More inns to come up near Golden Temple

Perneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 11

With both the SGPC and the DSGMC all set to construct more “serais” (inns) around the Golden Temple, the pilgrims visiting the holy shrine may look forward to better lodging facilities in the coming days. The work on the SGPC’s 10-storey Saragarhi Niwas has entered into the final stages. Coming up at a cost of Rs 25 crore on the main road leading to the shrine, the Saragarhi Niwas will have 238 rooms, besides a number of halls. The building will have a capacity to accommodate 2,000 pilgrims. The inn, having a heritage look, would be equipped with amenities like basement parking, terrace garden, solar water heating system, VRV air-conditioning and rain water harvesting. It will have an ultra-modern power supply system, which will save 40 per cent electricity.

Apart from it, the SGPC recently laid the foundation stone of another “serai” near the holy shrine. It would be named as Bhai Jaita Ji Yatri Niwas and would have 45 rooms and 22 halls. The six-storey building would come up at a cost of Rs 5.5 crore.

The SGPC plans to come up with yet another inn close to the Saragarhi Niwas. The design of the new inn to be constructed at the location of an old school building has been prepared.

DSGMC chief Manjeet Singh GK has said that they are also planning to construct a couple of inns near the Golden Temple as the existing lodging facilities are inadequate to bear the ever increasing rush of devotees. He said they had two plots, one measuring 200 sq yd and other 90 sq yd, near the holy shrine that they intended to utilise for the purpose. He said they were also exploring the possibility of getting a bigger plot to construct a bigger inn instead of two small ones.

At present, the SGPC has eight “serais” in the city. These are Shri Guru Ram Das Niwas, Shri Guru Nanak Niwas, Shri Guru Arjan Dev Niwas, Shri Guru Hargobind Niwas, Mata Ganga Ji Niwas, Baba Deep Singh Ji Niwas, Mata Bhag Kaur Ji Niwas and NRI Niwas.