KMC initiates heritage status listing for house where India’s first widow remarriage took place in 1856

Kolkata Municipal Corporation has initiated the process to include the house at 48 Kailash Bose Street in the city’s heritage list. This property is historically significant as the site where India’s first widow remarriage was solemnized on December 7, 1856. The marriage was officiated by social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the home of his friend Rajkrishna Banerjee.

The widow remarriage took place shortly after the Widow Remarriage Act was passed on July 26, 1856, during British rule in India. Vidyasagar’s efforts were instrumental in the enactment of this law, which legally allowed widows to remarry. The address of the house at the time was recorded as 12 Sukesh Street, which was later renumbered as 48 and 48A Kailash Bose Street.

Currently, the house stands in a largely abandoned condition, with no permanent residents. The property is maintained by a small team including a maid, a priest, and a private security guard. The owner of the house resides outside Kolkata. Despite its state, the house remains an important physical link to the social reforms of the 19th century.

Swapnan Samaddar, a member of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s Mayor-in-Council (Heritage), conducted research that brought the house’s historical importance to light. Following this, the municipal authorities decided to move forward with protecting the property under the heritage conservation program to honor the city’s cultural and historical legacy.

A municipal official stated, “The municipal officials were not aware that such a traditional and historically significant house existed in Kolkata.” The heritage listing would enable access to government funds for the maintenance and preservation of the house, ensuring it is protected for future generations.