The large scale preparations for the Prakash Parv to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh are in last stage. The 9-day long celebration will start from December 30 and conclude on January 7, 2017.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mhas given his assent to participate in the colourful functions on January 5. Several top dignitaries have also been invited and they include Dalai lama, former PM Manmohan Singh, iconic film actors Amitabh Bachchan and Dahrmendra, lata Mangeshkar, Milkha Singh, cricketer Yuvaraj Singh apart from several Governors and Chief Ministers besides Union Ministers.
The 10th and last Sikh Guru was born in Patna City where the Gurudwara Harmandir Saheb is situated. The Bihar Government wanted to make it a big event and gave the entire city a facelift. Tent cities have been put up at three places including Gandhi Maidan where more than 60,000 pilgrims would stay. About half a million people from across the world are expected to attend the functions.
Bihar tourism department principal secretary Harjot Kaur said the Bihar Government proposed to mark this auspicious occasion by developing a multilingual interpretation center and an institute for Sikh Studies will also be inaugurated on the occasion of Prakash Parv.
“Apart from this, all places associated with the first, ninth and tenth Gurus shall be developed and beautified. A Sikh circuit connecting places associated with the Gurus shall be developed having significant historical importance has been developed to educate Sikh devotees on Bihar’s glorious past,” she said.
Gurudwara Prabhandak Samiti authorities said that invitation were being sent to all the dignitaries apart from all the 118 members of the national committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Art and Culture.
The Ministry constituted a committee for the preparations of the grand celebrations including PM Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Other members of the panel included former PM Manmohan Singh, BJP president Amit Shah, Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal, Haryana CM Manohar lal Khattar, RJD chief lalu Prasad, former Home Minister Buta Singh and several Union Ministers.
Bihar Art & Culture Minister Shivchandra Ram said a week long cultural programme would be organized at different places where Daler Mehndi, Pandit Ram Prasad, Bahauddin Dagar and others. Six films based on Gurus and Sikhism will also be shown during the events, he added.