Tata presents ‘Diamond’ on occasion of Meherbai’s birth anniversary celebration in Jamshedpur

Renovated Sir Dorabji Tata Park inaugurated

Jamshedpur, Oct 10: Dorabji Tata Park located in front of Keenan Stadium in the heart of the city, was crowned with a �Diamond� on Saturday.

A Diamond Pavilion has been added to the renovated park that captures the historical context and narrative of the Jubilee Diamond to create a timeless monument fabricated with the material of the future. The monument is 12 metres in height. It is fabricated from Tata Structura tubular steel sections and spans 16 metres x 12 metres.

On the occasion, Ruchi Narendran unveiled the statue of Lady Meherbai Tata. They were joined by the Vice Presidents of the Company and R Ravi Prasad, President of Tata Workers� Union, among other�guests.�In view of COVID-19, all the other�invitees, including employees,�joined the event�through�webcast.

Visitors can now experience the amphitheatre within the Diamond Pavilion for a moment of reflection and quiet. The central space is for the visitors to feel the magnificence of the diamond from within and not just as a showpiece seen from afar.

Spread over 2.5 acres, the upgraded park now includes a statue of Sir Dorabji’s wife, Lady Meherbai Tata, and a resplendent steel tubular structure and pavilion, through which the legacy of the famous �Jubilee Diamond� has been immortalised in steel.

T V Narendran, CEO& managing director, Tata Steel re-dedicated the renovated park on Saturday evening.

On the occasion, T V Narendran spoke about the Tata ethos and said: �It gives me immense pride to be a part of the Tata Group legacy. It is founded on strong values and exemplary leadership. Even a 100 years later, we are still grounded in our ethos and stay committed to responsible and inclusive development. Sir Dorabji Tata and Lady Meherbai Tata are the embodiment of these beliefs. Both were spirited leaders and passionate individuals, who contributed immensely to our shared legacy. This park is a tribute to them and a symbol of Tata Steel�s commitment to the city of Jamshedpur.�

Welcoming the guests, Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said: �Tata Steel since inception has been committed to inclusive development and through this rededication, we would like to honour the contributions and sacrifices of Sir Dorabji Tata and Lady Meherbai Tata towards the unparalleled legacy of Tata Steel and the Steel City.�

�The Diamond Pavilion, a marvel in steel, will be a new attraction in Jamshedpur, that will celebrate the stories of excellence, leadership and sacrifice for years to come,� he added.

In his video message, Dr Jamshed J Irani, Former Managing Director of Tata Steel, said: �The Diamond Pavilion and Lady Meherbai�s statue are thoughtful additions to the Sir Dorabji Tata Park. The park as it stands today is a veritable salute to Sir Dorabji Tata and Lady Meherbai Tata for their contributions and sacrifices that helped in creating the inimitable legacy of Tata Group, Tata Steel and our city of Jamshedpur.� 

 Addressing the guests, R Ravi Prasad said: �The contributions of Sir Dorabji Tata and Lady Meherbai towards the setting up of the steel plant and the city of Jamshedpur must be honoured and celebrated.�

 He added: �Our founder, Jamsetji Tata envisioned a future for India and his son played a crucial role in giving wings to those dreams. With the construction of the steel plant and the township of Jamshedpur, not only did India get self-sufficient in steel, many families from around the country got employment and a new place to call their home.�

In 1995, this park was created to commemorate the contribution of Sir Dorabji Tata to the country, the city of Jamshedpur and the Tata Group. It was designed as a vibrant recreational space for the citizens of Jamshedpur by Laurence Francis and Jatinder Singh, of the erstwhile Town Division.

Originally, the park had two rose gardens, three fountains and a life-size statue of Sir Tata. After 25 years, the park was re-envisioned by Architect Nuru Karim and rededicated to the public.

�During the upgradation of the park, a statue of Lady Meherbai Tata, wife of Sir Tata, has been added, along with a spectacular steel tubular structure and pavilion to capture the legacy of the famous Jubilee Diamond,� said an official of Tata Steel.

The refreshing design of the upgraded park is based on the principles of sustainability and best practices to ensure that all design elements come together, projecting harmony and enduring as a holistic tribute to the legacy of Tata Steel and the city of Jamshedpur.

Lady Meherbai�s statue stands at the southern end of the park, directly facing Sir Dorabji’s statue. The �Jubilee Diamond� became part of the Tata story in early 1900s when the Diamond was pledged along with the entire personal wealth of Sir DorabJi Tata and his wife to pull TISCO out of severe financial difficulties in the aftermath of the First World War.

Designed by the famous architect, Nuru Karim, the Diamond Structure and the Pavilion form an integral part of the overall redesign of Sir Dorabji Tata Park. Positioned at the western end of the park, the Pavilion lends to its sustainable and harmonious design, while capturing the timeless elegance of the �Jubilee Diamond�.

Spanning 16 by 12 meters, the structure is fabricated using Tata Structura tubular steel hollow sections to create an intricate lattice. Weighing 45 metric tonnes, the structure rests on the proverbial �diamond� tip, rising outward from the ground to meet the sky.

Offering the people of Jamshedpur an oasis for reflection and quiet, the Jubilee Diamond structure also houses a central amphitheatre. This space allows visitors to experience the brilliance of the Diamond Pavilion from within its interior.

One of the core concepts of the Pavilion’s design is inspired by a diamond’s ability to reveal itself in light. The constant interplay of light and dark casts a myriad of shadow patterns in the central space, due to the structure’s intricate latticework.

The splendid pavilion is another addition to the “Structures of the Future” series dedicated by Tata Steel to the country. It does not just lend to the beauty of the city of Jamshedpur, but further strengthens Tata Steel’s bond with the city where its journey began.

Over the last 100 years, Tata Steel has been associated with some of the most iconic structures of India like the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata, The Butterfly Park in Bengaluru, Bandra-Worli Sea Link, an award-winning steel sculpture depicting the �Gandhian Charkha� at the Oval Maidan in Mumbai and �The Rath� at the Biju Patnaik Park in Bhubaneswar.

Sir Dorabji Tata, the elder son of Tata Group founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata and Heerabai Tata, was born on August 27, 1859.� Sir Dorabji Tata believed that wealth must be put to constructive use. In November 1924, he pledged his own and his wife�s personal fortunes, which included the famous Jubilee Diamond, to keep the steel venture afloat when it slipped into financial trouble and there was no money to even pay the wages of employees.

Less than a year after his wife Lady Meherbai Tata�s demise, Sir Tata bequeathed most of his personal wealth–comprising substantial shareholdings in various Tata enterprises, landed property and his wife�s jewellery–to the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, the largest philanthropic entity in India. The trust is best known for promoting four pioneering institutions of national importance: Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Memorial Centre for Cancer Research and Treatment, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and National Centre of the Performing Arts.