Akal Takht Jathedar stressed that adjustments near Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib must be made with the approval of the Sikh Panth.
The work on the Heritage Street project was suspended by the Sikh Gurudwara Prabandak Committee (SGPC) which was started by the Punjab Government’s Tourism Department. The contractors were interrupted from excavating the foundation for the street’s gate due to fear that the gate will block the view of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, an important Sikh heritage site.
According to Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, the project was not talked about with SGPC or Sikh High Priests. He stressed that adjustments near Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib must be made with the approval of the Sikh Panth. However, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami did not answer the questions asked.
The mission was to embellish Anandpur Sahib with the same style as of the Amritsar’s Heritage Street and, at the same time, to mark the 350th Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom anniversary. Along the street, there would be rejuvenated shopfronts, architecture emblematic of the Sikh spiritual context, and spiritual enhancement. The majority of the storefront owners who manage shops along Keshgarh Sahib road have come to a consensus regarding the initiative.
Harjot Singh Bains, the Education Minister, emphasized that “Anandpur Sahib is the very essence of the Sikh historical narrative. We will convince SGPC to permit the Centre’s operations.” Sources from the Tourism Department stated that this project has been endorsed by SGPC and any further setbacks would put the budget on the verge of expiring.
