Behind digital museum on Guru Nanak: Rs 19 crore, experts on Sikhism and a private firm

The mobile digital museum and the light and sound shows would be showcased at 26 places, including Dera Baba Nanak, Sultanpur Lodhi and Batala.

4 min readChandigarhUpdated: Oct 8, 2019 03:45 PM IST

Behind digital museum on Guru Nanak: Rs 19 crore, experts on Sikhism and a private firm

The museum depicts the life of the Guru at the time of his birth, youth, engagement, at Sultanpur Lodhi, and Kartarpur Sahib. It also has his ‘udasis’. (File Photo)

It took Rs 19 crore, over a month, several experts on Sikhism, and a digital team from a Gurgaon-based private company to put together a digital museum, a light and sound show and a floating show to depict life and times of Guru Nanak Dev, being showcased on the first Sikh master’s 550th birth anniversary celebrations.

The mobile digital museum was inaugurated by Cabinet ministers Charanjit Singh Channi and Balbir Singh Sidhu at Mohali on Monday. The mobile digital museum, created after joining four trucks, and the light and sound shows would be showcased at 26 places including all 22 districts, and three places – Dera Baba Nanak, Sultanpur Lodhi and Batala – associated with the life of Guru Nanak. It will also be showcased in joint capital Chandigarh.

Punjab government decided to choose CS-Direkt, a Gurgaon based company, through a tendering process after going through presentations. The company was behind laser and sound show at 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh in Patna.

Considering the sensitivity of the issue the government did not want to take any chances, “We had an expert who is a Padam Shri and other Sikh scholars to vet the script before finalising the shows. It is a sensitive issue and we wanted to make sure that we did not make any mistakes so as to hurt anyone’s religious feeling,” said Anindita Mitra, director, department of public relations.

She said, “We wanted the teachings of the Guru to be conveyed to people through a novel concept. All the ‘sakhis’ and ‘udasis’ of the Guru are included in the brief narration of less than half an hour”.

She said that in Sultanpur Lodhi, where the main celebratory function is being organised, a novel light and sound show would be presented at the main pandal every evening from November 5 to 15. “The show will have live actors to tell the story of the Guru.”

The museum depicts the life of the Guru at the time of his birth, youth, engagement, at Sultanpur Lodhi, and Kartarpur Sahib. It also had his ‘udasis’ (travels).

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According to Palak Datta from CS-Direkt, the museum and the shows showcase the life of the Guru on a real time space and 270 degree projection. The museum was transported from Delhi where it was fabricated and created. “It can accommodate 20-25 people at a time. Behind the facade of the museum is a pandal for light and sound shows, to accommodate 2,000 people.”

“We have a large team of researchers, IT experts, animators and designers. A number of them will move with the mobile museum to ensure that shows work well,” said Datta.

The entire project also includes a floating light and sound show with water used as projector screen for the digital shows. It would be undertaken at Sukhna lake in Chandigarh and Beas and Satluj rivers.

As per the contract, the state government would have Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of the shows. While the company would be allowed to take away the hardware part, the creative and the soft material would be state’s property. The government is mulling to use these creatives at one of state’s heritage museums, said a source.

Kanchan Vasdev

Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India. Professional Background Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state. Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions. Special Projects: Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship. Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government: 1. Legislative & Governance Standoffs "Punjab govt advances special Assembly session to pass resolution against VB-G RAM G Bill" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the state's move to block the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" mission, which the state claims will undermine MGNREGA. "Punjab govt doubles down on special sessions, sixth in January" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing the AAP government's use of special sessions as a legislative tool amid tensions with the Governor. "Punjab asks 'VIP teachers' working near Chandigarh to go back to border districts" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on CM Mann's move to end the practice of influential teachers avoiding postings in remote areas. 2. Political Analysis & Rural Polls "Punjab rural polls: Why Akalis are likened to dinosaurs in Punjab" (Dec 19, 2025): Analyzing CM Bhagwant Mann's rhetoric against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following local body elections. "AAP claims win in 78% Punjab zila parishads as counting continues" (Dec 18, 2025): Breaking down the results of the 2025 rural elections. "Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu alike, says Bhagwant Mann" (Dec 13, 2025): Covering the CM's critique of the Congress leadership. 3. Law Enforcement & Bureaucracy "Suspended Punjab IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal awaits reinstatement" (Dec 10, 2025): Investigative reporting on the bureaucratic red tape involving the Election Commission and the state government. "Punjab declines to give parole to Amritpal Singh" (Nov 27, 2025): Detailing the state government's refusal to grant parole to the radical preacher and sitting MP. 4. Welfare & Economy "Punjab government's plan to add more freebies to 'atta-dal' scheme hits funds roadblock" (Dec 4, 2024): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing the state's flagship food security program. "Mann leads Punjab delegation to Japan and South Korea for investor outreach" (Dec 2, 2025). Signature Beat Kanchan Vasdev is known for her insider access to Punjab's political executive. Her writing provides deep insights into how state policies are formulated and the friction points between the state government and central authorities. Her dual expertise in environment and law allows her to report on complex issues like the "Farmhouse Policy" (Dec 18, 2025) and river pollution with a unique policy-oriented lens. X (Twitter): @kanchan99 ... Read More

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