Museum of Word, Kolkata

Kolkata’s Belvedere House has held the National Library for decades. Now, inside the same building, it holds a museum built entirely around a single subject: the word itself.

Timeline

• 1836: The Calcutta Public Library is founded, with 4,675 volumes transferred from Fort William College.
• 1891–1903: Several Secretariat libraries merge to form the Imperial Library, which opens to the public in 1903 at Metcalf Hall.
• 1948: The Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act renames it the National Library, and its collection moves to the Belvedere Estate.
• 1 February 1953: The National Library opens to the public at Belvedere House, inaugurated by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• 19 July 2026: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates the Museum of Word’s first phase, inside the same building.

Must Know

• The Museum of Word is located inside Belvedere House, Kolkata, home of the National Library.
• It was developed by the National Library, under the Union Culture Ministry.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated its first phase on 19 July 2026.
• The museum celebrates India’s linguistic heritage, tracing its oral and written traditions through interactive, technology-driven exhibits.
• It covers the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Good to Know

• The museum’s first phase has nine galleries. These cover the origin of words, mother tongues, the evolution of languages, oral traditions, performing arts, and language pioneers.
• Other galleries in the first phase cover public dialogue, and the history of public libraries.
• The exhibits trace language’s journey from oral traditions and ancient manuscripts to printed works and modern electronic texts.
• West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attended the inauguration, alongside senior Union and State officials.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. The Museum of Word, whose first phase was inaugurated on 19 July 2026, is located inside which building?

Writers’ Building, Kolkata

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata

Indian Museum, Kolkata

Belvedere House, Kolkata

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Great to Know

• The museum’s Eighth Schedule focus connects to Polity0061 — Official Language of the Union, which covers the constitutional list of recognised languages this museum celebrates.
• Placing a language museum inside a library, rather than a stand-alone building, is a deliberate choice. It treats the written record itself as the exhibit, not just a backdrop to it.