Chandigarh, September 12 – Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal has directed the officers concerned to expedite the work of the museum and martial arts school being built as a part of the State Government's plan to develop Lohgarh, the capital of the great Sikh warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur as a historical and tourist spot.
The Chief Minister gave these directions while presiding over the meeting of the Lohgarh Foundation Trust held here today. Tourism and Arts and Cultural Affairs Minister, Sh. Kanwar Pal and MP, Sh. Sanjay Bhatia also remained present in the meeting.
The Chief Minister said that the museum should prominently showcase the entire life span of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur so that the younger generation would take inspiration from his life.
He said that the road from Lohgarh to Adi Badri should be widened and improved so that the tourists coming here can commute easily.
Sh. Manohar Lal said that the martial arts school should impart training in traditional martial arts like Gatka, Thang-Ta, Kalaripayattu etc. Besides this, Yoga and Mallakhamba should also be included in the training schedule.
"A person becomes a complete warrior only when he is proficient in yoga apart from having physical strength," said Sh. Manohar Lal.
The Chief Minister said that great Sikh warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was the first Sikh military chief to start a war against the Mughal rulers, with his indomitable courage also expanded the Sikh kingdom.
Haryana is developing Lohgarh and Adi Badri as tourist destinations
Chief Minister said that along with Lohgarh, dedicated works are being done by the State Government to develop Adi Badri from a tourism viewpoint. A barrage is being built in Adi Badri, for this MoU has been signed with the Himachal Pradesh government, he informed.
"Adi Badri has historical importance as it is often related to the Saraswati river. Therefore, in future, the entire region from Lohgarh to Adi Badri will certainly emerge as a tourist destination. The State Government is making continuous efforts to promote tourism," said Sh. Manohar Lal.
Museum will be a blend of history and the latest technology
In the meeting, a walk-through documentary on the museum to be built at Lohgarh by the tourism department was also shown. The Museum will have a blend of the inspiring life history of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur and the latest technology to give a glimpse of a new world for the visitors. In this museum, apart from the 3D projection display, weapons, costumes, and giant installations will be kept.
In addition, a moving structure will also be installed, which will allow visitors to travel along with the story being displayed in the structure, giving them a different feeling of going back to that era. At the same time, battle demonstrations and other events will be displayed through the latest technology.
Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. D. S. Dhesi, Additional Chief Secretary, School Education Department, Sh. Mahavir Singh, Principal Secretary, Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Sh. Anurag Agarwal, Principal Secretary, Art and Cultural Affairs Department, Sh. D. Suresh, Advisor, Resource Mobilisation Cell, Sh. Yogender Chaudhry, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr. Amit Agrawal, Principal Secretary, Tourism Department, Sh. M. D. Sinha, Deputy Commissioner, Yamunanagar, Sh. Rahul Hooda, Additional Director (Admn.), Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Smt. Varsha Khangwal and Members of the Lohgarh Foundation Trust also remained present.