Digital museum, light & sound show end on a high note

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 17

A digital museum and light and sound show primarily comprising various videos and presentations on the life and message of the first Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak Dev – regaled audiences of the city ahead of the 550th Parkash Utsav celebrations at Sultanpur Lodhi this November. The show concluded amidst a rousing response in the city on Thursday.

While the digital exhibition was held for three days from 6 am to 6.30 pm, four shows of the light and sounds show were held on the grounds of the Lyallpur Khalsa College in the evening of October 16 and 17.

People from villages heard or read about the shows in newspapers and flocked to the venue. As per the district administration, more than 10,000 persons attended the digital museum, which comprised videos (almost similar to those at the light and sound show) displayed through large format display (LFD) screens in a one-room gallery leading into an International Immersion of Sublimotion three wall projection (basically a room with three walls lit up with projections from the same videos from ceiling to floor with seats available to view the spectacle.)

While not more than 50 persons were allowed into the museum at a time, ahead of the final show, people waited 20 to 30 minutes for their turn to gain entry into the crowded museum. Residents from many neighbouring villages waited patiently to view the displays.

Village hires special bus to view museum, show

Residents of Kala Sanghian hired a special bus to view the digital museum this evening. Elderly women, along with their families, brought with them their kids to view the show. Dr Sarabjit Kaur, an economics professor at Khalsa College, said the initiative was organised by villagers for their children after she saw the museum on Wednesday.

Dr Sarajit Kaur said, “We have brought in 40 persons. It was a very good show. I saw the museum on Wednesday after which I got it for the kids. We have hired a bus because it is very beneficial for children. We were late and could not see all the audios. However, it is a lesson for the younger generation.”

Ravinder Kaur, who sat with her four elderly friends and a busload of kids after viewing the museum, said, “Children should be shown such things. Children should know what our culture is all about. We would like such shows to happen regularly even when there are no celebrations.”

The light and sound show in the evening projected a visual presentation – in the form of a video lit up on a fort-shaped screen – the first Sikh Guru Nanak Dev’s philosophy in the form of his universal message of tolerance, peace, communal harmony, women empowerment and protection of natural resources. A shimmering palatial montage gave way to questions of the universe and society, then unfolding through various episodes in Guru Nanak’s life and travels across India and abroad. The vivid bokeh presentation began with the 550-year logo and a picture of state CM Capt Amarinder Singh then detailing the life of Guru Nanak – interspersed with shabads elaborating his ‘bani’ (words) verbatim. Durrees were laid on a huge lawn with floor seating arranged for all the people coming to view the presentation. A separate little chaired section was made for elderly and VIPs with chairs.

Guru Nanak Dev’s efforts to reject established religious dogma, cast off narrow class and caste identities and promote social equality were also highlighted in the 45-minute presentation.

Kuldeep Singh came along with his aunt Harjit Kaur  (70) from Bhogpur after reading the news of the light and sound show in the paper. Kuldeep Singh said, “It is a beautiful initiative and we came all the way from Bhogpur just to watch the show. It’s a lesson for the coming generations.”

 Harjit Kaur said, “The show was brilliant, but there are people back in the villages who would love to see it but can’t make that far.” Surjit Kaur, a hockey player, who is now a railway employee, said she loved the presentation, but had a tough time finding a bench on the college premises because both she (and arthritis patient) and her husband (also a former hockey player) cannot sit on the ground due to health problems.