AUGUST 2018 F INDIA TODAY PUNJABI 17RICH LEGACY
The majestic Virasat-e-Khalsa was
conceived in 1999 by the Punjab
government to mark 300 years of the
formation of the Khalsa by the 10th Sikh
master, Guru Gobind Singh. Designed by
Boston-based renowned architect Moshe
Safdie, the site was built with the Shivalik
hills in the backdrop, and showcases
Sikhism, both old and new, through its gal-
leries and a museum. The second phase of
this project was inaugurated in November
2016, giving visitors unhindered access to
this heritage project.
IMPRESSIVE SIGHT
Spread across 100 acres, the grandeur
of the museum is a sight to behold. The
museum's eastern and western complexes
are connected by a bridge with a water
body flowing underneath.
UNFOLDING HISTORY
The eastern complex has two wings—the
north wing is known as the flower
building and the other wing is known as
the boat or heritage building. The boat
building, which is the first part of the
eastern complex, has a 360-degree mural
‘Panj Pani’ (five waters) that encapsulates
the old and new Punjab in the form of
images of villages and towns. The local life
further comes alive with the help of music,
visuals and recorded audios giving out
information about the shrines, history and
culture of the region.The roof of the north wing is
formed in the shape of the five petals of
a flower, and depict the five key tenets
of Sikhism. Each petal has a gallery
dedicated to the lives of Sikh gurus.MORE TO SEE
The museum also houses an audito-
rium that can seat 400 people and has
a library in the western complex. The
library has a collection of journals, maga-
zines, books and periodicals on Sikh his-
tory that showcase facets of this
religion.GETTING THERE Anandpur Sahib
is about 80 km from Chandigarh
TIME 10 am to 5 pm
ENTRY Free