Light and sound show launched at Netaji birthplace

Cuttack: The long awaited light and sound show was launched at Netaji Birthplace Museum at Odia Bazaar here as a tribute to Subhash Chandra Bose on his 116th birth anniversary on Wednesday.

Besides inaugurating the light and sound show, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also opened a new gallery of the museum which is dedicated to the spiritual life of Netaji.

The hour-long light and sound show depicting childhood days of Netaji in Cuttack would be a regular feature of the museum in the evening, a museum official said.

After a public sector company had backed out from the Rs 50 lakh light and sound project midway, the state government sanctioned Rs 30 lakh in 2011 to complete it.

The new gallery opened by the chief minister at the Netaji museum showcases the spiritual aspect of Netaji.

"The spiritual beliefs of Netaji are not well known among the people. The new gallery will showcase that aspect," the official said adding Netaji always carried a copy of the Gita, a photo of Goddess Kali and rudrakhya beads with him.

Artifacts collected from several sources related to Netaji's spiritual beliefs find place in the new gallery.

The museum earlier had 15 galleries displaying books, periodicals, rare photographs, artifacts, household articles of Netaji relating to his childhood and INA days.

People in large numbers also participated in the special puja and yangnya held here at the museum which was known as 'Janakinath Bhawan', named after Netaji's father.

Over 10,000 people visited the museum today to pay homage to the great freedom fighter, who was born here on this day in 1897, the official said.