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Prof. Charanjit Singh Shah (Founding Principal of Creative Group) and Ar. Gurpreet Shah (Principal Architect, Creative Group) have been selected as consultant designers for the Kartarpur Landport Terminal. The Kartarpur corridor, from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to the international border, is to facilitate Indian pilgrims visiting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of the Ravi river, in Pakistan, where Guru Nanak spent 18 years. Pilgrims would be able to visit the holy shrine throughout the year. 

The Kartarpur corridor will be implemented as an integrated development project with Government of India funding, to provide smooth and easy passage, with all the modern amenities. The Government of Pakistan will be urged to recognize the sentiments of the Sikh community and to develop a corridor with suitable facilities in their territory as well.

Prof. Charanjit Singh Shah says, “This project began with the idea to create a landport similar to an airport that would facilitate easy transit for visitors to the shrine. When we were first invited to do this, it was felt that the Terminal would cater to 500 visitors. Now, that number has become 5000. In future, it may be 25,000. Guru Nanak’s philosophy of unity and peace are not confined to any one religion, it has a universal appeal. Our challenge was to ready the plan in a way that the structure could be built and be ready for his 550th birth anniversary celebrations in November 2019.”

The landport is disabled-friendly and has all facilities of an airport, such as state-of-the-art surveillance, security, immigration and clearance facilities, and body scanners. It attempts to create a synergy between the Guru’s philosophy and the visual, built form. Prof. Shah says, “The form of the main building originates from the religious symbol (Khanda) of Sikhism. Guru Nanak's universal message of the oneness of god and truthful living is conceptualised by the Mool Mantra (Ek Onkar Satnam) throughout the landport building and into the landscape and surrounding areas. This has been done in the form of a Wall of Pride and Wall of Unity depicting and expressing Guru Nanak's journey.” A gateway crowns the port with a composition of five petals symbolise the five vows of Sikhism. 

“A building should not be treated as a mass of brick and concrete,” says Prof. Shah, “but as a living organism which breathes and embodies within the nature.”

In envisioning the 20,000 sq m project, architect Gurpreet Singh Shah sought to pay a physical homage to Guru Nanak while symbolizing the universal message of oneness and humanity through various elements of visuals, dimensions, space and volume, and establishing an environment which is spiritually-empowered.

Prof. Shah says, “We want to create architecture that is unique to India. We have used similar ideas at the airports in Bhubaneshwar and Shirdi and the mass transit terminal at Varanasi.”