Banglar Gram (Bengal village), which is the recent most addition to Kolkata’s favourite recreational spot, Eco Park, is soon to be inaugurated in June, stated Mr Debashish Sen, New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) chairman.
The idea of Banglar Gram was proposed by the chief minister. “The concept was to make the urban people familiar with the life of the villagers in Bengal. Thatched huts, palanquin and chandimandap, will be seen in Banglar gram,” highlighted Mr Sen.
The replica of village, spread over an area of three acres of land, has several striking features of a typical Bengal village. Mr Sen pointed out, “There will be more than 15 village markets, one tea stall, a ‘rath’ or chariot inside the village. Gramer adda including, villagers talking amongst themselves in groups have also been portrayed to create an actual ambience of a typical village.”
As ‘tulsi’ is an integral part of every village household, the mud houses in the model village also have ‘tulsi mandap’. Moreover, figurines of farmers ploughing their fields using oxen, women carrying their child on their back will also be there.
A ‘pathshala’ or village school, one pond, paddy fields, banana trees are some of the features of typical Bengal village will provide the visitors with peace, tranquillity and serenity of a typical village in Bengal.
Earlier, it was decided that the model village, was to be inagurated and made open to public in the month of April. Talking about the delayed inauguration, one of the engineers of New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) said that due to forthcoming Panchayat elections, the date has been postponed to mid-June.
It may be noted that Eco Park has emerged as one of the major attractions for not only the people of the city but also from adjoining areas. According to Mr Sen, the footfall in the park this year, is more, even during summer, as compared to last year.
“The addition of the replicas of the seven wonders have led to a growth, in the number of visitors,” said one official of the park.