Lights at the central stupa of Buddha Smriti Park. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Those who haven’t watched the “blue artwork” of Sanjay Leela Bhansali called Saawariya can get a feel of the exquisite backdrop of the film at Buddha Smriti Park in Patna.

Bihar Urban Infrastructure Corporation (BUIDCo) has planned to paint the park blue, literally, with lights and other decorations. The corporation will use tens of thousands of blue LED lights, tube lights and metal lights to decorate the 22-acre premises for the three-day-long Bihar Divas celebrations from March 22.

“BUIDCo intends to project the Buddha Smriti Park as one of the major attractions in Patna during the centenary celebrations. We intend to use tube lights, metal lights, festoon lights and chandeliers to decorate the various structures including the central stupa, the meditation hall, the museum and the other blocks on the shrine premises. The corporation would select a firm for putting up these decorative lights within a couple of days,” said an official of the corporation.

The move to put up blue lights at the Buddha Smriti Park is in tune with the earlier resolution of state tourism department of illuminating all prominent buildings — government and commercial — with uniform lights in the evenings during the three-day celebrations.

Blue lighting apart, another major attraction at the Buddha Smriti Park would be the reopening of 200ft-high central stupa called Patli-putra Karuna Stupa after four months.

The central stupa, undergoing repair work for seepage, was scheduled to open for public on March 1. BUIDCo, however, deferred the plan to complete all the repair work before the Bihar Divas celebrations.

“All works with regard to repair of the dome of the central stupa have been completed and the corporation is now in the process of procuring several shoe racks, where visitors can leave their footwear before entering the stupa. The shrine, in all likelihood, would be opened to visitors by March 22, the eve of Bihar Divas fest,” said the BUIDCo officer.

Meanwhile, BUDICo is also taking several measures for branding and value addition to the iconic park. Feedback ventures have been appointed for branding and promotion of the shrine. Plans for light and sound shows, and putting small Buddha stupas on the granite blocks inside the park are also afoot.