BJP to Celebrate Sant Ravidas’ 650th Birth Anniversary with Nationwide ‘Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan’: Arjun Munda

Ranchi: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will celebrate the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Shiromani Guru Ravidas on a grand scale through a nationwide ‘Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan’ (Harmony Resolution Campaign). The campaign will run from July 29, 2026 (Guru Purnima) to February 20, 2027 (Sant Ravidas Jayanti/Maghi Purnima), spanning nearly seven months.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Munda said the campaign aims to spread Sant Ravidas’ message of social harmony, equality, and brotherhood to every village and household across the country. Jharkhand, he said, will actively participate in the nationwide initiative.

As part of the launch on July 29, a ‘Samrasta Deep Mahotsav’ will be organised at temples and religious places across the country, where lamps symbolising social harmony will be lit to promote unity, hope, and celebration.

Munda also announced the launch of the Kalash Vandan Abhiyan from Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi, the birthplace of Sant Ravidas. Sacred soil from the site will be carried in ceremonial urns and taken to BJP organisational units across the country up to the mandal level. Additionally, a Samrasta Yatra will be organised from Jalandhar to Varanasi between October 5 and November 5, with details of other programmes to be announced in due course.

He said the campaign is not merely an event but an effort to channel India’s spiritual heritage, philosophy, and cultural strength into a renewed national consciousness.

Munda noted that the campaign has been initiated by the BJP’s national organisation, with its roadmap prepared under the party’s national leadership. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed the need for the nation to imbibe the values reflected in Sant Ravidas’ life and teachings as part of building a stronger and more inclusive India.

Highlighting Sant Ravidas’ contribution, Munda described him as a guiding spiritual force whose teachings and actions gave a new direction to society. He urged people to embrace the saint’s ideals of harmony and equality to strengthen social cohesion.

Referring to Sant Ravidas’ famous saying, “Man changa to kathauti mein Ganga” (“If the mind is pure, the Ganga is present even in a small vessel”), Munda said the message underscores the importance of purity, openness, and nobility of mind. He said the BJP’s extensive programme to honour Sant Ravidas has a broader social and nationalist objective—to inspire people to follow the saint’s ideals and contribute to the creation of a harmonious society and nation through collective participation.