February 17, 2009

Reel glow to Purulia beauty

RAGHUNATHPUR (Purulia): Noted film director Mr Buddhadeb Dasgupta drew attention to the scenic beauty of drought-prone Purulia district in his inauguration of the third Joychandipahar Paryatan Utsab at Raghunathpur Stadium, which takes place over a period of four days, 42 km from Purulia town.
Mr Dasgupta said: “Purulia's scenic beauty has always attracted me, which is why I have set four of my films here”. He recollected that the legendary director Mr Satyajit Ray was similarly drawn to the region, and called to mind Ray's two films set in and around Joyachandipahar. The famous film actress, Mrs Supriya Debi, seconded Mr Dasgupta's passion for Purulia, remarking upon the district's exceptional beauty.
Basudeb Acharia, local MP and president of the Joychandipahar Paryatan Utsab Committee, said: “Joychandipahar is well-known by tourists for its scenic beauty and will soon be easily accessible by rail, making it a highly desirable stop on the tourist circuit. The region's tourist appeal ensures sufficient scope for the planned economic development”. A highly modern station will be built at Joychandipahar in the style of Cooch Behar's Rajbari, to be ready by the end of the coming December, just before the fourth Joychandipar tourism festival. Purulia government officials are already considering the revenue to be gained by films shot in the area. Ayodhyapahar and Panchyatpahar, on the West Bengal-Jharkhand border, are also very attractive to tourists, as long as they remain free from the Maoist influence in the area.
The 23rd Purulia district book fair ended its week-long duration in Purulia town last week. In all, 60 publishers from Kolkata, Patna and Ranchi participated.Mr Karuna Sindhu Das, former Vice-Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati, was the chief guest. He expressed his passion for the book fair and highlighted its significance for the district.

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