PHILLAUR receives national tourism award for Amritsar heritage walk

Chandigarh, March 24, 2013: Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Punjab has stressed on the need to engage highly specialized and motivated workforce with a view to promoting tourism in the state and attracting both foreign and domestic tourists in Punjab.

Stating this here today after receiving the National Tourism Award for Amritsar Heritage Walk from the Pranab Mukherjee, President of India in New Delhi, Phillaur said that a prestigious project “Heritage Walk “was envisaged by Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board for the old historic city of Amritsar to enable tourists and visitors to discover the 400 year old history of the city. This walk is a guided tour where one learns of the old town planning, traditional trade & craft, old bazaars. The intricately crafted wooden facades and doors along the route fascinate the tourists and provide a unique opportunity to the tourists to learn more about Amritsar’s history, said the Minister.

The originality of the ancient city of Amritsar has remained intact and during the walk one gets to see Katras, Akharas, Bungas, Havelis and Hattis- the vocabulary of traditional town planning and architecture. The walk takes you back to the traditional trades and crafts being practiced in the same place and in the same manner, as have been done for centuries, said Phillaur. This walk is an opportunity to feel part of this beautiful, sacred, vibrating, Guru Di Nagari. The walk has 14 pause points in its route. It is a varied composition of Colonial past, Hindu temples, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s buildings, old bazaars etc, he added.