Ravindra Bharathi

Ravindra Bharathi is an auditorium located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was named after Rabindranath Tagore.

Ravindra Bharathi
General information
TypeAuditorium
Architectural styleEthnic
LocationHyderabad, Telangana, India
Coordinates17.4033°N 78.4672°E / 17.4033; 78.4672
Groundbreaking23 March 1960
Opened11 May 1961
Design and construction
Architect(s)Mohammed Fayazuddin
Structural engineerT.Veernath Rai

History

On 23 March 1960, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh and a former Chief minister of Andhra State, Bezawada Gopala Reddy laid the foundation stone of the auditorium. The building was designed by Mohammad Fayazuddin, an alumnus of Architectural Association School of Architecture, London.[1] Built during the birth centenary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore, the auditorium was constructed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for over a year. On 11 May 1961, former President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan inaugurated it to serve the cultural needs of the region.[2][3][4] The inaugural program was a performance of Tagore's Mukta Dhara (The Waterfall) under the auspices of the Osmania University Dramatic Club as part of the celebrations of Tagore's centenary.[5]

The auditorium
Ravindra Bharathi in Lighting on Telangana State Formation Day, 2018

The auditorium continued to be maintained by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. In 2005, renovation works were taken up after 44 years of its inauguration. As per that, the government spent ₹1.5 crore to improve the interiors, lighting, acoustics, air-conditioning, stage, green room. The seating area was totally refurbished to give state-of-the-art look to the auditorium. In addition, the building exteriors, landscaping, parking areas, food courts and other facilities were also improved. For the renovation, the auditorium was closed for a month.[3][6]

On 11 May 2010, the golden jubilee celebrations of the auditorium were organised by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Department of Culture helped in organising Kuchipudi recitals by Shobha Naidu and her troupe, and a Bengali ballet by the local Bengali society. In addition, the celebrations featured playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy and violinist L. Subramaniam.[2][7]

Facilities

The auditorium's facilities can be leased by the general public for cultural programs. In 1981, the Government of Andhra Pradesh instituted a Department of Culture and entrusted it with the administration of this auditorium.[3]

The auditorium has a plinth area of 2,295 square yards (1,919 m2) with a seating capacity of 1,104.[8] The performing stage is 105 feet wide, 48 feet deep and 38 feet high.[3]

In 2009, the state cabinet minister J. Geeta Reddy inaugurated the website of the auditorium. This facility was to make the process of booking easier.[8]

The building consists of three floors—one main hall that can comfortably accommodate 1,000 people at once, and two others with a seating capacity of 150 and 112 people respectively. The centre is completely air-conditioned and Wi-Fi enabled.[4]

Reconstruction

Telangana state is going to build NEW Ravindra Bharathi in the place of existing one.[9] The Telangana State CMO officially releases a first look designs of new Ravindra Bharathi auditorium with Day and Night View on 04-02-2015.[10] The new building is being designed by noted architect, Hafeez Contractor.[11]

Events

A 125-day cultural festival in 2016, which included Burrakatha, Hairkatha, Oggukatha, Surabhi natakam, Girijana nrutyalu etc., created a record in the 58-year history of Ravindra Bharathi. Similarly, in 2018, "Salam-E-Telangana", the 30-day Urdu cultural events, which was the first-of-its-kind in the city.[4]

References
  1. Nanisetti, Serish (2 April 2018). "A house for Maharaja Kishen Pershad in Hyderabad". The Hindu.
  2. "Year-long treat awaits art and culture lovers". The Hindu. Hyderabad. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  3. "About Ravindra Bharathi". Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  4. Telangana Today, Hyderabad (13 May 2019). "Ravindra Bharathi curating culture for 58 years". Madhulika Natcharaju. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  5. Azam, Kousar J., ed. (2018). Languages and Literary Cultures in Hyderabad. Abingdon, Oxon. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-351-39400-0. OCLC 1000597496.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. "Ravindra Bharathi to be closed for renovation from August 1". The Hindu. Hyderabad. 3 July 2005. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  7. Gudipoodi, Srihari (13 May 2010). "Ravindra Bharathi turns 50". The Hindu. Hyderabad. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  8. "Website on Ravindra Bharathi launched". The Hindu. Hyderabad. 8 November 2009. Archived from the original on 12 November 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  9. New Ravindra Bharathi Building Designs
  10. HD New Design's of Ravindra Bharathi in telangana.
  11. "KCR to replicate Australian Opera House at Ravindra Bharathi". 6 February 2015.
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