This retired civil engineer's models depict rural Punjab

Dugri Urban Estate resident Swaranjit Singh (68), a retired civil engineer, dedicates his time to crafting intricate models depicting rural Punjab's heritage. Miniatures made by him are not just models, these seem like real ones.

His creations include a bull-powered irrigation system, a traditional bullock cart, a functional windmill, agricultural tools including hoe, grass shears, hedge shears, spare, trowel, sickle and traditional winged plough, showcasing his lifelong passion for constructive projects. This inclination had also steered his career towards engineering.

He boasts of a huge stock of traditional utensils of brass and copper, which he uses in his daily routine.

His model-making journey began in 1979, sparked by a rubber horse seen near the Clock Tower. Inspired, he replicated it using cement, achieving a convincing brass finish. Now decades have passed and his horse model is still shining like a new one in his drawing room. "People feel amazed when I tell them that it is made of cement," he notes.

He also constructed a turbine-driven irrigation model, later dismantled due to space constraints. Singh also made a tiny multi crop thresher model which separates grains from plants after harvesting various crops.

"I want to preserve these Punjab rural artefacts for future generations. The present generation is not aware of these traditional things, which rural Punjab used for farming, irrigation or in houses," said Swaranjit Singh.

Singh, who is a Guru Nanak Engineering College alumnus, said his son, a software engineer, had also been assisting him in creating his models. "Since we have now shifted to our new house in Dugri, earlier during a joint family set up we had a house in Dashmesh Nagar. Just to keep the memories of that house alive, I created exactly the same house model. He also made a model of his present house.

Singh, who is now running a health insurance agency, said even during his service, he would create traditional models representing the rural Punjab and after he sought VRS from Punjab Irrigation Department in 2015, he got some extra time to give wings to his passion.

"I have a lot of other plans to make intricate models showcasing the Punjab heritage. I have already started working on these, will soon start work to carve these. If I get a chance to showcase these models in some exhibition, I will definitely go ahead so that the young generation may get inspiration," said Singh.