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In election season, leaders throng to temples to mark Ravidas birth anniversary
PM Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Shri Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham Mandir and joined devotees in singing bhajans
Politicians across India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the 645th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas on Wednesday with an eye on millions of the ascetic’s followers, especially from the Dalit communities, who are a crucial bloc in the ongoing assembly elections.
Modi offered prayers at the Shri Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham Mandir in Karol Bagh, New Delhi, and joined devotees in singing bhajans. The PM said he was fortunate that he got an opportunity to undertake development work at Ravidas’s birthplace in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency.
“With the inspiration of Sant Ravidas ji, our government is running on the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas. Our schemes are focused on the welfare of the poor, downtrodden, exploited, backward, and deprived. Those who ran the government in Uttar Pradesh before 2017 did not like Sant Ravidas ji,” said Modi in a rally in Sitapur later in the day.
Channi reached the temple in Varanasi at around 5am and offered prayers. “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.
At around 10 am, Yogi Adityanath offered prayers to Sant Ravidas at the temple. “Under the guidance of PM Modi, the double engine government of BJP is working diligently for the overall development of the holy birthplace of Sant Ravidas,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi reached the temple around noon, served ‘prasad’ to the devotees at the ‘langar’ in the temple. They also ate ‘prasad’. “Hearty congratulations on the occasion of birth of Guru Ravidas Ji, who gave the message of unity and brotherhood,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted later.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati paid tributes to Guru Ravidas and cautioned against leaders paying obeisance at his birthplace for selfish motives.
Ravidas, a 14th century poet and ascetic, called for social equality and has millions of followers, especially among Dalits, for his exhortations against casteism. The followers of Ravidas are an especially powerful voting bloc in Punjab, which goes to the polls on Sunday.
