Assam: Pratima Barua's "Hawa Mahal" Heritage To Be Restored Into Museum

GUWAHATI: On January 2, 2023, Matiabag Hawa Mahal, which is said to have belonged to Pramathesh Chandra Barua, the director of the first film adaptation of the classic play "Devdas," was formally handed over to the Assam Cultural Department for restoration and preservation in honour of Padmashri Pratima Barua Pandey. This marked a historic day for the people of the Dhubri district and Assam.

According to media sources, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Gauripur town in the Dhubri district to witness the formal transfer of control of the "Hawa Mahal" to the state government in order for it to be turned into a heritage monument and museum.

Zamindar Prabhat Chandra Baruah, whose genealogy and pedigree can be traced to the Gauripur royal dynasty, gave the order to build the "Hawa Mahal," which was also the residence of the late Pratima Pandey Baruah, an important figure in the Goalparia folk music genre. The Hawa Mahal was built in 1914, with a total cost of 33.2 lacks at the time, and is situated on the bank of the river Gadadhar.

According to recent sources, The Chief Minister said during a public meeting held in conjunction with the event that turning "Hawa Mahal" into a heritage monument and museum would be an appropriate tribute to the "empress of Goalparia Lok sangeet" for her exceptional body of work in the arts and music.

Taking to Twitter, CM Sarma wrote, "Offered Bhumi Pujan for the renovation of Hawa Mahal, the residence of legendary Goalpariya folk singer Pratima Pandey Baruah at Gauripur, after her family handed over its possession to GoA." The Assam Chief Minister tweeted that the old house's transformation into a historical site should be finished by January 1, 2024. 

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