Bhopal's Bharat Bhavan To Get Annexe After 40 Years; Kalagram To Rise With Bamboo, No Pucca Structures Near Upper Lake

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): More than four decades after its construction, Bharat Bhavan is set for its first major extension. Kalagram, an art and cultural space, is coming up on 1.05 acres of land adjacent to Bharat Bhavan and will be ready by March next year.

Work is currently in full swing and is expected to be completed in about eight months.

To comply with National Green Tribunal (NGT) norms for no-construction zone around Upper Lake, there will be no pucca structures. RCC work will be limited to the plinth level, while all above-ground constructions will be temporary and made primarily of bamboo with iron frames.

Kalagram will include temporary galleries and artist workshops, an open-air theatre, studio spaces and venues for meetings and cultural events. It will also serve as a centre for collection and display of traditional Madhya Pradesh paintings.

The Rs 15.78 crore project is being executed by Madhya Pradesh State Tourism and Development Corporation (MPSTDC) and designed by Delhi-based architect Puneet Sohail.

To preserve the scenic view, Kalagram will have a low-height boundary wall that does not obstruct the Upper Lake. Only eco-friendly materials are being used. Retaining walls, pathways and gardens are being constructed using the same stone and masonry style as that of Bharat Bhavan, which dates back to the early 1980s.

The state government had allotted the land over three years ago. Although a boundary wall was built, the project stalled after some people moved NGT, arguing it fell within the no-construction zone. The project has since been cleared and resumed.

“We are ensuring that Kalagram causes no pollution at all and that natural beauty of the place remains intact,” said Brajesh Tiwari, Executive Engineer, MPSTDC, and in-charge of the project.

Kalagram snapshot

Area: 1.05 acres next to Bharat Bhavan

Cost: Rs 15.78 crore, funded by MPSTDC

Completion target: March next year

Design: All bamboo and iron, no pucca structures