Literacy House in Lucknow to be tourist destination with a museum
U.S. citizen Welthy Honsinger Fisher had set up the India Literacy Board or Literacy House in Lucknow in 1956 with a mission to end illiteracy and enlighten the society with its motto: “It is better to light a lamp than to curse the darkness.”
The India Literacy Board proposes to set up a Literacy Museum at its premises, popularly known as Literacy House, in Lucknow.
The board has also requested the state tourism department to declare the campus as a destination for literacy tourism to attract national and international visitors.
“We have requested the state tourism department to declare the India Literacy Board, Literacy House, as a destination for literary tourism. A literacy museum will be set up there to exhibit the development of the Literacy Programme in India over the years,” India Literacy Board chairman Sanjay Bhoosreddy said on Saturday.
Exhibiting how pictorial books, puppets and other tools were used to educate people in the past, the museum will come up at a cost of ₹8 crore and will be based on the design of noted architect Laurie Baker, Bhoosreddy added.
The foundation stone of the museum is likely to be laid later this month and the project is expected to be complete in the next one year, he said.
U.S. citizen Welthy Honsinger Fisher had set up the India Literacy Board or Literacy House in Lucknow in 1956 with a mission to end illiteracy and enlighten the society with its motto: “It is better to light a lamp than to curse the darkness.” Situated on Kanpur Road here, the Literacy House was designed like an Indian village by Laurie Baker and consists of a cluster of simple yet innovative brick buildings.
“Fisher’s unwavering commitment to empower minds through literacy has played an instrumental role in bringing this museum to fruition, making it a beacon of knowledge and inspiration for generations to come,” Bhoosreddy said.
An institution of international repute, the India Literacy Board is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
It comprises eminent educationists, social workers and representatives of the central government.
Bhoosreddy, who assumed charge as the honorary chairman of the Literacy Board in November 2022, said Fisher had met Mahatma Gandhi on December 15, 1947, and he exhorted her to serve the people in villages in India.
She initially worked at Naini, Prayagraj (then known as Allahabad) in 1953 and shifted to Lucknow after three years on invitation from the then Uttar Pradesh governor KM Munshi. Fisher and India Literacy Board have won national and international awards that include the Watumull Memorial Award in 1962, the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1964 and the Jawahar Lal Nehru Award for Adult Literacy in 1968 and special award of the U.S. government on the International Literacy Day on September 8, 1978.
He said a 30 paisa postage stamp was also commemorated by the Union government’s department of posts on Welthy Fisher in 1980.
India Literacy Mission director Sandhya Tiwari said the Literacy House has a library with over 50,000 books. A state resource centre set up there organises training for functionaries of Saakshar Bharat programme.