India’s largest hospitality project to come up in Amritsar
Sudipta Dev – Mumbai
At a distance of nine km from the Golden Temple, the largest hospitality project in the country will come up in Amritsar, targeting in particular the NRI segment. It will be a mixed use property with 1,113 rooms, with 75 per cent of the rooms marketed as timeshare. Due to the large inventory of rooms a part of the focused initiatives would be developing the Sikh pilgrim circuit in and around Amritsar. Attracting more visitors than even the Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple is the most popular destination for the NRI populace. “A lot of people come down to Amritsar once, twice or sometimes thrice a year. There are a many gurdwaras in Punjab that people want to visit, as they stay abroad and want to connect to their faith. Then, there is the Virasat-e-Khalsa ( Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex) in Anandpur Sahib,” said Vikas Anand, executive director, DJB Infrastructures and Developers India, the company which is developing the property.
Punjab gets only a small per cent of the total inbound tourist arrivals, if the religious circuit gets developed, the state should be able to garner a larger pie. DJB Infrastructures and Developers India is an FDI company with many construction activities in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The first phase will be operational by 2017 end and will include 370 odd rooms. The project will include a two lakh sq feet club called Club Ambarsar, which will have the best amenities that a world class club can offer, for instance, a bowling alley, infinity edge swimming pool, 27,000 sq ft indoor banquet space, squash court, badminton court, tennis court, and high-end restaurants.
The Punjab government had in 2013 approved the `250 crore Sikh Circuit Tourism Development plan. The circuit covers the three Sikh Takhts in Punjab, that is the Akal Takht, Keshgarh Sahib and Damdama Sahib. The plan envisages development of important destinations of Sikh heritage including Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi and other places. The plan also includes setting up of interpretation centres, art and culture centres.