Badal, who chaired a meeting of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation to review the arrangements, reiterated his appeal to celebrate the event collectively on a common platform to demonstrate the concept of unity of mankind and human brotherhood.

He said work on the Rs 160 crore Khalsa Heritage Complex had been taken up and would be completed within a year and a half. The martial arts academy being set up at Anandpur Sahib would be functional very shortly. The city has already been painted white.

Finance Minister Kanwaljit Singh, who is the chairman of the Planning and Implementation Committee, said a 3-day international seminar on the Khalsa value system in the 21st century would begin in Chandigarh on April 2 which would be attended by eminent scholars, historians and several political leaders including former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

He said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would release the book ``The Khalsa - A Saga of Excellence'' at Anandpur Sahib on April 8. An exhibition of Sikh relics and paintings is being organised at Anandpur Sahib from April 6 to April 20. He said an exhibition of books on Sikh Gurus and history was also being put up along with the exhibition of relics. A philatelic exhibition would also be organised.

The Finance Minister said a light and sound programme had been arranged at Qila Anandgarh Sahib to portray the history of the formation of the Khalsa.

Anandpur Sahib would be illuminated for a week during the celebrations and decorative arches and gates are being put up in the area. President K.R. Narayanan would release a special commemorative stamp at Rashtrapati Bhavan on April 9.

Akali Dal secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and trustee of the Foundation said a sports festival would be organised at Anandpur Sahib from April 9 to 13 and teams from Pakistan and some central Asian countries were likely to participate.