Ravindra Bharathi Hyderabad

Ravindra Bharathi (Telugu: రవీంద్ర భారతి) is an auditorium located in Hyderabad, Telangana,India. It was named after the Rabindranath Tagore.

History
On 23 March 1960, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh and a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Bezawada Gopala Reddy laid the foundation stone of the auditorium. Built during the birth centenary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore, the auditorium was constructed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for over a year. On 11 May 1961, former President of India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan inaugurated it to serve the cultural needs of the region.

The auditorium continued to be maintained by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. In 2005, renovation works were taken up after 44 years of its inauguration. As per that, the government spent INR15 million (US$240,000) to improve the interiors, lighting, acoustics, air-conditioning, stage, green room. The seating area was totally refurbished to give state-of-the-art look to the auditorium. In addition, the building exteriors, landscaping, parking areas, food courts and other facilities were also improved. For the renovation, the auditorium was closed for a month.

On 11 May 2010, the golden jubilee celebrations of the auditorium were organised by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Department of Culture helped in organising Kuchipudi recitals by Shobha Naidu and her troupe, and a Bengali ballet by the local Bengali society. In addition, the celebrations featured playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy and violinist L. Subramaniam.

Facilities
The auditorium's facilities can be leased by the general public for cultural programs. In 1981, the Government of Andhra Pradesh instituted a Department of Culture and entrusted it with the administration of this auditorium.

The auditorium has a plinth area of 2,295 square yards (1,919 m2) with a seating capacity of 1,104. The performing stage is 105 feet wide, 48 feet deep and 38 feet high.

In 2009, the state cabinet minister J. Geeta Reddy inaugurated the website of the auditorium. This facility was to make the process of booking easier.