As the year-long celebrations head to a close, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday directed all departments to conclude all pending works initiated to commemorate the historic 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji and to highlight the 550 projects completed in 65 villages during this period.The closing functions will take place over three days at the end of this month, culminating on November 30, when the Chief Minister will visit Sultanpur Lodhi and Dera Baba Nanak to pay his respects in the historic towns associated with the first Sikh Guru.Chairing a high-level meeting to discuss the programme, the Chief Minister asked various departments to avoid events with large crowds and instead to organize virtual/digital functions amid projections of the second Covid wave in the state. He also directed the departments to highlight the 550 projects completed in 65 villages during the year-long celebrations.At the virtual meeting, attended by Cabinet Ministers Charanjit Singh Channi, Tript Bajwa and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Captain Amarinder also released a coffee table book based on the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations.
Consisting of 89 pages, the book vividly depicts all the special events of the year-long celebrations, including the main functions held from November 5 to November 12, 2019 at Sultanpur Lodhi and Dera Baba Nanak.The events listed include the glorious transformation of holy cities, as well as various other infrastructural development works dedicated to the historic occasion. Various projects launched by the state government have also been highlighted in the publication. These include a special Vidhan Sabha session, Heritage Walk, Digital Museum, plantation of 76 lakh saplings and the cleaning of the holy Kali Bein.The book also highlights other activities/programmes which became the centre of attraction of devotees, including the massive tent cities built at both locations, green route for ambulances, kirtan darbars, digital exhibitions, Nanak baghichis, global kabaddi matches and tableau on Republic Day.The coffee table book will preserve the memories of this auspicious occasion and would also become an informative platform for all special edition collections launched by the state government to mark 550th Parkash Purb celebrations, said the Chief Minister.The book has been conceptualised and prepared by the Information & Public Relations Department, Punjab, and printed by the Controller Printing & Stationery Punjab.