Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi offered prayers at Sant Shiromani Guru Ravidas Janma Asthan Mandir in Varanasi on Sant Ravidas’s 645th birth anniversary on Wednesday.
His Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath and Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi too offered prayers and extended greetings to the people on Ravidas Jayanti.
Channi reached the temple around 5 am and offered prayers. Thereafter, he met Sant Niranjnan Das and took his blessings. He also heard “armitvani”, containing hymns of Guru Ravidas.
Niranjan Das is chairman of Shri Guru Ravidas Janma Sthan Public Charitable Trust, Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi. He is also ‘gaddi nashin’ (spiritual leader) of Dera Sach Khand, which is a religious and social organisation (dera) based in Ballan village near Jalandhar. It was founded by devotees of Ravidas.
“On Ravidas Jayanti, I paid obeisance at Sant Shiromani Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan mandir in Varanasi. Let us imbibe his teachings of love, compassion, mutual tolerance and oneness of mankind,” Channi later tweeted.
Before visiting the temple, Channi visited Kashi Vishwanath temple and offered prayers there.
At around 10 am, Yogi Adityanath offered prayers to Sant Ravidas at the temple and then met Sant Niranjan Das. He also ate prasad at langar on the temple premises. He said: “The state government is working for beautification and tourism development of Seer Govardhan. It is our good fortune that Seer Govardhan, the birthplace of Sant Ravidas, is located in Kashi.”
{{/usCountry}}At around 10 am, Yogi Adityanath offered prayers to Sant Ravidas at the temple and then met Sant Niranjan Das. He also ate prasad at langar on the temple premises. He said: “The state government is working for beautification and tourism development of Seer Govardhan. It is our good fortune that Seer Govardhan, the birthplace of Sant Ravidas, is located in Kashi.”
{{/usCountry}}Congress leaders Priyanka and Rahul offered prayers at the temple at around noon and took blessings of Sant Niranjan Das, who offered them angvastrams (stoles). Priyanka and Rahul also served prasad to the devotees at the langar in the temple.
“Jai Gurudev, Dhan Gurudev,” tweeted Priyanka after offering prayers. Rahul later tweeted: “Hearty congratulations on the occasion of birth of Guru Ravidas Ji, who gave the message of unity and brotherhood.”