After the fuss, Amritsar decks up for the queen

With the confirmation of Queen Elizabeth's trip to Amritsar, the Golden Temple complex is receiving a fresh coat of paint. The queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, will visit the city on October 14.

Confirmation of the visit was officially received by the Punjab government and Deputy Commissioner Amarjit Singh. The queen will pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and then pay homage to the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The temple walls are being given a fresh coat of white paint and the work is expected to be completed next fortnight. The work of replacing the gold plates of the Harmandir Sahib, which began about a year ago, is taking place in full swing.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, however, says the shrine is being given a facelift as part of the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Ram Dass, Amritsar's founder and the fourth Sikh guru, on October 16.

The SGPC will honour the queen with a saffron siropa (robe of honour), present a sword and a model of the Golden Temple to her. The sword will be heavier (in weight) than other swords presented to visiting dignitaries, while the model temple will be gold plated.

Tohra is expected to meet a team of British officials on September 21 and 22 to finalise the queen's programme. British officials will also meet district officials and members of the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust committee.

Punjab Director General of Police P C Dogra will visit Amritsar in the next few days to finalise the security arrangements. Members of the Special Protection Group are also expected to help in the security arrangements.

The queen will be received at the airport by Governor B K N Chhibber, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra and other dignitaries. A guard of honour will be presented to the her at the airport.

The queen will arrive before noon and proceed to the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh. The deputy commissioner revealed that the entire route from the Raja Sansi airport to the Golden Temple will be decorated, and the city suitably spruced up for the occasion.