History

Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi, under the aegis of Department of Information and Cultural Affairs was set up in the year 1986 for the all round development of Bengali language and literature for fostering Cultural development in the state.

In the year 1991 on 31st. March foundation stone was laid for the four storied building in which it is housed now at Rabindrasadan- Nandan complex, the cultural heart centre of Kolkata. On 20th December 1993 the present building was inaugurated by eminent writer Annada Sankar Ray, the founder president of Akademi who served the institution until his demise in the year 2003.

Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi possess a Library with nearly 30 thousands books both in Bengali and English on language, literature and culture, an archive treasuring priceless manuscripts, audio- visual recordings, photographs and documents of historical importance. Moreover Akademi possess two auditoria ---- Akademi Sabhaghar and Jibananda Sabhaghar at main building and a third at Rabindra-Okakura Bhavana.

On the 8th of December 1994, the Akademi was rendered with Autonomous status under the Registration of Societies Act of the Government of West Bengal.

Rabindra-Okakura Bhavana

West Bengal shares a century-old cultural friendship with Japan, which was initiated and furthered by illustrious thinkers and activists like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita, Okakura Tenshin and Subhashchandra Bose. With a mission to strengthen this invaluable connection Rabindra-Okakura was set up at Salt-Lake, Kolkata. This second centre of Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi was inaugurated by Mr. Shinjo Abe the then Prime Minister of Japan. After thorough renovation and major reconstruction works this centre got a rebirth, so to say, and with an Art Gallery added to it was formally inaugurated on 14 December 2016 by Honourable Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.