Guwahati: The historic Matiabag Hawa Mahal was officially turned over to the Assam State Cultural Department for restoration and preservation by the family of Goalpariya folk legend Padmashree Pratima Baruah Pandey.
The hawa mahal served as the folk legend’s wedding residence and served as an emblem for the Gauripur Zamindari Estate in Dhubri.
In addition to the revered Hawa Mahal, the family donated property in Matiabag for the construction of a museum dedicated to preserving the legacy of Pratima Barua Pandey, Devdas director Pramathesh Chandra Barua and the heritage of the Gauripur Zamindari Estate.
The government also purchased other historic things from the storied Gauripur Estate in addition to the Hawa Mahal which has 24 rooms, including Pratima Barua Pandey’s and director Pramathesh Chandra Barua’s historical artefacts, oil paintings, ancient weapons and rare photographs. The Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, gave the family Rs. 15,20,820,000.
Taking to Twitter, State Tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said, “Our government intends to preserve the exalted structure as a heritage centre so that the legacy of the renowned family could be maintained.”
“We are hopeful to finish all the development activities in and around Hawa Mahal by January 1, 2024 under the guidance of HCM Dr @himantabiswa sir,” he added.