Jharkhand HC Orders Beautification Of Rajrappa Temple, Ranchi Hill Linked To Rabindranath Tagore’s Family

The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed the authorities to beautify the scenic Tagore Hill, a hangout zone for the people of Ranchi, and the structures atop it that are associated with ‘Nobel laureate poet’ Rabindranath Tagore family.

While hearing a PIL, a division bench presided by Chief Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra also ordered the ASI to reconsider its decision not to accept the structures atop the 300-metre-tall hill in the Moradabadi area as an “ancient monument”, and hold them worthy of the national importance.

In another PIL, the court ordered the government for the upkeep of the temple of much-revered Maa Chinnamastika, one of the 10 ‘Mahavidyas’ (Tantrik goddesses) at Rajrappa in Ramgarh district.

The Society for Preservation of Tribal Culture & Natural Beauty filed PIL seeking the high court directions to the ASI to hold the structures on Tagore Hill as ancient monuments.

The ASI turned down the proposal observing that the structures are not more than 100 years old and don’t qualify to be the category of ‘ancient monuments.

The petitioner stated, referring to a Bengali book ‘Jyotirindranather Jiban-Smriti’ (The Reminiscence of Jyotirindranath Tagore) by Vasantakumar Chattopadhyay, which was first published in 1920, the petitioner said the book mentioned that Jyotirindranath in his diary made an entry on October 23, 1908, wherein he had written “today the hill is registered.” Later, the house named ‘Shanti Dham’ built atop it was inaugured in 1910 and Jyotirindranath died there on March 4, 1925.

Additionally, the petitioner said that it is in this house where Jyotirindranath translated Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s “Geeta Rahasya” into Bengali from Marathi.

The judgment stated, “Steps should be taken to remove all the encroachments in accordance with law so that boundaries of the Tagore Hill as per the original revenue records are restored… We sincerely hope that the directions, which have been given in this order, will be implemented and the state-respondents and Archaeological Survey of India will start taking positive steps for its implementation.”

In the other PIL, a division bench headed by the chief justice directed the administration to ensure that the banks there are widened.

The court has also ordered proper toilets and changing rooms be made for devotees who throng the temple.

The administration has also been ordered to ensure proper lighting facilities on the banks of the river.