Baba Banda Singh Bahadur memorial to focus on promoting martial arts, says Union Minister Khattar
Chandigarh, Jan 6 (IANS) Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini jointly chaired the meeting of the Lohgarh Project Development Committee on Monday and directed that the memorial should also focus more on promoting the traditional Sikh martial arts.
The committee was formed to oversee the development of the world-class Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial, which will be built at Lohgarh in Yamunanagar district.
For this, the state government has constituted the Lohgarh Project Development Committee to monitor the progress of the memorial.
Union Minister Khattar serves as the Chief patron of the committee, while Chief Minister Saini is its Chairman.
During the meeting, Union Minister Khattar directed the officials to accelerate the progress of establishing the world-class heritage memorial, ensuring that the project is completed and dedicated to the people at the earliest.
He said the memorial should primarily focus on the biography of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, which should reflect the heroic saga of his bravery and sacrifice.
He also suggested that the memorial must comprise a museum dedicated to the battles fought by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur and other Sikh Gurus against the Mughals across the country.
The design of the memorial should aim to educate the public, especially the younger generation, about the history and valiant contributions of Veer Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Union Minister Khattar added.
He suggested the establishment of the memorial should also focus more on promoting the traditional Sikh martial arts that were practised in the past.
It was apprised at the meeting that the project would be completed in two phases.
The first phase, which will cost nearly Rs 74 crore, will focus on restoring and enhancing the fort, constructing the Quilanuma Wall, building an entrance gate, Nanakshahi coin, landscaping the site, and building the memorial.
In addition, a state-of-the-art museum will be constructed, combining Baba Banda Singh Bahadur’s life story with modern technology to create an immersive experience for visitors.
The memorial at Lohgarh, the first capital of the ‘Sikh Raj’ established by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, would reignite the story of his extraordinary bravery, valour and sacrifice.
A grand museum dedicated to preserving and enriching Sikh culture will also be built on three acres of land in Kurukshetra’s Pipli town.
–IANS
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