Union Minister of Power, Housing and Urban Affairs, Sh Manohar Lal and Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini jointly chaired the meeting of the Lohgarh Project Development Committee today. 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.
It is noteworthy that the Haryana Government has constituted the Lohgarh Project Development Committee to monitor the progress of the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial at Lohgarh. Union Minister Sh Manohar Lal serves as the Chief Patron of the Committee, while Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini act as its Chairman.
During the meeting, Union Minister Sh Manohar Lal directed the officials to accelerate the progress of establishing the world-class heritage memorial, ensuring that the project is completed and dedicated to the public at the earliest. He said that Baba Banda Singh Bahadur 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 should also feature 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.
Apart from this, he also suggested that the establishment of the memorial should also focus more on promoting the traditional Sikh martial arts that were practiced in the past. It was apprised in the meeting that the project would be completed in two phases.
The first phase, which will cost approximately Rs 74 Crore, will focus on restoring and enhancing the fort, constructing the Quilanuma Wall, building an entrance gate, Nanakshai 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, valor and sacrifice.
A grand Museum dedicated to preserving and enriching Sikh Culture to be built on three acres of land in Kurukshetra's Pipli
Later, while chairing a review meeting on the establishment of the Sikh Museum in Kurukshetra district, Sh Manohar Lal said, "If there is any place in Haryana where the feet of the Gurus have touched the ground the most, it is the sacred land of Kurukshetra."
He further said that the state government has decided to set up a grand museum dedicated to the preservation and enrichment of Sikh culture on three acres of land in Kurukshetra's Pipli. He said that inspired by the values and ideals of the Sikh Gurus, the museum would act as a "repository of inspiration" for future generations.
Tourism Minister Sh. Arvind Sharma, former Minister Sh. Kanwar Pal, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh. Rajesh Khullar, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh. Arun Gupta, Principal Secretary, Heritage and Tourism Smt Kala Ramachandran, Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh. Yashpal Yadav, OSD to Chief Minister Sh. B.B. Bharti, former Member of Parliament Sardar Tarlochan Singh, Sikh historian and Dr Jaspal Singh Chairman Haryana State Bio-diversity Board Sardar Randeep Singh Jauhar, Chairman Sigma Group Sardar Jagdeep Singh Chadha, OSD Dr Prabhleen Singh and other officers were also present in the meeting.