Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday approved the concept plan of upcoming nature park-cum-monument, to be developed near Abohar in Fazilka district over an area of five acres in the fond memory of legendary nature lover Amrita Devi Bishnoi and 363 other residents from Bishnoi community.
Badal, presiding over a high-powered delegation of Bishnoi community led by its president of All India Wildlife Protection Bishnoi Society Sahab Ram Bishnoi, gave a nod to the layout plan prepared by State Architecture Department.
The plan include 363 inches (30 feet-3 inches) high flame in the shape of trunk of a tree to symbolise the passion of Bishnoi’s community for the trees besides, a water body and statue of legendary tree lover Amrita Devi, who laid down her life along with her three daughters way back in 1730 to save green tress being felled by the Maharaja of Jodhpur at a place known as Khejarli in Marwar, Rajasthan, where all the 363 persons were martyred for the sake of protecting trees from having been axed.
Explaining the concept design, Chief Architect Sapna apprised the Chief Minister that one inch represented each martyr thus the total height 363 inches of flame depicted the sacrifice of 363 martyrs who were brutally killed by the then emperor for their protest against the felling of trees.
She also told the Chief Minister that the brief history of this entire episode along with the details of the martyrs would be written on the walls of main entrance leading to the nature park-cum-monument.
Badal desired that this prestigious project must be completed within six months.
Earlier, the Bishnoi delegation honoured the Chief Minister with a title of ‘Friend of Trees’ (Varaksh Mittar), siropa, a memento and a painting of Amrita Devi for taking keen and personal interest for the construction of this nature park-cum-monument to eulogize the supreme sacrifice of the Bishnoi community as a protector of trees and wildlife.