Santiniketan's cultural properties will be preserved: PM

Kolkata, Jan 16 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday the government was working to preserve the cultural properties in Santiniketan and also restore the paintings, sculptures and hand-written manuscripts of poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

"We are working to preserve Santiniketan's cultural properties. Over the next four years we expect to restore many of its priceless paintings, sculptures and murals and the hand-written manuscripts of the poet laureate," he said in an address at the Science City here.

The central government also has plans to take up the modernisation of both the Rabindra Bhavan and Kala Bhavan of the Viswa Bharati University, set up by Tagore.

The government was also planning to display - for the first time since the 1930s - gems from Tagore's art works in Paris and other important cities.

"We are also assisting in fulfilling two long-standing needs: the publication of a Rabindra Chitravali depicting the genius of Tagore's paintings and a comprehensive edition of Tagore's literary works," Manmohan Singh said in his 20-minute address at the Science City.

Manmohan Singh said Rs.100 crore has been earmarked for spiritual thinker Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary celebrations in 2013.

"We propose to use the occasion to popularise his powerful teachings and thoughts, which have great contemporary relevance."

A national committee will guide the celebrations in cooperation with the Ramakrishna Mission.