SHIMLA: The Gaiety theatre -- a hub of theatre and landmark heritage structure - which continues to stand tall after 125 glorious years of its existence, is to receive the coveted honour of having a stamp released by the postal department under aegis of the department of language art and culture (LAC) in May-end.
Shimla philately bureau in charge P L Verma said, "A proposal has been floated by the department of language art and culture, the custodian of the theatre, to come out with a stamp on Gaiety, probably of Rs 5 denomination, but the date for its release has not been fixed as yet."
He added the department had launched a special cover for Gaiety on May 30, 2011, to commemorate its entry into 125 years' league. With the stamp commemorating its historical structure having Gothic architecture dating back to 1888, it will join the league of 1000-year-old Tabo monastery, UNESCO heritage Shimla-Kalka railway line, Lawrence School, Sanawar, Bishop Cotton School and St Bede's college, he said.
The historical records of the theatre show that it was built on the remnants of the Town Hall and completed on May 30, 1887. The architecture of the theatre is said to be a replica of its namesake theatre in London which got destroyed, and architect Henry Irwin designed the building.
The theatre was closed in 2003 for renovation and reopened on June 25 in 2009. The department of LAC has been its custodian after that.
It remained the epicentre of the theatre world during British times, and has earned the sobriquet of 'Mecca of theatre'. A host of legendary actors from the tinsel town and theatre stalwarts like Prithviraj Kapoor, Balraj Sahni, Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendall, Madan Puri, Amrish Puri, Manohar Singh, Nasseerudin Shah and Anupam Kher have provided the best of theatre from its stage.
Gaiety is a must-see for any visitor coming to this town. According to statistics, its footfall has seen a sharp rise ever since it was opened to public, with nearly 27,000 people coming here from April 16, 2010 till now. Apart from its architecture, rare photos of plays staged here during the British period from 1894-1904, photos of heritage structures, prominent landmarks of Shimla from 1850-1950, photos of Mahatma Gandhi's visits to Shimla from 1931-1945 are a major attraction for any visitor to this hill destination.
Shimla philately bureau in charge P L Verma said, "A proposal has been floated by the department of language art and culture, the custodian of the theatre, to come out with a stamp on Gaiety, probably of Rs 5 denomination, but the date for its release has not been fixed as yet."
He added the department had launched a special cover for Gaiety on May 30, 2011, to commemorate its entry into 125 years' league. With the stamp commemorating its historical structure having Gothic architecture dating back to 1888, it will join the league of 1000-year-old Tabo monastery, UNESCO heritage Shimla-Kalka railway line, Lawrence School, Sanawar, Bishop Cotton School and St Bede's college, he said.
The historical records of the theatre show that it was built on the remnants of the Town Hall and completed on May 30, 1887. The architecture of the theatre is said to be a replica of its namesake theatre in London which got destroyed, and architect Henry Irwin designed the building.
The theatre was closed in 2003 for renovation and reopened on June 25 in 2009. The department of LAC has been its custodian after that.
It remained the epicentre of the theatre world during British times, and has earned the sobriquet of 'Mecca of theatre'. A host of legendary actors from the tinsel town and theatre stalwarts like Prithviraj Kapoor, Balraj Sahni, Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendall, Madan Puri, Amrish Puri, Manohar Singh, Nasseerudin Shah and Anupam Kher have provided the best of theatre from its stage.
Gaiety is a must-see for any visitor coming to this town. According to statistics, its footfall has seen a sharp rise ever since it was opened to public, with nearly 27,000 people coming here from April 16, 2010 till now. Apart from its architecture, rare photos of plays staged here during the British period from 1894-1904, photos of heritage structures, prominent landmarks of Shimla from 1850-1950, photos of Mahatma Gandhi's visits to Shimla from 1931-1945 are a major attraction for any visitor to this hill destination.
Source:-The Times of India
No comments:
Post a Comment