A world-class concert centre, spread over 25 acres, to host international shows and large-scale cultural events, at Sarangpur is among the flagship projects proposed by the Chandigarh Administration’s Tourism Department under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. A comprehensive plan on the centre was presented before the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria, at Punjab Raj Bhawan on Tuesday. The presentation was led by Secretary (Tourism), Mandip Singh Brar, and attended by senior officials including Vivek Pratap Singh, Principal Secretary to Governor Punjab; Abhijit Vijay Chaudhari, Special Secretary to Administrator, Chandigarh; and Pradhuman Singh, Director Tourism. Apart from the concert centre, the Tourism Department showcased several visionary initiatives to boost Chandigarh’s cultural and recreational infrastructure while retaining its unique identity as the modernist capital designed by Le Corbusier. These include a digital museum at Le Corbusier Centre featuring immersive AR-VR experiences; the revival of Corbusier’s unrealised concept of a Museum of Knowledge, envisioned as a hub for research and global knowledge exchange; and a Natural History Museum highlighting India’s biodiversity, geology, and evolution with interactive exhibits and children’s discovery zones. The department also proposed upgradation of tourist amenities at Rock Garden, Dhanas Lake, and city gardens, along with eco-tourism and heritage circuits. Appreciating the initiatives, Kataria emphasised balancing tourism growth with sustainability and expressed confidence that these projects will position Chandigarh as a leading international tourist destination.
