Kolkata :
Tuesday marked the end of a 15-year wait for all those who have a part of Alliance Francaise du Bengale. So as bottles of St Emilion 2011 were being uncorked atop the grand-old Park Mansion, a lot was being toasted for. It was a homecoming that arrived late, but each moment of wait has bolstered Kolkata’s French connection that has been going strong for the last 75 years.
Alliance Francaise lost its home of 60 years in a devastating fire in 1999. “Park Mansion not only used to be the hub of the French delegates in Kolkata post Independence, but it was also one of our treasured structures that fell prey to the April 1999 fire. It’s as if the building and its treasures like the Alliance Francaise has risen from the ashes,” gushed G M Kapoor, founder of Intach.
The inauguration brought together several of the city’s elite for whom it was much more than a soiree. For Nitin Kothari, one of the oldest tenants of Park Mansion and owner of Peter Cat and Mocambo, it was a momentous occasion. “It’s Alliance Francaise arrival and also the first party on our terrace,” said Kothari, pointing at the majestic dome that’s unique to the Park Mansion, which was developed by Armenian jute merchant T M Thaddeus in 1910 in a style that’s a blend of the Victorian and the Indo-Saracenic.
For Alliance Francaise director Stephan Amalir, it was a proud moment: “Being the prime organizer of the event, I have so many things to worry about, but I can’t let go of the feeling of euphoria that comes along with the shifting,” he said.
The honours were done by Francois Richier, ambassador of France in India, who came to confer the title of “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” (Knighthood of the Order of Arts and Letters) to three Kolkatans for contributions to arts.
Alliance Francaise doesn’t look the same though as Amalir has risen new-age needs while keeping alive the old-world charm. Fire-proofing gadgets and new cabling system have been installed. There is an e-library (Culturetheque) for GenY.
AFB had been operating out of Khaleel Munzil and Bimal Villa on West Range, a few buildings behind it. The institute is retaining Bimal Villa but the library and the administrative offices have shifted to Park Mansion in its much smaller space (3,500 sq ft as opposed to the earlier 10,000 sq ft covering two apartments on the first and the third floor). The apartment is on a 10-year lease.
“The 1999 fire was a catastrophe, but today we proved that it did not deter us from reclaiming our old home,” said Gargi Bannerjee, Alliance Francaise president.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / TNN / December 16th, 2014