The remains of Gauri Sadan after the fire and (bottom) the auditorium in its new avatar. Pictures by Eastern Projections

June 5: It was a son’s tribute to his freedom fighter and scholar father, Gauri Talukdar.

But when a fire gutted Gauri Sadan, an important landmark and the city’s first small-capacity, private auditorium two years ago, it was not just the death of a son’s dream.

The entire city shared his grief that day — February 4, 2005 — as it lost a revered platform for social and cultural exchange. This Sunday, the auditorium will literally rise from the ashes, and the resurrection could not have come at a better time.

Gauri Sadan is celebrating its silver jubilee, and memories of social worker Pobitra Talukdar opening it to the public 25 years ago are bound to come flooding back when veteran poet Hiren Bhattacharyya reopens the auditorium this weekend.

Thanks to the efforts of Gauri Talukdar’s grandson Tapan, who, in spite of financial difficulties took it upon himself to rebuild the building at Dighalipukhuri, Gauri Sadan has been given a new lease of life. The inaugural function will include a poetry recitation session by Abani Bora and a sarod recital by Tarun Chandra Kalita.

“It was a huge loss for the family as well as for the city as a whole. It was my father’s dream project, and so, defying all odds, I decided to rebuild the auditorium. Thankfully, I got a bank loan of several lakhs of rupees to rebuild the entire structure,” said Tapan.

The auditorium will take up the entire second floor of the new three-storey building, while the first floor will house popular restaurant Delight.

The ground floor has been converted into a sprawling parking space.

“We will build the third floor soon, which will also be used for some recreational purpose,” he said.

Until the fire closed it down, Gauri Sadan was one of the most popular hunting grounds for the culturally inclined Guwahatian. Its seating capacity of 200 made it the perfect destination for cultural meets and discourses, all at a nominal fee. Since its inception in 1982, Gauri Sadan was the favourite venue of organisations that could not afford to hire big halls.

Gauri Talukdar, the founder-editor of popular children’s literary magazine Dipak, also gave the city its first bank — Guwahati Bank — in 1926. But both projects have closed down.

National Award-winning filmmaker Sailadhar Baruah, said, “It is nice to learn that the auditorium will be reopened. I have fond memories attached to the auditorium. Several important functions were held in the hall.”

For those who were part of many a stimulating adda at Gauri Sadan, Sunday will bring back a host of beautiful memories.