Pb govt to celebrate 650th Parkash Purab of Guru Ravidas

Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt on Thursday announced that it would celebrate the 650th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas on a grand scale, with year-long events.These events will commence on February 4, 2026, with Akhand Path at Khuralgarh Sahib and will conclude in February 2027. In November 2026, Katha Kirtan Darbar and Begampura events will be held at Khuralgarh Sahib, in which religious and other eminent personalities will also participate. "The events will be organised under the guidance of saints, great men and religious sects," said an official spokesperson.The first meeting of the cabinet sub-committee in this regard was held on Thursday, led by the panel chairman and finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Ministers Lal Chand Kataruchak and Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, cultural affairs adviser Deepak Bali, secretary tourism Kumar Amit, and director Tourism Sanjeev Tiwari were present.The meeting was also attended by Sant Nirmal Das, Sant Inder Das, Sant Jagir Singh, Satyawan, Krishna Kumar, and Raj Kapoor from Dera Ballan. Bibi Santosh Kumari and scholar Raj Kumar Hans also attended.A roadmap for the commemorative events was presented, which includes programmes related to the life, education, and travels of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji to be organised in villages across Punjab from February 26, 2026, to February 2027."Seminars and workshops, special kirtan events, pilgrimages, school-level competitions, documentary shows, drone shows, issuance of Guruji commemorative coins, blood donation camps, plantation campaigns, marathons, shobha yatras, and psychedelic rallies were planned, and these will be organised," he said.Cheema said monthly events were drawn up as part of the celebrations. "Four Shobha Yatras will be organised from Varanasi to Khuralgarh Sahib, Faridkot to Khuralgarh Sahib, Bathinda to Khuralgarh Sahib, and Jammu to Khuralgarh Sahib. A special logo will be prepared for these events, and a commemorative coin dedicated to Sri Guru Ravidas Ji will also be released," he said.