The under construction Chandrakanta Bhawan. Telegraph picture

Jorhat, Sept. 21: The historical Chandrakanta Bhawan, the headquarters of Asam Sahitya Sabha, is all set to reopen “very soon” in Jorhat. A new building constructed at the old site is nearing completion with finishing touches being given to its interiors.

Worried over subsidence of the old building and constant waterlogging in the last few years, the Sabha had embarked on an ambitious plan to construct the new building by pulling down the old structure to preserve priceless literary artefact, documents and books that bear testimony to the heritage of the largest socio-literary organisation of the state.

The state government had sanctioned Rs 1.15 crore for a new building, a modern auditorium with a stage on the first floor of the adjoining Radhakanta Bhawan and a sculpture near the boundary walls of the new-look Chandrakanta Bhawan to showcase Assam’s rich literary and cultural heritage.

The original building along with the plot of land was donated by philanthropist Radhakanta Handique in the name of his youngest son Chandrakanta who died in England where he went to pursue studies.

Work for the building with Italian design started from 1924 and it took two years to complete it.

Member secretary of the construction committee Manik Saikia told this correspondent that rain over the past few months had hampered work.

Saikia, a former assistant secretary of Sabha, said the building was to be formally opened in October this year, but would now be opened in November.

Saikia, also a professor of Jagannath Barooah College here, said the plan was to make the building a literary/cultural museum as the building had “immense heritage value” for Assamese society.

He said the plan had been divided into three parts.

The first part is to reconstruct the building by replicating the earlier one with the design being made by Ranjib Baruah, a Guwahati-based architect and civil engineer.

Saikia said the construction committee numbering about 20 with Jorhat deputy commissioner as its chairperson and four executive members from the Sabha, government officials and some public figures, had with “great pain” decided to bring down the original building.

He said after consultations with Baruah and several experts the committee found that the technology needed to lift the original building was not easily available in Assam and its implementation would turn out to be “very costly” .

It was decided to pull down the building keeping all the belongings intact, Saikia said.

Videos and still photographs of the building were taken to maintain accuracy.

All the doors and windows that were in good shape were being reinstalled and every detail followed to make the new building look like the previous one. He said Rs 27.98 lakh had been released for building reconstruction.

In the second phase, there would be beautification done in the front of the building and a small open-air stage with a small gallery to accommodate around 150 people would be constructed. Sculptures of iconic literary figures will be installed in the front yard and paintings highlighting cultures of different ethnic groups of the state will adorn the boundary walls.

For that a sub-committee comprising experts in the fields of culture, arts and music will be formed. An amount of Rs 45.52 lakh has been sanctioned.

In the third phase, an auditorium will come up on the first floor of the adjoining Radhakanta Bhawan for which Rs 42.28 lakh has been sanctioned.