“A building cannot be experienced as independent of the land in which it is rooted.”

-Ar. Moshe Safdie, Principal Architect of one of the most visited and magnificent museum of the country- “Virasat-e-Khalsa”.

Anticipating by the name of the museum, a lot of people must have correctly guessed it to be associated with Sikhism and Punjab. As quoted by the designer, the location of this dynamic structure is quite accurate, since it is situated in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, which is the birthplace of Khalsa, founded by the Sikh Gurus in 1699, on Baisakhi. This 100 acre site, situated 85km from Chandigarh is dedicated solely for the purpose of emphasizing the messages of the 10 Sikh Gurus, their struggles and individual stories and also showcasing the history of Punjab, in a rather unique way.

Along with these factors, there is a religious and historical significance to the site as well; with the rivers, ravines, Anandpur Sahib Gurudwara and fort located nearby.   

The primary feeling that is ignited within a visitor is a sense of visual grandeur, calmness and utmost positivity. The light- brown coloured sandstone towers along with lush green gardens and reflective water bodies, represent the theme of Earth and Sky, mass and lightness and depth and ascension, extremely effectively.

As one enters the space, the feeling of openness and astonishment engulfs you. The entire structure is divided into two zones, West and East, which are separated by a water body that produces the reflections of these glorious towers, creating a feeling of awe. For a person to go from one zone to another, a 165 meter long connecting bridge runs across the two mega structures.

Architect Moshe Safdie, who is a Boston based Israeli architect, along with his associate architect, Mr. Ashok Dhawan and exhibition designer, Mr. Amardeep Behl, from Delhi, conceptualized each space beautifully by balancing the religious factors, the requisites of the visitors and the aesthetics of the site itself. By designing the Museum as an iconic structure, they managed to keep the sentiments of the people, the significance of the site context and the spirit of the Sikh history intact.

The Western Zone is comparatively smaller and comprises of the entrance plaza, an auditorium of 400 seats, temporary exhibition galleries, a two-storied research centre and a library full of journals, books and periodicals on Sikhism, for a vast variety of people. The Eastern complex comprises of permanent exhibit galleries celebrating 500 years of Sikh history and 300^th anniversary of the Khalsa, the Sikh army. 

The first gallery that the visitor enters is a structure designed in the shape of a boat, also known as the heritage building, lying in the Eastern complex. The interiors of these exhibition spaces are an exceptional portrayal of art; consisting of the largest hand-painted mural in the world, spanning over three floors, and a number of intricate paintings and art installations in a 360 degree view, all showcasing the present culture of Punjab.   

After a meticulous study of Sikhism, the architects designed the flower building that consists of five individual towers, depicting the lives of the five beloved Sikh Gurus of Guru Gobind Singh. The roofs these towers, made of stainless steel, are in the shape of the petals of a flower. Each petal houses a gallery tracing the life history of the gurus from birth to martyrdom, and also contains the holy book of Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, at the highest altitude in this building of the Eastern Zone.

One of the most captivating features of these towers is that the visitor is given an individual audio-headset with language selections like Pujnabi, Hindi and English for the varied masses, which starts playing the story that is being depicted in that area, automatically. This enables all kinds of visitors to understand each portrayal, effectively and becomes an enjoyable experience.      

Architecturally glorified, the entire structure as an entity is worth exploring and visiting, for a wide array of people. Inaugurated in November 2011, a survey of 150 museums by the British Council revealed that the Virasat-e-Khalsa attracted 10 million visitors over the past years out of which about 20% were NRIs and foreigners.

To create an exciting massing of the buildings, the architects designed all the towers in cylindrical, square and triangular shapes, which appear to be rising out of sand cliffs. Apart from these tall towers, a round shaped building lies amongst the petals of the flower building, which is a memorial dedicated to the 10 divine spiritual masters of Punjab. 

A long with the two distinct blocks in the Eastern Zone; the boat and flower building, lies another structure which is crescent shaped and its roofs create petal like projections. This area consists of murals, installations, animations and short movies for the visitors to gain more knowledge of the history. The roofs are covered in stainless steel which figuratively reflects the skylight towards the Anandpur Sahib Gurudwara situated nearby. After the sun sets, the entire building is illuminated and the lights are reflected off the metals sheets that create a large silhouette forming the night skyline, which is a visual treat for the visitors and residents of Anandpur Sahib.

The materials used for the structure are a combination of local materials like hand-chiselled Gwalior sandstone and modern elements like stainless steel, glass and thematic carpets. The building evokes the fortress architecture of Punjab and Northern India, and the spirit of nature by using materials that are the same colours as the hills along with the gardens and pools. 

Open spaces for exhibitions and an amphitheatre for cultural performances, are accompaniments of these spectacular towers. Public facilities and cafeterias are located at the bottom of the bridge overlooking the site in its serene form. The series of reflecting pool create a seven acre water body between the two major zones and the arcaded walkways and gardens situated on both the sides, subtly cascade towards them.