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| On revamp map: Tagore Hill in Ranchi |
An akhara — the hub of social life in every tribal and Sadan village of Jharkhand — is being recreated in the heart of Ranchi, on Tagore Hill to be more precise.
Seating arrangements for over 100 VIPs, greenrooms and restrooms for artistes are among the infrastructure planned at Tagore Hill, a scenic tourist spot in the capital, and construction is expected to start by mid-February.
Envisaged by the district administration under the aegis of Tagore Hill Society, the plan is to transform the hill into a thriving tourist hub. The project got the blessings of late tribal ideologue and Rajya Sabha member Ram Dayal Munda, who donated Rs 95 lakh from his MP area development fund for the purpose.
“The detailed project report for the beautification of Tagore Hill has already been prepared. Recently, we issued a tender to select an agency to carry out the beautification work as planned,” said deputy commissioner Kamal Kishore Soan, who also happens to be the chairman of Tagore Hill Society, the registered outfit responsible for the spot.
The detailed project report outlines construction of a huge akhara — an open-air theatre — which would be supported by pillars, on the eastern side of the hill. The theatre will have seating arrangements for 100 VIP viewers within its periphery, while chairs can be placed around it for others to sit and enjoy a performance.
Ram Dayal Munda had visualised a cultural centre at Tagore Hill where artistes from different parts of the state as well as the country could come, congregate and share each other’s art.
In a traditional village, the akhara is the place where villagers congregate in the evening, share their joys and sorrows, sing and dance together. However, this spirit of community living is fast disappearing. Hence, Munda wanted to revive the akhara culture by providing every facility that would help attract performing artistes from around the country.
Named after Jyotindranath Tagore, the elder brother of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the tourist spot now comprises a building and a small temple-like structure on the top of the hill. Tagore is said to have translated Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s Srimad Bhagtwat Gita Rahasya in Bengali at this place.
The hill already has staircase on the south-western side. However, another staircase would be built up on the eastern side to lead to the proposed akhara. The existing building and the small temple like structure too, would be renovated.
“We believe we can begin the beautification work by February 15,” said an engineer looking after the project.
Tagore Hill Society, which is headed by the deputy commissioner, also includes well-known names like Haren Thakur, Amitabh Mukherjee and Mukund Nayak, vocalist Madhusudan Ganguly et al. Once ready, the society will look after the management of the upcoming cultural hub.
