Punjab Government Inaugurates Year-Long Commemorations for Guru Ravidas 650th Anniversary
In a significant religious and cultural initiative, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab officially launched year-long observances to mark the 650th anniversary of Guru Ravidas. The commencement ceremony was held at the historical site of Khuralgarh in Hoshiarpur district, where the state-level function commemorating the 649th anniversary took place on Friday.
Comprehensive Plans Announced by Chief Minister
Addressing a large gathering of devotees and religious leaders, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann outlined an ambitious series of programs scheduled to continue until February 20, 2027. The chief minister made several important announcements during his address, emphasizing the government's commitment to honoring the spiritual legacy of Guru Ravidas.
"No financial constraint will be allowed to dilute the scale or sanctity of these celebrations," Mann declared, assuring comprehensive support for all planned activities. He described himself as "a humble participant in this sacred congregation" and expressed feeling blessed to be connected to this hallowed ground.
Major Infrastructure and Research Initiatives
The government revealed several concrete measures to perpetuate Guru Ravidas's teachings:
- Expansion of the existing Guru Ravidas Memorial at Khuralgarh, where Friday's function was conducted
- Establishment of the Sri Guru Ravidas Bani Research Centre at Faridpur, near Dera Ballan in Jalandhar district
- Creation of dedicated academic Chairs at Punjab University and Guru Nanak Dev University to facilitate scholarly research on Guru Ravidas's philosophy
For the research center project specifically, the state government has already acquired 12 acres of land in Faridpur and Nau Gaza villages at a cost of ₹10 crore, demonstrating substantial financial commitment to these initiatives.
Religious Ceremonies and Community Participation
The commemorative day began with the Bhog of Akhand Path, an uninterrupted recitation of Guru Granth Sahib, followed by religious discourses and devotional kirtan performances. Numerous Sants heading different deras of the Ravidasia/Ad-dharmi community participated in the event, with the chief minister acknowledging that the state government would seek guidance from the Sant Samaj throughout the year-long observances.
Punjab ministers, Members of Parliament, and Legislative Assembly members attended the function, while the state government arranged special public transport buses to bring devotees from various locations to Khuralgarh.
Appreciation from Religious Leadership
The Sant Samaj praised the state government's elaborate arrangements for both the 649th anniversary commemoration and the planned year-long events. Sant Nirmal Dass Jaure Wale, president of the Sri Guru Ravidas Sadhu Sampardai Society, expressed special gratitude to the chief minister on behalf of the entire Sant Samaj for outlining comprehensive events at a broad level.
"Guru Ravidas spent over four years in deep devotion at Khuralgarh," Sant Nirmal Dass noted, highlighting the historical significance of the location. Sant Pradeep Das from Dera Ballan termed the occasion historic and appreciated the government's provision of 10 acres of land near Dera Ballan for establishing the research center.
Political and Religious Context
AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia also addressed the gathering, stating, "I feel fortunate to have the privilege of visiting the sacred land of Khuralgarh, which bears the footprints of Guru Ravidas." The chief minister drew parallels with recent commemorations, noting that "the state government recently commemorated the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji through a series of events."
Most Sants from the Ravidasia community who attended Friday's event follow Guru Granth Sahib. This gathering occurred just weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Ravidas Jayanti celebrations at Dera Ballan on February 1. Dera Ballan reveres a separate religious text called "Amrit Bani Guru Ravidas" and announced a new religion called 'Ravidasia' in 2010, though several Sants and deras of the community have continued following Guru Granth Sahib instead.
The year-long observances represent one of the most extensive commemorative programs undertaken by the Punjab government in recent years, combining religious reverence with academic research and infrastructure development to honor one of the region's most revered spiritual figures.
