Main entrance developed at a cost of Rs 250 crore
At first sight, a sense of disbelief grips you. Is this the same place? Holy city Amritsar has long lived with clogged streets, unsystematic layout, cramped spaces, dingy lanes and that maddening rush. Despite all these, the Golden Temple remains the single biggest magnet for tourists in the entire globe. Managing huge footfall has been a challenge.
Showcasing its heritage and significance was paramount. After all, around 1.5 lakh devotees visit the Golden Temple on weekdays and the footfall goes up to two lakh on Sundays and on the first day of a month in the Indian solar calendar. A complete makeover plan was drawn out. It took time to take shape. But now what welcomes people is altogether a different world. The area around the holy shrine has been restored to bygone era. A heritage street takes you to the shrine.
The street in all its splendour makes us all proud. It's a recreation by giving heritage facades to buildings from the Town Hall to the Golden Temple. Lights flashing on heritage facades created in buildings all the way to the shrine make it a mesmerising journey. The heritage street, where for the first time almost 170 buildings surrounding the sacred temple have been given a facelift, has been brought up at a cost of Rs 160 crore and showcases the art and heritage of Punjab. Massive structures representing Sikh pride, a partition museum and a first-of-its-kind interpretation centre depicts the story of the Sikh religion and its humanitarian philosophy on the way to the shrine.
The task was huge and full of challenges. The refurbishing and facade took about 330 days to complete. As work started, difficulties grew along. After all, the street area had existed in an arguably messy state for long. There were encroachments, electricity cables hanging precariously overhead, flex display boards and an entire visual of unplanned layout.
Heritage somewhere got lost in the unsystematic urbanisation over the decades. The place now offers a vintage look of the yesteryear. Encroachments are all gone. A massive entry gate to the city, which symbolises Sikh architecture and laid out in a huge golden dome, welcomes you. The gate entrance structure was designed by a team of experts from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. It cost around Rs 9.50 crore.
Partition museum
The Town Hall on way to the temple has been restored to its old glory. The building now houses the partition museum with memorabilia in the shape of documents, recorded memories, photographs, artefacts related to the partition. Unforgettable doleful memories of the partition have been out through elements and technology. It has been designed in a manner to enlighten people on the dangers and wrath that such tragedies bring along.
The plaza at the main entrance of the Golden Temple developed at a cost of Rs 250 crore with the services of the best architects and consultants from all over the country is a refreshing change. “It's a God gifted 'sewa’ for me to have undertaken the task of giving a unique cultural look to the street,” Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who is the brains behind the heritage makeover, says.
Next up is the narrative-based multimedia interpretation centre at the entrance plaza of the Golden Temple where technology has been put in place to convey the story of Sikh religion and its philosophy.
“The unique feature is that Punjabi and two other Indian language options open up the history of the Golden Temple through four galleries. The first gallery narrates the story of the birth and establishment of Sikhism from the era of Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh. The next gallery features a life-like model of the Golden Temple and its precincts around which visitors will gather to learn of the daily and seasonal activities of the temple on large overhead screens from actual video footage shot in the premises, Badal said.
Visitors now get the actual feel of the activities conducted at the Sikh shrine from sunrise to sunset. Visual spectacles are sure to steal your heart. A grand statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh along with multi-level stone fountains portrays Sikh religion and culture. Badal said, “The biggest LED screen in our country is being installed on this street at Saragarhi Parking, which will screen the Gurbani recital from Harmandir Sahib for the people for one hour daily.”
A model of the parliament house along with the founder of the Indian Constitution B R Ambedkar’s statue is another new attraction. A unique rock sculpture in front of Jallianwala Bagh is lit with a flame as a mark of respect for freedom struggle martyrs who died in the 1919 massacre.
A huge circular and seven multi-level structures convey the stories of Sikh valour, its battles, warriors. The first level is embellished with 65 lion faces with water oozing out. It epitomises Maharaja Ranjit Singh's popularity as ‘Sher-e-Punjab’ (Lion of Punjab). The next levels have a cluster of elephants and stone arm dripping water. Two “Nihang” warriors standing with a lion make a grand standing. Scenes of important wars have been carved out in stone. Another level shows Maharaja Ranjit Singh's military generals standing.
Next in for a similar treatment is the famous Durgiana Mandir which will be renovated on similar lines. Sukhbir Badal has announced that “in the second phase, all the streets leading to Darbar Sahib would be given a heritage look similar to Heritage Street.” In fact, he claimed that the entire city would experience a facelift in “true traditional style” in the next five years.
Published 26 November 2016, 17:50 IST