History of the sbbla
Historical Foundations
In 1925, Rai Bahadur Prabhat Chandra Bose founded the Siddhi Bala Bose Library in honor of his wife, Siddhi Bala Bose, to promote Bengali culture, language, and literature. A modest tiled-roof structure in the Marhatal area of Jabalpur was allocated for this purpose. Shortly after, the Jabalpur Bengali Library (established in 1903) merged with this institution.
Key contributions included the construction of:
Kiranshashi Kala Bhawan by AmbikaCharan Dey in memory of his wife.
Mokshada Devi Bangla Primary School (1931), established by Manoranjan and Jatindranath Chatterjee, later evolving into Mokshada Devi Bengali Higher Secondary School.
Prominent figures like Tulsidas Banerjee and Jagdeesh Chandra Chatterjee contributed to the development of cultural spaces such as the Tarangini Puja Mandap and the TulsiNatyaManch. These institutions unified under the umbrella of SBBLA, which became central to the Bengali community’s social and cultural life.
Today, SBBLA serves as a vital cultural hub, preserving Bengali traditions and promoting communal harmony. From its historic foundation in 1925 to its modern developments, the association remains a testimony to the enduring spirit of Bengali culture in Jabalpur, creating a legacy that inspires future generations.
Major Contributions and Renovations
SBBLA has consistently evolved with significant infrastructure and cultural contributions:
1965: Construction of a guesthouse.
1972: Establishment of the Khirodamoyi Kali Mandir, further expanded in 2014 to resemble Kolkata’s Dakshineswar Temple.
2008: Installation of Swami Vivekananda’s statue.
2009: Renovation of the Durga Puja Mandap and addition of a cultural stage.
2014: Renovation of Kali Mandir as a replica of Kolkata’s Dakshineshwar Kali Temple.
2021: Celebration of the Kali Mandir Golden Jubilee, marked by the addition of a Silver Padma aasan, silver JabaCharan, and other Silver decorations.
2022-2024: Development of the Jagannath Temple, creation of “MausiKaGhar,” and the construction of the Barat Memorial Community Hall, funded by donors like Subrat Paul Family, Debnath Family (Agra), Amit Ranjan Deb &Santosh Barat (USA).
