Over 1,100 Assam artistes demand renovation and reopening of Rabindra Bhawan

Guwahati: More than 1,100 artistes from Assam, under the banner of Sanskritik Aikya Mancha, have urged the State government to renovate the historic Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati and reopen it for public use at the earliest.

In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma through Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, the Mancha appealed for the reopening of Rabindra Bhawan along with the branches of Lalit Kala Akademi and Kala Bithika, which are located on the same premises.

The Rabindra Bhawan has remained closed for over three years, according to the memorandum. The Public Works Department had ordered the closure citing the building’s age — nearly 50 years — and issues such as electrical faults and water leakage during rains.

The memorandum highlighted that Rabindra Bhawans in other Indian cities, many older than the Guwahati auditorium, remain functional due to regular maintenance and repairs.

“A number of veteran and eminent artistes of Assam began their careers on the stage of Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati. Its prolonged closure has adversely affected the cultural landscape of the State. We request that necessary repairs be carried out and the auditorium reopened within six months,” the memorandum stated.

In addition, the artistes have called for the creation of a cultural complex at Lachit Ghat in Guwahati and proposed that the renovated Rabindra Bhawan have a 400-seat capacity to accommodate cultural events and activities.