GTA to restore lost glory of Darjeeling Capitol Hall

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration has decided to restore the lost glory of Darjeeling's iconic Capitol Hall.

The building - it used to house a 600-seat theatre - with a clock standing 100ft high has always been an important landmark of Darjeeling.

Binay Tamang, the chairman of the board of administrators of the GTA, told The Telegraph on Thursday: "We will revive the theatre to bring back the old world charm of Darjeeling. The interiors will be refurbished and the old world architecture will be put in place. We will have screens on four sides where only classic films will be screened."

After the building's construction was completed in 1921, the property was leased out to Eric Avari who ran it till 1984 before heading for New York.

Eric's youngest son, Nari Avari, has made it big in Hollywood blockbusters like Mummy, in which he plays a librarian, and other movies like Planet of the Apes, Stargate, and Beast of War. Nari, however, uses his father's name Eric Avari on screen.

Capitol Hall also had a bar for movie goers. "We will bring back the bar and introduce dining facilities. A detailed project report will be prepared and once the refurbishment is completed, we will hand over the hall to the civic body," said Tamang.

The Capitol Hall that also houses the Darjeeling municipality office has been used for social and cultural programmes after 1984.

The revival of the theatre is bound to bring back nostalgic memories of the town. "Those days were wonderful. The hall was beautiful and even though I am a teetotaller, it had a bar. The last show would start at 9pm and after the movie, I remember walking to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise like many would do those days," said Tashi Pencho, a resident of Darjeeling.

These days, Darjeeling streets are deserted by 9pm.

"The only problem in the hall was that the washrooms were rather small," recalled Pencho.

The Telegraph