Rajghat gets a makeover after 15 years

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) Rajghat will showcase a new look on the 69th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Monday as it has got a facelift after 15 years.

The memorial to the Father of the Nation last got a facelift in 1999-2000 under then Urban Development Minister Jagmohan and his successor Ananth Kumar.

For the first time, a 157 word brief profile of Mahatma Gandhi and a 131 word description of his 'Samadhi' will be put on display, both in Hindi and English, at all the three gates of Rajghat, the Ministry of Urban Development said in a statement on Sunday.

It said 30 'Amrit Vachans' (thoughts of Gandhi) have been engraved on marble and displayed on granite stone pedestals, each illuminated by LED light atop aesthetically designed light post, for inspiring the visitors to Rajghat, it saidm adding the LED lights will result in energy saving of 60,000 KWH annually.

"Solar panels have been installed above roof tops and cycle shed at the parking area of Rajghat that will generate 52 KW of energy," it said.

For enhanced security and better monitoring of visitors, 27 CCTVs have been installed with a central control room for monitoring at Rajghat.

"More than 10,000 domestic and foreign visitors visit Mahatma Gandhiji's Samadhi at Rajghat every day, (but) there was nothing much to engage them about his life and and thoughts other than the black stone platform that marks the spot where he was cremated.

"To enhance the engaging experience of the visitors, the Rajghat Samadhi Samiti undertook several initiatives during the last two years and they will be inaugurated tomorrow (Monday) on the occasion of the 69th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi," the statement said.

Besides inaugurating these new initiatives on Monday, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu will also release a special edition of Rajghat Samadhi Patrika, commemorating the 100th year of Champaran Satyagraha launched by Gandhiji.

Other major initiatives taken up include setting up of Kasturba Gandhi souvenir store in the parking area, landscaping, improvement of water bodies and plantation.

Laying of cobbled stone road between parking area and the Samadhi itself to regulate speed of vehicles, setting up of Central Industrial Security Force control rooms, modern security gadgets like door frame metal detector and X-ray machines near the main gates were among the other measures undertaken.