On the occasion of the 551st birth anniversary of Sikhs’ first master, Guru Nanak Dev, on November 30 (Monday), Punjab Governor and UT Chandigarh Administrator VP Singh Badnore will virtually inaugurate a unique environmental landmark of Chandigarh — the Museum of Trees.

Because of COVID-19, the inauguration will be online, said the spokesperson adding that former MP and Minorities Commission chairman Tarlochan Singh and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) president Karan Gilhotra will also participate in the web inauguration.Conceived and curated by former IAS officer and author DS Jaspal, the Museum of Trees is a sacred grove created out of genetically true replicas of sacred trees of Sikhism. The naming of sacred shrines after trees is unique to the Sikh religion. The project, the first of its kind in the world, has been funded by the Union Ministry of Culture and is promoted by the Chandigarh Nature and Health Society, a registered NGO.

It is India’s only outdoor walkthrough museum where visitors can see genetically true replicas of different sacred trees.

Alongside each tree are eight-foot high panels that carry a picture of the tree, along with a description of its botanical features as well as the relationship between the tree and the historical and religious background of the shrine.

To preserve and propagate the surviving sacred trees by reproducing true genotypes of the parent trees, the Museum has successfully reproduced genetically true replicas of 12 sacred trees including Dukh Bhanjani ber tree of Golden Temple; Ber tree of gurudwara Ber Sahib, Sultanpur Lodi; Ber tree of gurudwara Babe-di-Ber, Sialkot, Pakistan.