Odisha to restore Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home 'Pather Puri' into museum

Bhubaneswar, Oct 8 (IANS) The Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department on Wednesday decided to restore the ancestral residence of Nobel laureate and poet Rabindranath Tagore in Puri and develop it into a museum.

According to an official statement issued on Wednesday, several key decisions, including the restoration of ‘Pather Puri’, the ancestral residence of Tagore, were taken during a high-level review meeting of the Department held here under the chairmanship of Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.

“The ancestral residence of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, ‘Pather Puri’, located in Puri, will be restored and developed into a museum dedicated to the memory of the great poet,” informed the Odisha Culture Department.

It was also decided in the high-level meeting that eminent Odia writers and their literary contributions will be showcased at a theme pavilion during the upcoming Bali Jatra festival in Cuttack, which is set to begin on November 5.

The department also made the decision to invite Indonesia to this year’s Bali Jatra event as the Partner Country. “Indonesia will be invited as the Partner Country for this year’s event. Under the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative, an Indian state will also be invited as the Partner State. Additionally, cultural troupes from several South Asian countries will be invited to participate and showcase their traditional performances,” added the department.

In another significant development, the Department has also decided to expedite the process of filling up all vacant posts in Culture University, Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bibhuti Kanungo College of Art and Crafts, Govt. College of Art and Crafts, Khalikote. Similarly, following the financial assistance provided to Dhenkanal’s Gajalaxmi Puja, the Culture Department will also extend financial support to the Kendrapara Gajalaxmi Puja festival.

The State Archaeology will undertake the restoration and conservation work of the Kalidas Temple in the Kendrapara district. As per the official statement, the Culture Department has directed the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC) to expedite the construction work of the Odia Asmita Bhawan, located near Sainik School, Bhubaneswar.

--IANS

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