KOLKATA: The West Bengal Heritage Commission has made up our minds to permit Raj Bhavan authorities exchange the gravel pathway with a driveway paved with concrete. The determination came five months after the idea was first floated via Raj Bhavan officials to the state PWD.
The new plan, which maintains a stability between holding heritage and addresses the issue of walking down the gravelled driveway, was arrived at a gathering between Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, the heritage commission chairman and the PWD leader engineer.
According to veteran artist Shuvaprasanna, who is the chairman of the West Bengal Heritage Commission, it was Tripathi’s idea to eliminate the gravel pathway since guests find it difficult to stroll on it. “Gone are the times when other people would move inside the mansion in horse-drawn carriages. It’s true that many face problem while walking down the gravelled path. Hence, we devised a plan that can retain the unique heritage look as well as resolve the issue,” said Shuvaprasanna.
Conservation architect Partha Ranjan Das had met the governor a while back in this factor. “Some two months back, we had mentioned do a troublesome paving with out changing the nature of the mansion. I had recommended one way known as ‘unfinished terrazzo’ or ‘uncovered aggregate finish’. This methodology is helping in protecting the original orange color of gravels in the motorable street,” Das said.
However, this isn’t the methodology that can in the end be adopted. “This methodology was recommended via us. But the governor felt it wouldn’t serve the purpose. We revered his view and recommended some other methodology where the gravels — now not stone chips — might be used in the concrete mix. The gravels might be damaged down into smaller pieces and used in the mix,” Shuvaprasanna added.
The new plan is to divide the 40ft-wide driveway into 3 sections. A 12feet motorable street might be built in the centre. Flanking this might be two 14feet pathways that can retain the original gravels. In places where the driveway is 50feet large, the width of the motorable street might be greater. “The governor’s area has sent us a plan of all the pathways. We will now ship an authentic letter to the governor. The PWD division will then make a sample of the best way things will occur,” Shuvaprasana added.
In 1799, Lord Wellesley, the then Governor General of India, had taken the initiative of building a palace. Designed via Capt. Charles Wyatt and at the strains of the Kedleston Hall of Derbyshire (the Curzon’s family mansion), the Raj Bhavan follows a Neoclassical taste with distinct Baroque overtones. After four years, it was completed at a price of £63,291 (about £three.eight million in these days’s estimate). A century after its building started, essentially the most illustrious son of the Curzon family, George Nathaniel Curzon, came to occupy the Raj Bhavan as the Viceroy of India. With the moving of capital to Delhi in 1911, it turned into the authentic place of abode of Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. Since Independence, it has served as the authentic place of abode of the governor of West Bengal.
The new plan, which maintains a stability between holding heritage and addresses the issue of walking down the gravelled driveway, was arrived at a gathering between Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, the heritage commission chairman and the PWD leader engineer.
According to veteran artist Shuvaprasanna, who is the chairman of the West Bengal Heritage Commission, it was Tripathi’s idea to eliminate the gravel pathway since guests find it difficult to stroll on it. “Gone are the times when other people would move inside the mansion in horse-drawn carriages. It’s true that many face problem while walking down the gravelled path. Hence, we devised a plan that can retain the unique heritage look as well as resolve the issue,” said Shuvaprasanna.
Conservation architect Partha Ranjan Das had met the governor a while back in this factor. “Some two months back, we had mentioned do a troublesome paving with out changing the nature of the mansion. I had recommended one way known as ‘unfinished terrazzo’ or ‘uncovered aggregate finish’. This methodology is helping in protecting the original orange color of gravels in the motorable street,” Das said.
However, this isn’t the methodology that can in the end be adopted. “This methodology was recommended via us. But the governor felt it wouldn’t serve the purpose. We revered his view and recommended some other methodology where the gravels — now not stone chips — might be used in the concrete mix. The gravels might be damaged down into smaller pieces and used in the mix,” Shuvaprasanna added.
The new plan is to divide the 40ft-wide driveway into 3 sections. A 12feet motorable street might be built in the centre. Flanking this might be two 14feet pathways that can retain the original gravels. In places where the driveway is 50feet large, the width of the motorable street might be greater. “The governor’s area has sent us a plan of all the pathways. We will now ship an authentic letter to the governor. The PWD division will then make a sample of the best way things will occur,” Shuvaprasana added.
In 1799, Lord Wellesley, the then Governor General of India, had taken the initiative of building a palace. Designed via Capt. Charles Wyatt and at the strains of the Kedleston Hall of Derbyshire (the Curzon’s family mansion), the Raj Bhavan follows a Neoclassical taste with distinct Baroque overtones. After four years, it was completed at a price of £63,291 (about £three.eight million in these days’s estimate). A century after its building started, essentially the most illustrious son of the Curzon family, George Nathaniel Curzon, came to occupy the Raj Bhavan as the Viceroy of India. With the moving of capital to Delhi in 1911, it turned into the authentic place of abode of Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. Since Independence, it has served as the authentic place of abode of the governor of West Bengal.
Heritage nod for gravel to concrete at Raj Bhavan
![Heritage nod for gravel to concrete at Raj Bhavan]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
July 20, 2018
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