Kolkata gets its own wax museum

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday is dedicating the museum to the people of Kolkata at the inaugural function of the 20th Kolkata International Film Festival at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in the presence of luminaries from the world of films and other walks of life.

The MOTHER’S WAX MUSEUM at Rajarhat New Town, like its well-known counterpart Madam Tussaud’s abroad, features life-like wax figures of icons and celebrities. They have been sculpted by Susanta Roy, a veteran wax sculptor based in Bardhaman.

“The Mother’s Wax Museum pays homage to the towering talents of the country. It will be a special attraction for both tourists and citizens of Kolkata and will go a long way in developing Rajarhat New Town as a holistic destination for both work and leisure,” said the Chief Minister.

The museum, which has been developed by WBHIDCO, occupies the sixth floor of the New Town Financial Hub at Rajarhat, opposite the sprawling EcoTourism Park. It currently features 19 statues of personalities ranging from film stars such as Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan to national icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, and sports icons like Saurav Ganguly and Kapil Dev.

Visitors will be able to hear the narrations recounting the achievements of each icon whose statue is exhibited along with props to create the appropriate ambiance . Visitors are offered numerous opportunities to have their pictures snapped along with their favourite icons or in specially constructed photo booths that evoke different facets of the city.

There is also a large cafeteria adjoining the museum where visitors can have a sip and bite while admiring the wide, panoramic view of the Eco Tourism Park that lies directly in front.