Tourism dept wants residents to donate rural artifacts to give the village an authentic look.
The Heritage Village is coming up over an 11-acre complex on the campus of Guru Nanak Dev University. The purpose is conservation of Punjab's village culture and showcasing its traditional crafts. It will also have kiosks for traditional food and beverages, an akhara where wrestling bouts will be conducted and a fair ground, complete with rides and rural sports.
With the tagline of `Saada Pind Saadi Virasat', the village will feature huts used by potters, weavers, blacksmiths and other artisans who make parandis, juttis, phulkaris, clay toys, musical instruments, durries, agricultural implements and shawls (lohis) among other things. Each hut will try to bring alive the life of that particular rural artisan, complete with the interiors, the decor, and the tools used for work.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Geetika Kalha said one of the options being considered by the department was to request people to donate typically rural artefacts to give the village a "real look". The department had earlier thought of placing new artefacts, but the argument against using new products was that these would not suit the heritage environment.
"The idea is to recreate a typical Punjab village with original artefacts," said Kalha. The department is keen on using original doors and windows (called `aaley' and `baariyan' in Punjabi) for these huts. It is willing to pay owners for these products, but the problem before them is how to fix a price for such diverse heritage products, which may lead to disputes over pricing.
Other artefacts that the department wants to acquire for the village are tra ditional wares and utensils that have been an intrinsic part of a Punjabi house. These are chulhas, angeethis, durriyan, khes, peediyan, pankhiyan, old phulkaris, takhtposh, tandoor, chakki, chaati and also utensils. For specific huts, the department also wants to acquire old looms for weavers, potter's wheels and other such products.
The voluminous draft proposal for the Heritage Village was prepared by Delhi-based consultancy firm Abhimanyu Dalal Architects. Dalal told The Indian Express: "It has been seen that these valuable rural heritage products are lost or destroyed down the generations. Giving them away for the Heritage Village is one way of collecting and preserving them for years to come," he said. The department will also look at local markets of second-hand products for these artefacts, but the feeling is that if such things are donated by the people, it will link the community to the heritage tourism destination.