves on all sides. In the centre of the room was a large divan and on the sides chairs and tables. In one of these chairs Kumar sat, mostly wearing a half shirt with lungi smoking a pipe or a cigar, like Lord Shiva overlooking Mount Kailash, calm and serene.

When Satyajit Ray, the famous filmmaker, started his research on the mutiny for his film Satranj ki Khilari (The Chess Player), he depended on Kumar for rare books on the subject. Kumar not only provided him all the relevant books, but also went out of his way to bid for a Scrap Book, in a London Auction, on Mutiny, having paper clippings and notes on the historic happening. Ray did not forget this gesture and also the fact that Kumar had always helped him with innumerable information and facts, leave aside the many antique props for his sets and paid him his biggest personal tribute. He based one of his characters in his story book series on Feluda, the detective etched on Kumar. Sidhu Jyatha (Sidhu Uncle) in the Feluda series, with an encyclopaedic knowledge immortalizes Kumar, who had a vast knowledge on many subjects.

I cannot describe all the books here. It was like acres and acres of Vellum and Morocco bound books of all sized from Duodecimo to Elephantine. Books on all subjects from 16th to 17th. Century lined in the wall. All in Good Condition, bound immaculately with the names embossed in gold. It is here that I first saw the Elephantine 3 Volume work of Thomas & William Daniell’s Oriental Scenery comprising of 144 Coloured Engravings which only last September sold at Sotheby’s auction at 1 Lakh Rupees.

There was no greater authority on antiquarian books then Kumar. It was his heart-throb and he thought and felt books throughout the day. Kumar was often compared with Jorge Luis Borges for his obsession with books. Kumar ‘used to be so engrossed in his books that once whilst I was in Kumar’s place, I asked somebody; the many ways Hoogly could be spelt. I was surprised at the response from Kumar, who reeled out the names – O’Malley, Potter and Laurie -all names of authors of books on the river Hoogly. Kumar was like Borges .He lived in a world of books and everything revolved around it.

Soon thereafter few books started to arrive from abroad. One day I asked Kumar for the reason. He told me that the primary reason is the rise of study of Indology in American Universities. Most universities started building their collection on India and they grabbed books from foreign auction and Indian bookstores. Take for example Texas University buying the 3 Volumes, printed in 1828 of Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces of India by Reginald Heber. The other is the Library of British people who had an interest in India and their collection being put up for sale. Catalogues used to be prepared and send to us moths in advance for us to buy direct or bid in auction through agents. These are dwindling. Kumar never made profit out of the books that he gave us and always encouraged me to collect books. If I would have listened, even a little I would have had a huge collection of books on Anglo Indian much or maybe slightly smaller than that of Ashutosh Mukherjee.

Nirmal Chandra Kumar's character was as nearly perfect as it is possible for the character of mortal man to be... bent over books and pouring over maps with his pipe hanging. The example of his life was of more value to posterity after he died. The genius for humour and wit and satire of Voltaire, a wide amplitude of imagination, and a greatness of heart and brain that placed him upon an equal footing with the greatest thinkers of antiquity.

Kumar was a blueblood lineage from Zamindar family. He was a connoisseur of food and all those who joined the evening ‘adda’ at his library discussing books over a puff of cigarette will remember the delicacies served. He offered a feast whenever we visited, fit to be served to a king, and I am reminded of Bankim Chatterjee’s Eshwar Gupta.

When Kumar died I felt the loss of my own family member. Truly an original character lost from our city.