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Kanke Dam in Ranchi on Tuesday. (Prashant Mitra)
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Those who have seen Delhi Tourism’s spectacular son et lumiere at the Red Fort can look forward to similar sound and light shows in Ranchi and Deoghar, courtesy state tourism department.
By August 2013, the state hopes to bring to life tribal uprisings, flora and fauna, culture and folk dances through stunning sound and light shows in two of Jharkhand’s top tourist draws — Ranchi’s Kanke dam and Deoghar’s Shilpgram, just 3km from the Baidyanath temple.
State tourism department, which conceptualised the plan and venues and is willing to spend Rs 4.75 crore for each of the centres, wants the sound and light shows to be as haunting as in the Red Fort, which brings alive 5,000 years of history in 62 minutes. That’s why it will rope in Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) to flesh out creative and technical details.
A tender inviting bidders to execute the Deoghar project was floated in April. Bids will be opened at Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi, next month. The department plans to float the tender for the Kanke dam centre soon.
State tourism director Siddharth Tripathy sounded upbeat about the success of the venture to draw the crowds in.
“The spectacular sound and light shows will present tribal uprisings led by well-known tribal freedom fighters like Birsa Munda, Sidho and Kanhu with special effects. We will also hold shows on Baba Vishwanath, Lord Shiva at Shilpgram in Deoghar,” he added.
The state has undoubtedly chosen its venues well. Kanke dam is a favourite with generations of picnickers, while Deoghar is a sought-after pilgrim spot for lakhs.
“At both places, we will showcase our rich tribal heritage that is visually spectacular. Apart from focusing on Lord Shiva, we will include other important historical episodes that will appeal et al. A team from Ashoka Creative, which is a business unit of ITDC, will visit Shilpgram to start their work,” the director said, adding that they would try to wrap up the centres within one year.
The tourism department has other aces up its sleeves.
“We want light and sound shows at the old Birsa Munda jail and Tagore Hill, both with historical atmosphere that will add to the charm. There are many ideas that we want to implement, but gradually. First, we are looking at these two projects at Shilpgram and Kanke dam,” he added.
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