Agartala , Mar 29, 2023, TRIPURA TIMES Desk
Agartala, Mar 29: The iconic Pushpabanta Palace would be developed into a Museum of international standard, said Tourism minister Sushanta Chowdhury.
The Tourism minister, who visited the century-old palace in Agartala on Wednesday, said the initiative has been taken to highlight the state's cultural heritage and preserve the memories of the royal era.
Speaking to the media, Chowdhury said Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had stayed in the palace during his Tripura visit.
He said, the retrofitting works in the palace already started from October last year. He expressed hope that the proposed Museum and Cultural Centre would be ready in the next two years.
The new facility would include administrative building, photo galleries, library and film and video gallery, he told reporters.
He said, the Museum would not only attract the tourists but also the revenue collection would be increased.
Meanwhile, the palace was built by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya in 1971.
During the visit, the Tourism minister inspected the drawing and design of the proposed works. He also interacted with the officials concerned and asked them to maintain quality of the retrofitting works.
Chowdhury in a social media post mentioned that the government had already sanctioned Rs. 40.13 crore for the Museum and Cultural Centre.
The Museum would showcase rich heritage of NE states along with fine arts of Southeast Asia and contemporary photography, national and international archives.
He also mentioned that the Museum would be climate controlled and CCTV-monitored.