Lucknow: President Ram Nath Kovind said on Sunday that the ‘nirvana sthal’ (where he breathed his last) of Sant Kabir was an example of communal harmony and unity. The mausoleum and the tomb of Kabir were located at the same spot. Even after 700 years of his demise, his teachings were popular among the common people as well as intelligentsia.
The President inaugurated the Sant Kabir Academy and Research Institute, Interpretation Centre and renovation work launched at Sant Kabir Sthal at a programme organized in Maghar in Sant Kabir Nagar district.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said Sant Kabir stayed at Maghar for about three years. The area that was considered barren and cursed bloomed with his arrival. On the invitation of Kabir another saint of Nath sect visited Maghar. Due to his influence, the pond here was filled with water. Kabir was a true saint, he understood the sufferings of the people and worked to free them from difficulties, Kovind said.
The life of Kabir was the best example of humanity, the President said, adding he worked to establish harmony in society with his poetry. Kabir was born in a poor and deprived family, but he never considered that deprivation as his weakness, but made it his strength.
Kabir tried to remove superstitions, evils and discrimination from society. He left Kashi at the last moment of his life and went to Maghar. He was a simple saint. He believed that God was not an external entity. God pervaded every particle. His sacred speech influenced saints from Srimant Shankar Dev in the east to Sant Tukaram in the west and Guru Nanak in the north to Guru Ghasidas in Chhattisgarh., Kovind said.
{{/usCountry}}Kabir tried to remove superstitions, evils and discrimination from society. He left Kashi at the last moment of his life and went to Maghar. He was a simple saint. He believed that God was not an external entity. God pervaded every particle. His sacred speech influenced saints from Srimant Shankar Dev in the east to Sant Tukaram in the west and Guru Nanak in the north to Guru Ghasidas in Chhattisgarh., Kovind said.
{{/usCountry}}The President said Kabir travelled to Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat and even a foreign country like Iran. He spread the message of respect, trust, love and friendship among the people.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Sant Kabir opposed orthodoxy. In Kabir’s times it was said that if one visited Maghar one went to hell after death. Kabir came here to prove them wrong and convert the place into a heaven. The state government had launched several projects in Maghar, he said.
The President had inaugurated three big projects – Sant Kabir Academy and Research Institute constructed at a cost of ₹31.49 crore), Interpretation Centre at a cost of ₹17.61 crore and beautification of Kabir Nirvana Sthali, Maghar at a cost of ₹37.66 lakh, he said.
Five years back, river Aami that flows near Maghar and merges with river Rapti in Gorakhpur district was polluted. The pollution made adverse impact on agriculture and animal husbandry. The villagers living near the river faced hardships. The state government launched a work plan to clean the river and free it from pollution. Today the water of the river was clean and Aami was pollution-free, he said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for setting goals for the next 25 years under Amrit Mahotsav programme. He has laid the foundation of the projects inaugurated by President at Maghar. Under Swadesh Darshan Yojana. Ramayana circuit, Krishna circuit, spiritual circuit and Buddhist circuit have been launched at different places in the country. Along with providing better facilities to the people, the projects are generating employment as well,” Yogi said.
The Kashi Dham project launched by the Prime Minister on December 13, 2021 was drawing more than one lakh devotees daily. The projects had generated employment opportunity for the local people. Similar development projects had been launched at Ayodhya, Kushinagar and Kedar Nath in Uttarakhand., he said.