The aviary that presently houses the management institute. (Pranab Kr Biswas)

Ornithologist Satya Churn Law’s aviary at Agarpara in a garden covering 30 bigha where precious trees still grow has recently been turned into the Vivekananda College of Empowerment, Centre for Management Studies, while keeping intact the beautiful building. It has a covered area of 16,000 sq ft amidst it, including a large water body and contiguous buildings. The building and the grounds were acquired for Rs 3.65 crore in March 2003 by the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission of Barrackpore.

The admission process is on and classes will begin from next month, says S. Ramakrishna Iyengar, CEO of the centre.

Satya Churn Law’s aviary, which houses the centre, has been wonderfully restored. It was built on Barrackpore Trunk Road in 1927-28. The pergolas for the birds were reminiscent of the enclosures Wajid Ali Shah had built in Metiabruz for his zoo. The exotic trees and plants Law had planted still luxuriate in the grounds. Many of the birds were caught in the Himalayas. Law lived in Kailash Bose Street.

Law died in 1983 and a year before his death vandals had removed the meshing from the cages, stripped the floors of marble and had wreaked havoc in the garden.

Both the garden and the building were under lock and key for nearly two decades, and the manicured lawns where Law invited dignitaries and the likes of C.V. Raman, Jagadish Chandra Bose and P.C. Ray, were covered in knee-deep weeds. Huge trees had grown on the roof of the building. Their roots had engulfed the interiors.

Now all the filth and parasites have been removed and the large red building with cream highlights and two wings looks smart. It is a structure with many angularities blended harmoniously. It has a puja room on the gleaming marble-floored first floor, and some large classrooms are ready. The stained glass roof of the atrium above the staircase stands revealed, although its top must be encrusted with dust. Had it been clean the sunlight would have shone through it and lit the staircase. It has a delicate floral motif but it needs a stained glass expert to clean it properly and keep the ornamentation intact.

Adjacent to it is another smaller building that will be used as the girls’ hostel. Behind it is a large tank with a bridge across it that leads to a larger hostel for boys. The bridge has a pavilion with a domed roof in the centre. All the structures were already there. They only needed some cleaning up.