Jharkhand Pavilion has made a replica of prominent cultural heritage setup ‘Audrey House’ at the 31st International ‘Surajkund Crafts Mela’ to familiarise the leisure buffs with the glorious history of Chotanagpur. Interestingly, the replica of age-old cultural heritage and once the official residence of officials during the British regime has been set up as an information centre for the visitors at the international fair.
The visitors can collect information about Jharkhand and its culture in the form of booklets, pamphlets that give the readers an overview of the State that upholds numerous opportunities for all in different sectors. The booklets also provide inputs about the arts, crafts, cultures, pilgrims and many more in a detailed way.
The interior is designed in a manner that gives visitors a glimpse of a real setup located here in Ranchi. The fair hoppers get a real time experience of various heritage sites of Jharkhand at the Surajkund Fair. Megalith Stones have been used in decorating the Audrey House replica giving a real feel of the surroundings set up as Jharkhand Information Centre.
The detail about this heritage building is also given outside the information centre for visitors’ knowledge. Audrey House is one of the oldest and historically significant buildings in the Capital City that is now a part of the Raj Bhawan (Governor’s Residence). This 160 years old building was built in 1854 by Captain Hannyington, the then Deputy Commissioner of Chotanagpur(1850-1856). Before the Raj Bhawan came into existence, this building was an extension of the Governor’s Secretariat during the time when Ranchi was the summer Capital before the partition of Jharkhand and Bihar in 2000.
A large section of the building remained locked up for years but at present, it is being utilised for several cultural activities. The old wall was made of sun-dried bricks by laying it with horizontal Bamboo Frames and mud-limed mortar, after major renovating process a year ago, the structure of the building has been redesigned. The old tiles on the roof were replaced with new one and old
wooden purlins and rafters were consolidated to renovate the building.
A total makeover was done in order to give a fresh lease of life, including landscaping of the surrounding open area was carried out with cobbled pathways, lawns, open air, amphitheaters, etc. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the restored building on January 10, 2016 and is now opened for the commoners.