Amritsar, November 24
Tourists visiting the holy city will have another destination in Heritage Village from next year. The village, being set up on the precincts of Guru Nanak Dev University here, will offer them Punjabi delicacies.
To create the ambience of a traditional Punjab village and its old-world charm, Punjab Heritage and Promotion Board has created farmhouses and shops with artisans making bangles and traditional juttis.
A block has been reserved for holding melas, once an integral part of country life. Tourists could also stay there. At least 20 rooms are being constructed for the purpose.
In addition, there is a village school, dak ghar (post office), barat ghar (marriage hall), phulkari ghar and an administrative block.
A haveli stands in the middle of the village, characterised by narrow winding brick-laned streets. At the tail-end of the village stands a Punjabi dhaba offering delicacies, including tandoori dishes.
Though the government has announced to open the village within two months, the landscaping is yet to be done. The entire path from the village entrance to the Punjabi dhaba at the tail-end is kutcha too.
The government intends to operate the project on the private-public partnership mode and has entrusted the task of finding a suitable operator to the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board.