Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to restore Mohor Kunja, the park on Cathedral Road opposite the Academy of Fine Arts.
Earlier known as Citizen’s Park, it was renamed Mohor Kunja in 2007 to honour Rabindrasangeet exponent Kanika Bandopadhayay, popularly known as Mohordi.
For some time now the park has been lying in neglect with its unkempt lawns and broken pathways. The musical fountain, one of the park’s key attractions, has been lying defunct.
“We have decided to restore Mohor Kunja to its previous glory,” said Debasish Kumar, mayoral council member of the KMC in charge of parks and gardens.
“The work will be taken up in phases. We will start with the gardens and plantations and then repair the fountain,” he said.
Located near the Victoria Memorial, Mohor Kunja continues to remain a major draw for its sprawling lawns, seating arrangements and open spaces amidst lots of greenery in the heart of the city.
The gates open at 3pm for four hours and entry is free.
“I used to visit Mohor Kunja once a month just to admire the beauty of the seasonal flowers. There was a rose garden inside the park and many evening walkers would take their stroll there,” said Pritha Roy Mukherjee, a resident of Bhowanipore in south Kolkata.
“The gardens had different varieties of plants, some of which were possibly brought from abroad. Now, it’s not well maintained and one can see the difference,” she said.
Initially, a company used to be responsible for the park’s upkeep till Reliance Industries Limited decided to take over the maintenance in 2015 for a period of five years.
“In 2019, the company informed us that it wants to relinquish the task of maintaining the park. We took over maintenance thereafter,” said a senior KMC official.
The civic body began renting out the open-air stage inside the park for cultural programmes to generate revenue. The park was closed to visitors with the onset of the pandemic.
In the intervening period, the park’s fountain stopped functioning for lack of maintenance.
“After the lawns and the plantations are restored, we will take up the work of relaying the pathways and repair the lights,” the official said.