Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary: Over 30 lakh pilgrims expected, Punjab govt to set up 3 tent cities in Sultanpur Lodhi
The district administration has decided to pay a compensation of ₹50,000 per acre to the farmers whose land it will take on rent in the vicinity of the holy town.
Expecting that 30 lakh to 35 lakh pilgrims will visit Sultanpur Lodhi from November 1 to 20 during the celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of first Sikh Guru Nanak Dev, the Punjab government plans to take 900 acres on rent from farmers to set up three tent cities.
Guru Nanak lived in Sultanpur Lodi for 14 years. It is here that he got married to Bibi Sulakhni and later attained enlightenment at the end of the 15th century. The town is dotted with gurdwaras commemorating events from his life.
The district administration has decided to pay a compensation of ₹50,000 per acre to the farmers whose land it will take on rent in the vicinity of the holy town.
As per the master plan prepared by the government for the celebrations of the event, three grand tent cities of 100 acres each will be set up.
The dwelling units in the tents, which will accommodate pilgrims free of charge, will have bedrooms along with washrooms. These will be available on ‘first come, first served’ basis.
The accommodation capacity of tent cities will be around 35,000, which would be further extended up to 50,000.
Besides, a grand pandal with a capacity of 20,000 will be set up wherein all religious ceremonies will take place.
Around 2 km-long stretch will have several bathing points along the Bein river wherein Guru Nanak Dev had disappeared for three days before his enlightenment.
To make proper food arrangements for pilgrims, 12 big langar sites will be set up at different locations across the city, with a capacity to feed more than 40,000 devotees daily.
These sites have been allocated to various Sikh organisations, which organise langars on important occasions and have adequate resources.
Sultanpur Lodhi, a small town with a population of just 20,000, will have to cope with a heavy traffic rush during the celebrations, which would be one of the major challenges for the administration, the officials said.
Around 450 acres will be designated for parking at eight sites across the city. There will be 20 security towers too, they added.
Kapurthala deputy commissioner (DC) DPS Kharbanda said, “The ongoing projects for the celebrations are well on the track while the new projects in this regard will commence after the Lok Sabha elections.”
