As part of the 400th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday dedicated several development projects to the people, including conservation and development of Old Jail at Bassi Pathana where the 9th Guru, along with his supporters, was imprisoned by Noor Mohammad Khan Mirza for 40 days while he was reportedly on his way to meet Emperor Aurangzeb.
The Chief Minister said the state government had sent a detailed Memorandum to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a grant of Rs. 938.37 crore for various infrastructural projects in the State as a part of the historic celebrations.
He also announced a facelift of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Museum, Anandpur Sahib, at a cost of Rs 2 crore, with Illumination of its façade and modernisation of the 1st floor with advanced technology, while retaining the original concept of exhibition of paintings at the ground floor. The museum was built in 1977 and situated near Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, and is the only museum in Punjab on Guru Tegh Bahadur.
A Nature Park will be developed in the vicinity of Virasat-e-Khalsa, Anandpur Sahib, at a cost of Rs. 10 Crore, he announced, adding that it will be spread over 62 acres of land with extensive tree plantation. It will be developed as a habitat for rare species of flora and is likely to be commissioned by the end of the year.
The Chief Minister also announced that the Government of India would soon release a commemorative stamp on the 400th Prakash Purb of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Elaborating on the projects already undertaken by the State Government to mark this historic occasion, the Chief Minister said that infrastructure projects worth Rs. 20.50 crore are under execution in the two major towns of Baba Bakala Sri Anandpur Sahib. Further, 103 Charan Chhoh places, including 79 villages and 24 towns, connected with Guru Sahib have been identified and given development grants of Rs. 50 lakhs per village and Rs. 1 crore per town for infrastructure development, he added.
The Chief Minister said that over 60 lac saplings have been planted in 6986 villages so far, as part of the ongoing celebrations. Earlier, more than 70 lakh saplings were planted to mark the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev. These saplings would be enormously beneficial for the State’s environment, making Punjab a clean, green and pollution free state, said the Chief Minister.
Acceding to the demand of the people, the Chief Minister announced the upgradation of Baba Bakala Panchayat to Nagar Panchayat. He however said that this decision would be implemented after the Census operations because currently there is a ban on creation of new municipalities. The Chief Minister announced laying down of the foundation stone of the upcoming Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur State University of Law in Tarn Taran district. The university had already been established by an Act passed last year, with land having been identified, and the tendering process is underway.
He further disclosed that a Khanda Sahib (a double edged sword) has been erected at Anandpur Sahib as part of Bhai Jaita ji memorial under construction. The Khanda Sahib, made out of 32 metric tonnes of stainless steel, has been installed at a cost of Rs. 27 Crore.
CM JOINS PEOPLE IN OFFERING PRAYERS VIRTUALLY ON 400TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF GURU TEGH BAHADUR
Amid the COVID-19 restrictions, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday virtually joined the people in offering prayers to mark the 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The chief minister prayed for the safety and well-being of all in the challenging pandemic situation and exhorted the people to follow Guru''s universal message of love, secularism, religious tolerance, freedom of faith and peaceful co-existence.
Terming it an occasion to spread the message of Guru Sahib's supreme sacrifice for the sake of humanity and religious freedom, he said the life and philosophy of the ninth Guru remains a beacon of inspiration for the world.
He said he was extremely blessed to lead his government, in its previous tenure, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib at Harmandir Sahib in 2004, Amritsar, and in constructing memorials, including one dedicated to ''40 Mukte'' (Liberated Ones) at Sri Muktsar Sahib, and several commemorative gates at Fatehgarh Sahib.
"We have also been fortunate to celebrate the 550th ''Prakash Purb'' of Guru Nanak Dev and 350th ''Prakash Purb'' of Guru Gobind Singh during our present tenure," Capt Amarinder said. He said the state government had made elaborate arrangements to celebrate this mega event with ''Nagar Kirtan'' (religious procession) from Guru Ka Mahal (Amritsar) to Anandpur Sahib, and ''Akhand Path'' and ''Kirtan Darbar'' at Anandpur Sahib.
It had also planned to hold an exhibition on the life and teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur, an exhibition on handicrafts, the Punjabi literary festival, drama (Hind-di-Chadar), sports event, multimedia light and sound show and a Sufi Music festival, said the CM. However, the second wave of COVID had forced change in plans and these events are now being held in virtual format to avoid large gatherings and ensure public safety.
As and when the situation improves during the year-long celebrations, grand events will be held on the ground to commemorate the historic occasion, he said. To mark the occasion, a day-long ''Kirtan Darbar'' was organised, in which several prominent ''raagis'' performed ''kirtan'' on TV channels and digital platforms.