Museum as storage room? Panaroma faces neglect

The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama is in a state of neglect, with the museum now being misused as a storage facility. Construction materials, garbage bins, brooms and sanitation equipment related to the Smart City project are lying stored inside the museum. Despite receiving around 20 to 50 visitors daily, most tourists leave disappointed due to the poor upkeep of the site. In the swelter

ing summer heat, with air-conditioners lying defunct, it becomes difficult to spend even a few minutes inside the museum. Makeshift fans have been installed in the main hall to provide some relief.

The Panorama, an aesthetically designed cylindrical building located near the historic Summer Palace in Ram Bagh, was built in 2006 at a cost of Rs 5 crore by the National Council of Science Museums, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was created to visually document and celebrate the life and legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The facility was later handed over to the Municipal Corporation, which is now using it as a storehouse. Large amounts of sanitation equipment, along with tractors and garbage trucks, are parked in the main green park area of the Panorama. Ironically, after spending a huge amount on repair and maintenance several times, there has been no change in the condition.

Amit Kumar, a visitor from Jhansi, expressed his disappointment: “It looks more like a dump yard than a museum. We hired a taxi from the Golden Temple after seeing the Panorama listed as a tourist spot by the Tourism Department. But we were shocked to see bins and other sanitation material stored inside. It’s disheartening, the government is misleading tourists.”

Advocate Kuljeet Singh, president of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Virasat Manch, strongly criticised the development: “The government should take back Ram Bagh from the Municipal Corporation and hand it over to an agency concerned with heritage and tourism. The historic garden has been reduced to a parking lot, and the museum is being used as a storage room. What kind of cultural and heritage promotion is this?”

Spl Gurmat programme

The SGPC has announced it will organise a special Gurmat programme at Ram Bagh, which also houses the Summer Palace of the legendary Sikh King, on June 29 to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja ranjit Singh. The three-hour long religious programme will commence at 10 am. The decision was taken on the directions of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj. After a Sikh jatha to Pakistan to observe the death anniversary was cancelled this time due to India-Pakistan hostilities, Sikh bodies and the Sangat approached the Akal Takht to observe it in Amritsar.

Amritsar