Philanthropist comes up with unique jora ghar concept

Jalandhar

Ahead of the 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak, philanthropist SPS Oberoi has come up with a unique concept to manage jora ghars (shoe racks) outside eight historical gurdwaras in Sultanpur Lodhi.
Oberoi has donated 2.5 lakh slippers (hawai chappals), which will be kept outside these gurdwaras for the convenience of devotees so that they should not face the problem of repeatedly depositing their footwear and taking them back from jora ghars as they tour around various religious and historical places in the town.

About 2 lakh slippers have already been kept at Gurdwara Ber Sahib and the remaining 2,000-5,000 in other gurdwaras. Outlining the concept, the Dubai-based hotelier shared, “The number of devotees paying a visit to gurdwaras has already started rising and there are long queues everywhere. Now on, the devotees will be able to deposit their footwear in the biggest jora ghar at Ber Sahib gurdwara and then go on from there picking a chappal from the dump. When they end their tour, they can again come back at Ber Sahib, dump the chappal and get back their original footwear.”
Oberoi, who has spent Rs 70 lakh on chappals, says, “We got chappals of all sizes, including those for men, women and children.” He said he got the concept after discussion on the arrangements with Jalandhar Zonal IG Naunihal Singh. “The police have been focussing a lot on how to avoid long queues, stampedes and panic reactions among devotees. So, I proposed this concept on which the officials readily agreed,” he added. The officials said that some chappals would be dumped in the tent cities too.

Oberoi is also in the process of setting up two new laboratories for biochemical tests in Sultanpur Lodhi. “We have taken two shops where eight technicians will be doing all tests, including ECG and X-Rays. In all, we will be opening 50 such laboratories in the state where the charges levied will be 10 per cent of the market rates.”