Punjabiyat in Full Flow

The extreme chilly condition and the dense fog enveloping the skyline of Amritsar failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the nearly 1,000-strong gathering, which had assembled at the forecourt of Gobindgarh fort on 12 December evening.

- Ritwik Sinha

The occasion was the unveiling of the over 250-year-old Gobindgarh fort as a tourism hotspot in the golden temple city. And, with top politicians, bureaucrats and Bollywood stars milling around them, the spectators enjoyed the display of scores of cultural performances for over two hours, wherein ‘the spirit of Punjab’ (Punjabiyat) was in full flow.

The cultural splendor witnessed at Gobindgarh fort’s forecourt may just have been a befitting announcement of the arrival of Punjab’s historical asset in a new avatar – something which is going to have an additional pull on tourists – not just to witness history, but also to feel what Punjab is all about in a holistic sense. And much of this will be accomplished by bringing in heavy technology inputs – including virtual and augmented reality shows, which would tend to galvanise the appeal of the fort. This also marked the successful execution of a public-private-partnership (PPP) initiative, with noted actress Deepa Mehta’s (of Maya Memsaab fame) Mayanagri one private limited, getting in command to manage and operate the 45-acre property, through a special purpose vehicle (SPV), in partnership with Punjab tourism.