Amritsar, November 29
Power minister Harbhajan Singh ETO today said heritage trails would be developed along a small settlement of “thatheras” (traditional copper and brass utensil makers) called Thatherian Bazaar in Jandiala Guru in coming months.
Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO during a meeting in Amritsar on Tuesday.
Chairing a meeting with district administration officials along with the Punjab Government Chief Architect, regarding the development to be carried out in line with the heritage status of “thatheras”, the minister said Thatherian Bazaar at Jandiala Guru will be developed by the state government before the G-20 summit.
“Thatherian Bazaar is included in the UNESCO’s intangible heritage list and the historical buildings inside the narrow bylanes where the “thathera” community artisans still make brass and bronze utensils with hands, is worth developing as a site of heritage tourism. For this, the government is developing this market as a heritage trail,” said the minister.
He said all buildings of the market would be given a similar look, in line with the Heritage Street and the appearance of all markets would be changed. He said a delegation participating in the G-20 summit being held at Amritsar in March 2023 will also be given a visit to the bazaar.
“This will also encourage the artisans and help get their craft get global visibility,” he said. Under the development work, initially, five gates leading through the bazaar will be repaired and three new gates will be constructed at Jandiala Guru.
The Cabinet Minister gave instructions for renovation of buildings of Jandiala Guru, and official buildings will also get an aesthetic makeover. This will include government schools, hospitals, municipal council offices, etc.