Bhubaneswar: The city of temples will soon have the biggest open-air theatre of the country. Being constructed by the State Government on the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya campus in the heart of the city at an estimated cost of Rs.1.42 crores, it would be the biggest amphitheatre in India, claimed culture secretary Mr. Gopinath Mohanty.

Convenient venue

Adjacent to the Rabindra Mandap indoor auditorium and the State library besides the Indira Gandhi Park, the Ekamra Haat and the Jayadev Bhawan at a walkable distance, the open-air theatre would be a convenient venue for organising major cultural events and would be a crowd puller, Mr.Mohanty said. The sloppy grass-lawn gallery has been designed after a western model to provide sitting capacity of 2,500 people, each occupying 16 square feet space to sit and relax, informed an architect.

It can, however, accommodate up to 6,000 people, he said.

The huge stage with a length of 78 feet and width of 30 feet would be ideal for all sorts of events and there would be a huge hall below the stage for practice of the artistes, he said.

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