Heard about the happening phenomenon at Rajasthan's Hawa Mahal? Taken pride in India's incredible history at Delhi's Red Fort? Soaked in spiritual fervour at Deoghar's Babadham?
Come June, Ranchi's Rock Garden will match the wavelength of these historical places with its very own son et lumière show; a show that will dramatise the history of Jharkhand through waltzing beams of light and sound waves.
"The hills near Kanke Dam are one of the most tranquil places in the state capital. We had always wanted to do something special at Rock Garden. Finally, the ITDC (Indian Tourism Development Corporation) is giving the green lung a Rs 2.5-crore makeover complete with a light-and-sound show," said tourism secretary Avinash Kumar.
Kumar maintained that the breathtaking natural beauty of Rock Garden made it a perfect place to project the synchronised special effects and the ITDC had roped in Delhi-based son et lumière expert Tricolour India Private Limited to execute the project.
A well-placed source in ITDC said that Tricolour had been selected late last year and the work at Rock Garden had begun early last month. "Currently, a team from the agency is installing equipment for the light-and-sound show. The specialists have been deputed in Ranchi for three months. They started work in early March and we expect a test run by the end of May," the source said, unwilling to be quoted.
The Tricolour team was reluctant to share details on the project as yet. "We will comment once the show reaches launch stage," said one of the supervisors.
Crowd-sourcing reveals that the invention of the concept is credited to Paul Robert-Houdin, who was the curator of the Chateau de Chambord in France, which hosted the world's first son et lumière in 1952. The second event was perhaps performed in the early 1960s at the site of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
This night-time medium naturally lends itself to ecclesiastical buildings, stately homes and ruins and has rapidly become very popular in France where about 50 annual productions take place.
The format usually involves no active participation by actors but a recorded narrative of the history of the building concerned by one or a cast of voices. To this is added music or sound effects, all of which is synchronised to lighting and/or projection effects that provide the visual dimension. Pyrotechnic effects are occasionally included for added spectacle.
A relatively recent variation is that, rather than the music and narration coming through a concert-like sound system, they may use headsets, such as in Philadelphia. This allows the audience to move through a historical district as the show proceeds.
State tourism secretary Kumar claimed that the Rock Garden had become a holiday magnet for not just domestic visitors, but also international tourists. "Foreigners who come to Ranchi make it a point to visit Rock Garden. Keeping in mind the taste of such special guests, we are planning a narration on Jharkhand's rich culture and history to accompany the show," he said.
While the script is still tentative as is the decision on live or recorded narration, tribal icons and freedom heroes like Birsa Munda and Sidho-Kanhu are expected to be part of the show.
"Let us see how things pan out. We will make detailed announcements after the trial run," Kumar added.
