Bidding for creation of exhibits at Bapu Tower begins in Patna

• A hi-tech museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi being built near the Gait Public Library in the Gardanibagh area of Patna, which will reflect the ideology of Bapu
• Engineers said the two G+6 buildings, including the circular tower, the rectangular building, will house various exhibits focusing on important events in Gandhi's life
• The entire building will have a copper jacket, the work will be completed within two months

As construction work on the state-of-the-art Bapu Tower is in its final stages, the civil engineering department has launched tenders for the construction of exhibits for the timely completion of the project. A hi-tech museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi is being built near the Gait Public Library in the Gardanibagh (Road No. 1) area of Patna, which will reflect the ideology of Bapu.

The engineers said that the two G+6 buildings, including the circular tower and the rectangular building, will house various exhibits focusing on important events in Gandhi's life starting from his birth, freedom struggle and his death. Kumar Ravi, secretary of the union, told this newspaper that the construction work is nearing completion and the finishing work will be completed in the next few months.

"The selection process for the exhibits has started, and the private company will probably be selected by the end of this month. About 3–4 companies have shown interest in developing exhibits that will be both static and interactive," he said. “The ground floor of the tower will have an orientation hall for an immersive experience for visitors to get basic information about the facility. The next floors will have exhibits starting with Gandhi's birth, education, freedom struggle and various movements led by him and death.

These exhibits will have various themes including early life, life in foreign lands, freedom struggle, and special attention will be given to Bihar's Champaran Satyagrah movement in 1917 and his subsequent visits to the state, various government schemes based on Bapu like prohibition, social evils – child marriage and women empowerment and centenary celebrations in 2017,” said Ravi.

He added, “Gandhi quotes will be written on the plaques. Some events will be shown through audiovisual medium, like the incident where Gandhi was thrown from a train in South Africa and the Champaran movement. Some will have a touch screen, 2D and 3D displays and interactive models.”

The ambitious project will come up with a fund utilization of Rs 129.45 crore, including Rs 78 crore for civil works and Rs 45 crore for the exhibition portion. The project, which is spread over 5 hectares of land, is expected to be completed by August or September 2023. The circular tower is about 120 feet tall, which is for exhibits only. Visitors will see the exhibition from the top floor to the first floor by walking a ramp. In the second building, there will be offices, halls for events and conferences, a café, souvenir shops and an open space for exhibitions. The top three floors, which will house the exhibits, will be connected to the main tower on all three levels.

According to the engineers, a domed ceiling will be built over the tower, which will be covered with glass and aluminum sheet. The entire building will have a copper jacket, the work of which will be completed within two months.