The high court's stay on demolition of the centuries-old Patna Collectorate has come as a "ray of hope" to people striving for its preservation and on the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma, they urged authorities to link the landmark with a Gandhi tourism circuit.
Some iconic scenes in Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning 'Gandhi' were filmed at the collectorate, whose Dutch-era Record Room was doubled up as Motihari jail while British-built DM Office building was shown as a court.
Gandhi's sesquicentenary evoked the memories of the shooting of the fill in early 1980s.
"People have been appealing to the Bihar government to save the collectorate and use it as a cultural space, but the government has been adamant about its demolition plan. The stay by the Patna High Court has sent a wave of confidence among heritage lovers," said Anjum Abdin, a city resident.
"Had it not been for a sustained people's movement running for around three-and-a-half years to save and preserve it, perhaps the historic Patna Collectorate would not have witnessed this landmark 150th anniversary of Gandhiji today," he said.
Many residents still fondly recall the crowd outside the Record Room or the artificial rain being created in front of the DM Office during the shooting of the biopic.
US-based professional Twisha Chandra, who hails from Patna, and also a member of the Executive Committee of London-based Gandhi Foundation, recently visited her hometown, and feels the struggle to save the collectorate is "bearing fruits".
"The collectorate was neglected during the huge Champaran Satyagrah centenary celebrations in 2017 organised by the Bihar government. Now that the court has stayed its demolition, the government should see the merit in its preservation. And, instead of planning to knock it down, it can link it to Gandhi circuit to promote tourism," she said.
Entire world is marking Gandhi's 150th anniversary and hopefully the court's final verdict will remove the wrecking ball dangling over it.
"On the 150th anniversary, a memorial plaque outside the building could have been put up as part of an overall plan to bring the landmark on the tourism map. In fact, the Bihar government should have restored and gifted the building to the city on the occasion," Chandra said.
Incidentally, the Gandhi Foundation in 2016, in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had appealed to preserve the collectorate and also suggested linking the heritage building with the Gandhi tourism circuit.
The government's decision in early 2016 to demolish the collectorate to make way for a high-rise complex had triggered a public outcry.
A civil society-led campaign 'Save Historic Patna Collectorate', started in April the same year, too urged the Bihar government to link the collectorate on the banks of Ganges to a tourism circuit.
"The place could be reimagined as a cafe, library, museum and a performing arts centre. And, the Oscar-winning biopic connection should be promoted," said J K Lall, a veteran architect and convener of INTACH Patna Chapter.
The Indian National Trust for Art and Culture (INTACH) had filed two PILs, after which the court stayed the proposed demolition of the government complex while restraining the state authorities from "causing any harm to the collectorate building until further orders".
Anil Kumar, professor of Ancient Indian History at Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan, West Bengal, also backed the idea of linking the collectorate with the Gandhi circuit.
"Development should mean a harmonious balance of old and modern. Patna being an over 2,500-year-old city has layers of history, from ancient to modern, and heritage should not be replaced to bring modernity," he said.
Aditya Jalan, a heritage enthusiast and resident of the iconic Quila House in old Patna, said, "Patna should boast its Oscar connection".
"Tourists go on 'Harry Potter' and 'Game of Thrones' trails and countries where they were filmed are showcasing it. Why can't Patna do the same?" he said.
Located near the Gandhi Maidan, the collectorate includes a part built by the Dutch in the late 16th century. It also comprises the District Board Patna building, set up in 1938 by the British.
Jalan sad, Gandhi Maidan, Gandhi Sanghralaya, Gandhi Shivir, Gandhi Setu and Gandhi Sarovar ('Mangle's Tank) along with the Collectorate, all can be connected in a new Gandhi circuit.
"The Bihar government is constructing a big 'Khadi Mall' at Gandhi Maidan. They could have converted the Dutch building into a khadi mall instead. What a great message it would have sent on Gandhi's 150th anniversary," he said.
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