After the “politics of memorials” did the trick for the SAD-BJP-led State Government during 2012 State assembly polls that gave it the second consecutive term in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday announced to set up three more memorials.
Punjab Government had already developed Virast-e-Khalsa museum at Sri Anadpur Sahib in the memory of foundation of Khalsa Panth except the Museum of Chhota and Vadda Ghalughara and monument in the memory of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.
Other than that, Ram Tirath Museum in the memory of Valmiki is coming up at Amritsar, Jung-e-Azadi memorial at Kartarpur in the memory of freedom fighters, besides memorials in the memory of Bhai Jaita and Moti Ram has already been announced to be constructed is at Sri Anandpur Sahib and Fatehgarh Sahib respectively.
As per Friday’s decision, three new memorials — Bhai Mardana Memorial at Ferozepur, Guru Virjanand Samarak at Kartarpur, and Baba Moti Ram Mehra Memorial at Fatehgarh Sahib—would be set up at a cost of nearly Rs 25 crore.
The decision comes a day after the Punjab Government doled out sops including more than one lakh jobs, enhanced old age pension, incentives to industries, among other things.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, presiding over a high-level meeting, gave the nod for starting work on the three memorials which would “act as lighthouses to acquaint our coming generations about the rich cultural heritage of the state”.
Badal directed that the work on these projects should be initiated at the earliest to ensure its timely completion.
Chief Minister was apprised in the meeting that upcoming Bhai Mardana Memorial at Ferozepur would be a “magnificent” building with “rare” architecture. As a tribute to Bhai Mardana, a contemporary of first Guru of Sikhs Guru Nanak Dev, this memorial to be constructed over 0.72 acres of land would have a state-of-the-art gallery with pictures depicting the life history of Bhai Mardana besides a music academy to train the budding students in classical Gurbani.
likewise, Guru Virjanand Samarak, being constructed at Kartarpur – the birth place of this celebrated teacher of Arya Samaj founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati – would emerge as a centre of “research in Arya Samaj” movement.
The ,memorial spread over 0.93 acres, would also house a gallery exhibiting the life, works and philosophy of the renowned saint and his disciple Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
Similarly, Baba Moti Ram Mehra Memorial at Fatehgarh Sahib would be equipped with flat relief sculptures associated with life of Baba Moti Ram Mehra, who served milk to younger Sahibzadas and Mata Gujri in ‘Thanda Burj’ before the martyrdom of ‘chotta sahibzadas’ at Sirhind.
The land of this memorial would also have picturesque landscaping so as to give a splendid look to the memorial.