‘Rooftop garden’ to enhance greenery at Golden Temple

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 23

To enhance greenery at the Golden Temple complex, the SGPC has initiated to plant special vines that would eventually fall on the inner walls of the existing structures located on the periphery of the ‘parikrama’.

Named as ‘rooftop garden’, the initiative was being done with the expert guidance of Punjab Agricultural University. It will be in addition to the vertical garden under which 35,000 plants prospered in the shrine complex and an exclusive greenbelt that has been proposed on two acres of land located between Guru Ram Das Jee Langar Hall and Gurdwara Manji Sahib.

To raise the ‘rooftop garden’, 4-ft-high cemented pots have been built along the projection of the existing gallery that runs along the ‘parikrama’ on four sides.

The shrine is known for its rarest centuries-old ‘beris’ (jujube trees), but there was negligible scope for greenery inside the complex.

With the marbled entrance plaza outside, the green area was drastically depleted, barring the “galliara” surrounding the shrine.

Keeping in view the space constraints, SGPC chief secretary Dr Roop Singh said the idea of ‘rooftop garden’ was to enhance the greenbelt. “It is true that the greenery in the shrine complex is the need of the hour to counter the effects of heat and reflection generated from milky marble all around,” he said.

In the first phase, 400 rare varieties of green vines would be planted in the specially made cemented vessels, Dr Roop Singh said.

“Our aim is to make the parikrama surrounding greener. We have started from the administrative block roof. The same concept will be introduced on rooftops of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Niwas, Sri Guru Hargobind Niwas and other inns. These plants of various varieties have been arranged from Kolkata and Saharanpur. They produce different colour flowers. Once they grow up, they will fall towards the inner side and will give mesmerising view to people standing in the parikrama. It will give greener look from inside all over,” he said.

He said in the second phase, the cavities on the lower ceiling of the verandah would also be filled with plants that grow identical colour flowers in abundance.

Since May last year, after razing the 26-ft stretch that divides the existing grassy area near langar hall, a new greenbelt is being developed with all seasonal floral and herbal plants. Besides, special fountains which will operate in consonance with light and sound effects.

400 rare varieties of vines in phase 1

• In the first phase, 400 rare varieties of green vines will be planted in specially made cemented vessels that will eventually fall on the inner walls of the existing structures located on the periphery of the ‘parikrama’ 
• The initiative has been taken under expert guidance of Punjab Agricultural University
• To raise the ‘rooftop garden’, 4-ft-high cemented pots have been built along the projection of the existing gallery that runs along the ‘parikrama’ on four sides