A kaleidoscopic trial run of the fountains at Jubilee Park on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

After a six-year pause, the legendary coloured fountains of Jamshedpur’s Jubilee Park will spring to life in bigger, better and musical avatars this Founder’s Day on March 3, the birth anniversary of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata.

Jusco, a Tata Steel subsidiary, has teamed up with New Delhi’s specialist firm Ripple Fountains to install over 100 fountains, starting from the Founder’s statue and fanning out to the rose garden. With a budget of Rs 3 crore, work is on in full swing now to meet the deadline. The Delhi firm has also initiated trial run of the fountains.

“Tentatively, the fountains will be thrown open to the public during the Founder’s Day function,” said Jusco spokesperson Rajesh Rajan.

“The fountains will boast multiple formations, giving a laser-beam effect, accompanied by music. Earlier, fountains only had coloured lights. There was no music,” said B.N. Mohanty, head of horticulture services, Jusco, who is supervising the project.

The earlier fountains were installed in the 1950s. “We are redesigning the fountains for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they were put up in 1957, and the technology used over half a century ago can’t keep on working. And two, we wanted to give visitors the lavish visual experience of modern fountains,” he said.

Besides their stunning looks, the fountains will also have an eco-friendly heart.

“The fountains will be environment friendly, unlike the previous ones. Those had static jets, while individual motors will operate the new fountains. Workstations are being set up to operate them. Recycling the jets and cascades of water will be a priority,” said Mohanty.

The fountains will have hedges to serve as a green — not to say picturesque — barrier against mishaps. Tiles will also be laid.

Visitors may also be able to enjoy the sight every evening. Previously, the fountains were operated on Saturdays and Tuesdays. In their new avatar, they are likely to be operational for one or two hours every evening. However, a final decision in this regard is yet to be taken jointly by Jusco and Tata Steel.

The sprawling Jubilee Park, spread over 230 acres was Tata Steel’s golden jubilee gift to the industrial city, a ‘green lung’ inspired by the Vrindavan Gardens in Mysore. It was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

In winters, apart from picnickers from Jamshedpur and nearby areas, tourists from Bengal also flock to the park. An important landmark in the heart of the city, it boasts a lake, a rose garden, a zoo, a children’s corner and well-maintained lawns and trees.

At times, it also raises the eyebrows of the moral brigade for being a favourite haunt of couples.