NEW DELHI: BJP MP Tarun Chugh on July 27, announced that the party will observe the 650th birth anniversary year of Guru Ravidas through a nationwide campaign titled ‘Sant Shiromani Shri Guru Ravidas Ji Maharaj Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan’, beginning on July 29 and continuing till February 20, 2027.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Chugh said the seven-month campaign would commence on the occasion of Guru Purnima on July 29, 2026, and conclude on Guru Ravidas’ birth anniversary on February 20, 2027.
He said the process would begin on July 28 at Guru Ravidas’ birthplace in Varanasi, where 131 urns containing soil from the site would be worshipped.
“On July 29, BJP National President Nitin Nabin, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, State President Pankaj Chaudhary, and the entire party leadership will flag off the journey of these 131 urns across the country. The journey of these urns will cover every state and district in the nation,” Chugh said.
He said ‘Kalash Vandana’ programmes would be organised at 21,000 locations across the country between July 29 and September 10. According to Chugh, the campaign will also include programmes at 51,000 temples across the country beginning July 29.
“On the night of 29 July, diyas will be lit in honour of Shri Guru Ravidas in villages and temples across the country at all 51,000 locations. Additionally, a historic Deepmala event will be organised at the Ganga Ghat,” he said.
Earlier on July 24, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the state-level workshop of the Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan, organised to mark the 650th birth anniversary year of Sant Shiromani Guru Ravidas Maharaj at a local hotel on Tyagi Road in Dehradun.
Paying tribute to the revered saint, the Chief Minister said that Guru Ravidas’ teachings and ideals remain timeless and highly relevant for society.
The Chief Minister said that the life of Sant Ravidas symbolises India’s rich cultural tradition that has guided society towards equality, humanity, social justice, and harmony. Through his teachings and exemplary life, he inspired people to rise above social evils such as untouchability, discrimination, and caste-based inequality.
He emphasised that Guru Ravidas believed a person’s identity should be defined not by caste but by character, actions, and values.
(with inputs from ANI)
