A CORRESPONDENT
PATHSALA: A grand bronze bust of Dr Bhupen Hazarika, weighing 4,000 kg and standing thirteen feet tall, is almost ready to be unveiled as a tribute to the legendary artiste on his birth centenary. The statue has been built near the Patacharkuchi police station on the banks of the Kaldia river in Bajali district by Pragjyoti Club Patacharkuchi, one of the oldest social organizations in the area.
This special initiative comes at a time when the Assam Legislative Assembly has passed several historic resolutions to honour the legacy of Dr Hazarika. Pragjyoti Club, which has been working for the welfare of society for 36 years, has taken a leading role in this effort. The club has also built a three-storey building with modern facilities named ‘Bhupen Hazarika Bhawan,’ which has added to the beauty of the area and serves the community in many ways.
As part of its social service, the club has provided financial aid worth Rs 10,65,196 to 323 needy individuals through the Pragjyoti Aid Fund. It has also spent Rs 27,22,643 on grants, materials, and organizing 36 events or helping institutions under various projects. In addition, Pragjyoti Club has spent nearly Rs 29 lakh on building a community hall at Patacharkuchi Durga Mandir, Rs 3 lakh for a water project at Shiv Durga Dham, Rs 2 lakh for the construction of the Sariha Chakla graveyard road, and around Rs 70,000 to develop a flower garden called ‘Amar Bajali, Amar Phuloni’ in the middle of the national highway in Patacharkuchi.
The bronze bust of Dr Bhupen Hazarika is in its final stage of completion and expected to be the largest bronze sculpture in Assam and the Northeast. The bust has been crafted by a team of 7–8 artistes. Muktar Mallik, a well-known sculptor, led the team, while Alakesh Parashar from Tezpur took almost a year to design the model. The bronze casting work has been done by a famous artiste from Bolpur, Shantiniketan, over a period of 15 months. Only some finishing touches remain, especially around the altar of the statue.
The statue has already been visited by many well-known artistes and personalities of Assam. Among them were musician Kamal Katki, singer Manisha Hazarika, Sadananda Gogoi, Sangeeta Kakati, Mousumi Chaharia, noted writer Phanindra Kumar Dev Choudhury, and senior Cabinet Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass. They all appreciated the statue and expressed their happiness.
The campus where the bust is located has been named ‘Sudha-Tirtha,’ a name given by Phanindra Kumar Dev Choudhury. The Chief Minister of Assam has given his approval for the unveiling ceremony, which will take place in September or November 2025. The exact date will be announced soon. Once unveiled, the statue is expected to become a major attraction for tourists and a proud symbol of cultural heritage in Assam.
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