DW BUREAU / Khatkar Kalan

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday laid the foundation stone of the Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Heritage Complex, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 51.70 crore as a tribute to the freedom fighter. Paying floral tributes to the legendary martyr Bhagat Singh, the CM said that "Shaheed-e-Azam" sacrificed his life to liberate India from the chains of foreign imperialism.

Mann stated that the project will be completed within nine months and will serve as a source of inspiration for future generations to serve the country selflessly. He added that this significant initiative aims to preserve and promote the unparalleled legacy of this great son of the soil.

CM Mann, according to an official statement, emphasised that the complex will not merely be a structural monument, but an unforgettable experience as visitors will witness glimpses of Bhagat Singh's supreme sacrifice for the motherland, his intellectual depth, and his courageous spirit.

He said that the monument will feature a grand thematic gate, a 350-meter-long Heritage Street connecting the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Museum to his ancestral house narrating the life journey of Bhagat Singh and India's freedom struggle through sculptures, 2D/3D wall art, and mannequins, capturing the essence of colonial-era India.

Mann further said that it will also have a 30-meter-high Indian national flag and a 700-seat fully air-conditioned auditorium will also be part of the complex.

The Chief Minister announced that a model of Shaheed Bhagat Singh's ancestral home in Lyallpur (now in Pakistan) will be constructed, along with a recreation of his ancestral village on the heritage street.

Additionally, he said that "the ancestral home at Khatkar Kalan will be restored and preserved and digital recreation of Shaheed Bhagat Singh's courtroom trial will be developed to take visitors back in time and showcase his revolutionary fervor".

Mann further added that the existing library will be modernized and digitized to offer an immersive experience adding that other facilities at the complex will include a Tourist Facilitation Centre, cottages, horticultural landscaping, a musical fountain, and ample parking space.

(editor@dailyworld.in)