Kurukshetra: Mahabharata-themed project to miss deadline
Nitish Sharma
Kurukshetra, October 19
The ambitious Mahabharata-themed building project at Jyotisar Tirtha is set to miss the October deadline. It will now be opened for the public in a phased manner.
The project is coming up at a cost of around Rs 250 crore and was to be completed in 2021. The work began in 2018. Last year it got a one-year extension (till July end this year) and then was extended again up to October.
As per information, of the six buildings, the Tourism Department in now aiming to make at least three operational by November end.
The project initially got delayed due to reasons like the pandemic, waterlogging and delay in hiring of a theme consultant.
The Union tourism minister had also raised concerns over the continuous delay of the project. A senior official said, “Incessant rain and waterlogging near the site in July have affected the project. All efforts are being made to make three out of six buildings operational by the end of next month in which nearly 15-20 stories related to Mahabharata will be shown.”
“The tourists will be informed about what led to the Mahabharata and some of the important characters will also be touched upon. Augmented reality, artificial intelligence, holographic images and other latest technologies will be used for the same.”
Gautam Kumar, Executive Engineer, Haryana Tourism Corporation, said: “It is a massive project and a manpower of nearly 350 persons are working day and night to complete it at the earliest. One building is coming up in which the Vedic era lifestyle will be showcased.”
“The buildings will give a new experience to visitors. We are working hard so that three building can be inaugurated before the International Gita Mahotsav in December,” he added.
