The over 300-year-old majestic building, which ran on a north-south axis on the banks of the Ganga river in Patna, had high ceilings, massive doors and unique skylights on its roof. It was also the oldest structure on the 12-acre campus of the old collectorate.
A cluster of pillars salvaged from the Dutch-era record room building. Pic/PTI
The Dutch-era Record Room Building of the Patna Collectorate with a colonnaded frontage that featured in Oscar-winning film Gandhi has been demolished, but a few pillars of the historic landmark have been salvaged for posterity.
The over 300-year-old majestic building, which ran on a north-south axis on the banks of the Ganga river in Patna, had high ceilings, massive doors and unique skylights on its roof. It was also the oldest structure on the 12-acre campus of the old collectorate.
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The fate of the historic collectorate complex was sealed on May 13 last year when the Supreme Court rejected a plea by Delhi-based heritage body INTACH for its preservation, paving the way for its demolition by the Bihar government, triggering grief among heritage lovers and Gandhians. By May 17, the British-era structure as well as the Dutch-era Record Room Building were reduced to mountains of rubble.
“However, we have preserved the pillars from its frontage,” says a top official, adding, “Once the new complex comes up, these pillars will also be prominently displayed on the campus so that people can see both the modern structures and a piece of the past.”
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