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A musical laser fountain blooms in full glory at Jubilee Park immediately after Tata Sons director Ishaat Hussain presses the magic button (below), switching on thousands of fairy lights across several parks to launch Founder’s Day celebrations in Jamshedpur on Saturday. Picture by Bhola Prasad
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Jamshedpur, March 2: Unlike in earlier years, a magic button today brought alive not only Jubilee Park and Dorabji Park, but thousands of fairy lights also twinkled in memory of Jamshetji Nusserwanji Tata at Bhetya Park in Kadma and Nildih Park near Telco.
Tata Sons director Ishaat Hussain switched on the illuminations this evening, a day before the legendary founder’s 174th birth anniversary celebrations. “The illuminations are getting beautiful with each year and it is nice to see people awaiting eagerly to take part in the celebrations,” Hussain said.
Tomorrow, the main function will take place inside Tata Steel works where all group companies will pay homage to the founder by assembling near his statue at the main gate.
Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry and his predecessor (chairman emeritus), Ratan Tata, who arrived in the city this evening, will join the others in paying homage to the founders inside the works and also watch the founder’s day pageant near Bistupur Postal Park.
Jusco, Tata Steel’s wholly owned subsidiary which is also a household name across Jamshedpur, set the stage for the founder’s day carnival mood by using LED streamers to light up the four key roads that lead to Jubiliee Park: Inner Circle Road, Office Road, Straight Mile Road and Pipeline Road.
As in the last 32 years, the illuminations, a favourite part of the multi-faceted annual celebrations, have been designed and executed by more than 250 craftsmen from Chandernagore, Bengal.
The lights will be on till March 5. The hours have also been extended — from 11 pm to 2 am on March 3 and March 5 for visitors using two and four wheelers.
This year, the lights focus on events and awards received by Tata Steel — like PM Trophy for India’s best integrated steel plant, Deming Grand Prize from Japan, acknowledgments for Tata Steel, Europe, and Natsteel for various programmes, unveiling of HR product Tata Astrum and Assocham CSR Excellence Award 2012-13.
More than 150 working models made from LED lights are also on display. The Eiffel Tower, made with LED illumination, was a major draw at Jayanti Sarovar along with the dynamic laser fountain with 18 myriad formats installed last year at the Jubilee Park.
A special exhibition based on the theme, Inspiring a Legacy, was also inaugurated today by LIC chairman D. K Mehrotra near Children’s Corner of the Jubilee Park.
The exhibition showcased contributions of five Tata Steel chairmen, namely, Dorabji Tata (1907-1932), Nawroji Saklatwala, JRD Tata, Russi Modi and Ratan Tata.
Mehrotra who started his career as divisional manager of LIC, Jamshedpur, in 1978 said the city’s growth had never seized to amaze him.
“The city’s growth is symbolic of the growth of Tata Steel in the last few decades. It is a privilege to watch the grand illuminations by a group which has played a pivotal role in the economic development of the country,” he told The Telegraph.
Among those who were present during today’s inauguration were Tata Steel vice-chairman B Muthuraman, Tata Steel, Europe, CEO Karl Ulrich Kohler and Tata Workers’ Union president P.N. Singh.
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