Orwell's Bihar home to be turned into a museum

London, Dec 2: The house that witnessed the birth of renowned British novelist George Orwell in Bihar is set to be converted into a museum.

Local authorities in Motihari, Champaran district, are drawing plans to raise the colonial bungalow from its fallen state of disrepair to lure tourists.

"The house is in a dilapidated condition. We have initiated the process of declaring Orwell's house a protected monument," The Telegraph quoted Vivek Singh, Bihar's art and culture secretary, as saying.

Orwell, most famous for his literary works including Animal Farm and 1984, was born as Eric Arthur Blair in 1903 and spent his first year at the house before moving to England.

The village also holds a special place in Indian history after Mahatma Gandhi launched a campaign of resistance against British forcing local farmers to grow opium.

ANI