Rain mars light and sound show on Guru Tegh Bahadur’s life in Jalandhar

A light and sound show organised by the state government to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur was marred today as sudden rainfall and gusty winds forced an abrupt halt. The show, held at the open grounds of Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, was scheduled for 45 minutes but could be held for less than nine minutes, disappointing nearly 15,000 attendees.

The show was set to begin at 6 pm but actually started around 7 pm. Prior to the event, a dhadhi jatha performed at the venue, followed by speeches from Aam Aadmi Party leaders. Despite forecasts of rain and thunderstorms and skies signaling imminent downpour, the politicians allowed the show to commence.

Finally starting at 6.57 pm, the show ran for only nine minutes before heavy rain, accompanied by loud thunder and lightning, forced hundreds of schoolchildren, visitors and officials to seek shelter.

The elaborate setup, prepared over nearly a week, faced waterlogging and the technical staff had to quickly secure electronic equipment to prevent damage.

Deepak Bali, AAP state general secretary and Advisor to Punjab’s Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department, coordinated the event. In his speech, he highlighted that the life and teachings of the ninth Sikh Guru, fondly known as ‘Hind di Chadar’, had been digitised for the show and would serve as a valuable learning tool for the younger generation. Unfortunately, the programme was washed out.

Attendees included Minister Mohinder Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal, Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur, Mayor Vaneet Dhir, Chairman of Punjab State Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank Pawan Kumar Tinu and AAP leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiara.