Several fruit plants added to Guru Ka Bagh in Golden Temple

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 25

In its endeavour to increase the green cover on the Golden Temple complex, the SGPC on Thursday added fruit saplings in the dedicated belt christened as “Guru Ka Bagh” since October 2019.

Spread over nearly two-acre plot between Guru Ram Dass Langar Hall and Gurdwara Manji Sahib, this green belt has over 400 varieties of flowers, herbs and fruits.

These saplings were donated by SGPC chief secretary Dr Roop Singh.

Dr Roop Singh told that the SGPC was constantly striving for the protection and cleanliness of the environment and Guru Ka Bagh was the only place in the Golden Temple complex that was developed for the purpose. “Thursday, we planted lemon, kinnow, litchi and chikoo”, he said.

Special beds were created in the garden with planning to have high rise trees like mango, kachnaar, kasel, chaurasia and maulsari, another part having saplings like gulmohar, palumaria alba, palumaria rubra, haar shingaar, tikoma gori chori , followed by colourful flowers and shrubs of various varieties like rose, gardania dwarf, ficus, chandni, bottle brush, tekoma capensis and bougainvillae. Also, the Korean grass to cover the base complemented its appearance.

Besides, just inside the entrance from the Brahm Buta bazaar side, a ‘vertical garden’ comprising around 24,000 plants of different varieties too has been developed with the flower pots fixed to the walls.

Similarly, with several Sikh bodies including Akal Purakh Ki Fauj, plantation drive was carried on the rooftops of Teja Singh Samundri Hall, administrative buildings, to create a terrace garden in the shrine complex.

Dr Roop Singh told that as per the executive committee’s decision, all gurdwara managements have been directed to erect a green belt in their respective premises. “ At least, one acre was to be spared for the purpose in every gurdwara where heritage, medicinal and ornamental saplings were to be planted. It has been started with plantation drive conducted in Gurdwara Bir Baba Budha Sahib (Amritsar) and Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh Rattoke (Tarn Taran). The devotees must take it as a lesson of Guru to preserve the environment and plant trees in their surroundings”, he said.