Never was a nation more inspired by anything than the words Vande Mataram. And now it is time for deja vu as the place from where the words germinated is all set to rise in its glory.
Lalgola Royal Estate in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, where Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay conceived his epic creation Ananda Math, is all set to get a facelift albeit via the stars and stripes.
US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation on Wednesday sacntioned the grants to the National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage to renovate the hallowed grounds of the Indian freedom movement.
Lagola now houses the inmates of Lalgola Correctional Home. And behind these walls the jailmates could see themselves as part of the efforts in protecting the heritage for the civilisation outside the prison.
West Bengal State Convener of INTACH G M Kapur, while accepting the grant from the US Consul General in Kolkata Henry V Jardine on Wednesday said, "We on behalf of the government and the people feel grateful that we keep getting funds from the US Consulate for the purpose of rebuilding and recreating our heritage structures, which are the only remnants of our rich history.
This year we received Rs 2,775,000 for giving new life to the Lalgola Correctional Home along with its temples and the vast campus. Here Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay conceived his Ananda Math," he said and added that this money will be utilised for renovating the Shiva and Kali Temples, the Thakur Dalan (portico and mansion), the gateway to the Lalgola Rajbari (Palace) among other smaller structures within the vast grounds of Lalgola Correctional Home.