“I was influenced by my uncle… I used to go to my uncle’s place and was fascinated to see his library and collection of books. Then, around 1994, I was surprised to see such a huge collection of books at the Kolkata Book Fair. In 1999, I again went with my friends to the Book Fair and purchased some books. From then onwards, I started my own collection of books,” said Chatterjee, who lives in Chakdaha town, in West Bengal’s Nadia district.
His house is stacked with the thousands of books that he has collected over the years. He estimates that the collection is worth more than Rs 1.2 crore.
“Gradually, when I got into the teaching profession and started earning money, I started purchasing books in large numbers. Till now, I have collected 14,700 books and have completed reading 2,000 books. I purchased around 500-600 books this year at the book fair,” he said.
Despite facing health challenges that forced him to leave his teaching job, Chatterjee’s devotion to books remained unchanged. With the support of his father and his wife, also a book enthusiast and teacher, he continued to expand his collection.
“From 2016, the amount of money spent for books went up to Rs 2 lakh a year. This year, I had a budget of Rs 2.5 lakh, but with the help of my wife who is also a teacher and book lover, it was increased to Rs 3.36 lakh. Even my father helps me buy books. Also, I raised funds of Rs 20-35 thousand per month to buy books in the book fair,” he said.
He has a wide range of interests when it comes to books. “I love to read novels, dramas, history, encyclopaedias, various books on science, dictionaries, and books on spirituality and philosophy – my absolute favourite subject,” he said, adding that he was also interested in film and music and that he played the sitar.
Regarding his favourite writers, he said, “I am an ardent fan and avid reader of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, James Joyce, Rabindranath Tagore, William Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and others.”
Chatterjee has two homes in Nadia – one in Ranaghat and one in Chakdaha. Both are veritable fortresses of literature, with books occupying every nook and corner.
This month, he plans to unveil his library, “Boi Mahal”, in Nadia to share his treasure trove with the community. He has meticulously planned the layout of this two-storey set-up, which Chatterjee said “will be a sanctuary for book lovers”.
(*The writer is an intern at the Kolkata Regional Office)