Visitors at an exhibition of works by contemporary artists at Pragjyoti which was inaugurated on Sunday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Oct. 3: There was something special about this Sunday for culture and art aficionados as Pragjyoti, the Indian Tea Association (ITA) centre for performing arts, was finally declared open today.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi described the day as a ?red letter? one for art connoisseurs as the centre, set against the backdrop of the majestic Brahmaputra, was the realisation of a long cherished dream of theirs.

The art fraternity had been pushing for a state-of-the-art facility to stage shows and displaying artistic works.

The Machkhowa centre was formally handed over to the Assam Cultural Trust by ITA chairman C.K. Dhanuka. The chief minister is the chairman of the trust.

Minister of planning and development Himanta Biswa Sarma, top officials of the state government, captains of the tea industry and glitterati from the art firmament attended today?s inauguration. Director of Manipur Kalakshetra H. Kanhailal, too, was present on the occasion.

The highlights of the colourful cultural programme were a violin recital by Bidyut Mishra and songs by Pulak Banerjee and ladies of Annapurna Mahila Samity.

Congratulating the tea industry on its significant contribution to life in Assam, Gogoi said there was scope for enlarging the crucial role the industry played in the state?s development. ?There can be public-private partnership between the state government and the tea industry in many more spheres,? the chief minister said.

The concept of a cultural complex was mooted at a meeting in April 1988 under the auspices of Nagarik Samity of ward 13. An organisation named Sanskritik Prakalpa Nirman Samity was formed in 1989 under the presidentship of late Baneswar Sarma. On January 15, 1993 the then chief minister Hiteswar Saikia laid the foundation stone of the Pragjyoti cultural complex.

The ITA chairman said the city could now boast of a world-class auditorium with the best of infrastructure.

Pragjyoti has a centrally air-conditioned auditorium with state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting system with a seating capacity of 1,000.

The centre also houses a seminar hall with a capacity to house 200 and a medium-sized air-conditioned art gallery. The operational cost of the hall would be Rs 20,000 but for the initial one month it would be rented out at Rs 15,000.

Industry officials said the auditorium has been constructed in a way that the stage could be viewed clearly from every corner of the hall.

There is a control room right inside the hall to control lighting and the acoustics. The green rooms are spacious and fitted will all facilities.