The Odisha government will restore and convert Pather Puri, the ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in Puri, into a museum showcasing his life and works.

The state government has roped in Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to execute the project.

The two-storey palatial structure, over a century old, was built by the Tagore family and later served as a hostel for students of Puri’s Samanta Chandra Sekhar (SCS) College in 1945 before falling into disrepair.

Located on Chakratirtha Road, the building is now under the college’s supervision.

An announcement to convert this building to a museum was made by Odia language, literature and culture minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Wednesday.

Sources said the state government plans to spend around ₹15 crore on the project.

Mallika Mitra, director of INTACH Odisha Art Conservation Centre, told The Telegraph: “The building is synonymous with Rabindranath Tagore, who often stayed here during his visits to the state. His last visit was in April 1939. Tagore had penned at least three poems — Pravasi, Janmadin and Epare Opare — during his stay here in April–May 1939. Tagore came as a state guest, an honour that had been extended to him by Bishwanath Das, then Prime Minister of Orissa province of British India. During his last visit, Tagore decided to donate the property to the government.”

Built in Bengali zamindar-style architecture, the 24,500-sq-ft structure on a two-acre campus features arches, louvred doors, corbelled parapets and semi-circular corridors, Mitra said.

Decades of neglect and cyclone damage have left Pather Puri severely dilapidated, with damaged walls, ceilings, floors and wooden rafters, Mitra said.

A bust of Tagore outside the building.

As per INTACH’s plan, the building will undergo architectural restoration, with later additions removed to preserve its original character.

Mitra said: “We will also go for adaptive reuse of the restored building in the form of a memorial to preserve Tagore’s legacy and his contribution to SCS College, Puri...”

“The ground floor will be converted into a museum. The first floor will house an art library, reading room and learning centre on Odisha’s culture and Tagore. Digital and 3D displays, aesthetic landscaping and illumination are also planned by INTACH to enhance the visitor experience,” she added.

Hector Mishra, chief of the Voice of Common Man, a social organisation, welcomed the move but urged the government to set a clear timeline for completion.

“Several documents and writings by Rabindranath Tagore are still preserved in the building... A portion of his celebrated work Gitanjali was also written in this house,” he said.

The building suffered a huge damage in cyclone Fani that hit Puri in 2019, Mishra said.