He put Amritsar on the global tourism map

GS Paul

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Amritsar, April 27

During the SAD-BJP alliance (2012-2017) led by Parkash Singh Badal, Amritsar witnessed several key projects that not only boosted tourism, but also created employment opportunities.

These initiatives put “Guru Ki Nagri” on the global tourism map. Introduction of more destinations gave visitors a reason to prolong their stay here.

To make commuting to the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh convenient, the 800-m passage was converted into a no-vehicle zone open walk street with a new universal “heritage façade”. The Rs 350-crore Heritage Street project between the British-era Town Hall and the Golden Temple was executed within a record time of 330 days in October 2016. Unmindful of the criticism by the Opposition, he went ahead with the plan to spruce up the surroundings of the shrine with a marbled entrance plaza.

Three key projects

Heritage Street Rs 350-crore project between the British-era Town Hall and the Golden Temple was executed in a record time of 330 days in 2016

Multimedia museum It tells the story of Sikhism & the Golden Temple through 3-D projection mapping tech

War heroes’ memorial It depicts the sacrifices and heroic deeds from the period of Guru Hargobind Singh to Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then up to Kargil operation

Located beneath this entrance is a fascinating multimedia museum and interpretation centre. It tells the story of Sikhism and the significance of the Golden Temple through 3-D projection mapping technique. The Punjab State War Heroes’ Memorial and Museum, spread on seven acres, was also constructed on the Attari road in 2012. A 45-m-high sword erected in the central vista of the modern museum is its main attraction. The museum has eight galleries that depict the sacrifices and heroic deeds from the period of Guru Hargobind Singh to Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then up to Kargil operation.

A Partition museum was also conceptualised with the assistance of Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust for sprucing up the Town Hall building. Ironically, it was inaugurated twice, by then Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal in October 2016 and then by Capt Amarinder Singh in August 2017. The museum houses the repository of stories, material and documents related to the post-Partition.

Another first was the BRTS worth Rs 545 crore that commenced in September 2013. It was also inaugurated twice. Sukhbir Singh Badal inaugurated it on December 15, 2016, followed by then Local Body Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on January 28, 2019.

The Gobindgarh Fort started attracting tourists after December 2016. Converting it into the first virtual reality destination was also Badal’s initiative.