Damage fear over Rabindranath Tagore's 176 paintings at Viswa Bharati University

More than 150 paintings by Rabindranath Tagore are feared damaged due to lack of preservation, as they have been lying on the floor of the Viswa Bharati University for the past three years, reports Kolkata's 'The Telegraph'.

The 176 paintings had been taken by the Union Indian ministry of Culture for exhibitions as a part of Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebrations in 2011.

The Centre returned the paintings to the Vishwa Bharati University in 2013, but the frames put on them are yet to be removed, 'The Telegraph' report said.

The teachers’ association of the university has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the officiating Vice- chancellor seeking better care of the paintings.

A curator formally associated with the university said such old paintings should be kept in controlled conditions, with heat not exceeding 18 to 20 degree Celsius and humidity count between 55 to 60 percent.

He said they should be covered in envelopes made of acid free paper. But he was not willing to be named.

Painter Jogen Choudhury also said that such old paintings should be handled with utmost care and well preserved.

However, Tapati Mukhopadhay, director of Rabindra Bhavana refuted the allegations and maintained that the paintings are kept in proper temperature and humidity.

She ruled out the possibility of damage since they were kept in frames.

"The frames were not taken off because we planned a exhibition on his death anniversary this year, Once taken out it is difficult to put them back," she said.