The Governor Punjab and Administrator, Chandigarh, Mr VP Singh Badnore today inaugurated the Museum of Trees - a unique environmental project for conservation of sacred trees of Sikhism after which many Sikh Gurudwaras are named.
Because of Covid-19, the inauguration was done online. Ex-member of Parliament & Chairman, Minorities Commission, Sardar Tarlochan Singh and PHDCCI President, Karan Gilhotra, participated in the online inauguration.
Extending Gurpurab greetings on the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, the Governor said this was the most appropriate day and most appropriate manner of remembering Guru Nanak whose hymns are replete with references to nature, environment, trees, plants and animal life.
The Governor warned that climate change is an immediate crisis for humanity and to meet this challenge people will have to come forward with initiatives like the Museum of Trees to mobilize public opinion.
He complimented DS Jaspal for patiently working for ten years to clone 12 sacred trees and hoped work on the remaining trees will also be completed soon.
Creator and Curator of the Museum of Trees, D S Jaspal, a retired IAS officer chief curator of the museum and author of Tryst with Trees – Punjab’s Sacred Heritage. thanked the Governor for supporting the project, which he said will be a source of attraction for all nature lovers, and for the Sikhs since many of the sacred trees have been replicated in this unique museum.
Over a period of ten years, the Museum has been successful in reproducing genetically true replicas of twelve sacred trees including Dukh Bhanjani ber tree of Golden Temple; Ber tree of gurudwara Ber Sahib, Sultanpur Lodi; Ber tree of gurudwara Babe-di-Ber, Sialkot, Pakistan; Peepal tree of gurudwara Pipli Sahib, Amritsar, D S Jaspal informed.
Many of these trees, he said, have botanical significance, viz., the Beri tree of Gurudwara Ber Sahib in Sultanpur Lodi is unique because it has very few spines. Similarly, the leaves of the peepal tree in Gurudwara Pipli Sahib have a unique yellow pigmentation.
The Museum of Trees has India’s most modern Mist Chamber facility and a Glass House Conservatory, with sixteen air conditioners, to preserve and propagate rare and endangered species which grow at high elevations.
Situated in village Daria of Chandigarh, about two kilometers inside of Chandigarh-Ambala road, off the Halomajra chowk, the entry ticket is Rs.400 per day and the museum hosts a number of workshops, and special visits for school children, and has an exhibition area too.
More information can be had from their comprehensive website, https://museumoftrees.org, and can be contacted through email and phone for further information.
Heritage Garden Farms Hallomajra – Panchkula Road Daria, Chandigarh
(Information courtesy, DIPR Punjab)
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