The Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib is set to get a major facelift by 2016.

A member of the shrine’s managing committee said its interiors would get stone and gold carvings at an estimated expenditure of around Rs 400 crore to Rs 500 crore.

R.S. Jeet, the senior vice-president of the managing committee of Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib, told The Telegraph: “On January 5, 2017, we would celebrate the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh. We have decided to give a facelift to the gurdwara before the occasion. Therefore, all the renovation work would be completed before 2016.”

Once the renovation is over, visitors would get a glimpse of the Golden Temple at Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib, said Jeet. “We have decided to get the gold carving done in the interiors of the gurdwara. Around 7kg of gold would be used in the carvings, which would be done by artisans from Amritsar. Iran-based artisans would do the stone carvings with precious and durable stones. The Golden Temple in Amritsar attracts thousands of visitors every year, we want the same for Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib,” Jeet said.

Non-resident Indians (NRIs), too, have shown interest in the renovation work. “Apart from the members of the managing committee, some NRIs are also contributing money for the renovation work,” Jeet said.

The managing committee plans to construct dharamshalas with 1,000 rooms.

“We are planning to make dharamshalas for our VVIP guests. Of 1,000 rooms, 200 would be air-conditioned. We would install water coolers at the gurdwara and replace the old speakers with new ones,” Jeet said.

The managing committee has requested tourism minister Sunil Kumar and road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav to develop the neighbouring areas of the gurdwara.

“The NRI devotees of Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib express dissatisfaction while passing through the road leading to the gurdwara. There is illegal encroachment and no proper drainage system in Patna City. We hope that the government would look into the matter,” Jeet said.