The world’s first immersive multimedia experience was that of the Golden Temple in Amritsar (Punjab) and Sikhism. An immersive, enveloping and enlightening experiential journey into the history and beliefs of Sikhism – one of the world’s youngest religions – and its consummate soul, Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), was held from 16th April to 15th June, 2019, at Bramalea City Center, Brampton (Ontario, Canada).
Our effort was to create an inspiring experience that could reignite interest in the religious roots and gently advocate the importance of being connected with religion or faith. Our project, the ‘Golden Temple Experium’, was unanimously championed by the leaders of the Sikh faith as the ideal vehicle to re-energize the belief in the faith amongst the younger generation of Sikh immigrants who had made foreign lands their chosen homes.
Armed with the support of community leaders and research on the faith, gleaned from centuries of documented manuscripts and archives, our first project, the ‘Golden Temple Experium’ took shape.
The Golden Temple Experium was spread over 30,000 square feet, with an experience zone of a virtual and mixed reality space, recreating the experience of visiting the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s biggest spiritual center. The sensory experience helped all generations of migrant Sikhs connect with their history and key messages from the Sikh Gurus.
These stories were curated and narrated after extensive research, along with the Sikh Research Institute, for more than 10 months. These messages were explained in today's vocabulary to appeal to the Gen Y and Millennials and were delivered through exciting technologies like gesture sensors, touch walls, etc.
Over 64,000 visitors from around the world witnessed this visually stimulating experience for inspiration, motivation and education. It was an amalgamation of high-end multimedia technology and in-depth research, using smart walls, motion sensors and 42 projectors to recreate the Harmandir Sahib and Sikh history, philosophy and way of life.