CM Bhagwant Mann lays foundation of Guru Ravidas Bani study centre
Synopsis
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann laid the foundation stone of the Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Bani Adhyayan Kendra at Dera Sachkhand Ballan on 9 August 2026. The ₹24.55 crore centre will offer degree-level study of Guru Ravidas's bani. The Punjab government has separately allocated ₹100 crore for the saint-poet's 650th Prakash Purab celebrations.
Key Takeaways
CM Bhagwant Mann laid the foundation stone of the Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Bani Adhyayan Kendra at Dera Sachkhand Ballan on 9 August 2026 .
The study centre will cost ₹24.55 crore and will enable students to earn formal degrees in Guru Ravidas Ji's bani.
The foundation was laid in the presence of Padma Shri Sant Baba Niranjan Das Ji , spiritual head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan.
The Punjab government has earmarked a separate ₹100 crore for statewide celebrations of Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji's 650th Prakash Purab .
Mann described spreading the sacred message of Gurus, saints and bhagats to every corner of Punjab as a government duty.
A ₹24.55 crore institution dedicated to the teachings of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji took its first physical form on Sunday, 9 August 2026, as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann laid the foundation stone of the Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Bani Adhyayan Kendra at Dera Sachkhand Ballan — one of Punjab's most significant centres of Ravidassia faith — in the presence of Padma Shri Sant Baba Niranjan Das Ji, the institution's revered spiritual head.
Mann announced that the centre will offer students formal academic study of Guru Ravidas Ji's bani, leading to recognised degrees — a step that moves the saint-poet's teachings from the realm of devotion into the architecture of higher education. 'ਸਾਡੇ ਬੱਚੇ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਐਨ ਕਰਨਗੇ ਤੇ ਡਿਗਰੀਆਂ ਹਾਸਲ ਕਰਨਗੇ' — 'our children will study the bani of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji and earn degrees' — the Chief Minister wrote on X.₹100 crore and a 650th Prakash Purab on the horizon
The foundation stone is not a standalone gesture. The Punjab government has already earmarked ₹100 crore to celebrate Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji's 650th Prakash Purab — the anniversary of the saint-poet's birth — on a scale the state has not attempted before. The Adhyayan Kendra is the most tangible infrastructure piece of that larger commemorative vision. Sri Guru Ravidas Ji, the 15th-century saint-poet from Varanasi, composed verses that found a place in the Guru Granth Sahib and became the spiritual cornerstone of the Ravidassia community — a tradition with deep roots in Punjab's Dalit population. His message of human dignity, devotion, and the rejection of caste hierarchy has carried across six centuries; a degree-granting centre in his name is, in that sense, a very modern extension of a very old conversation.Dera Sachkhand Ballan: where faith meets institution-building
Dera Sachkhand Ballan, located in Jalandhar district, is the pre-eminent institution of the Ravidassia tradition in Punjab. Under the leadership of Padma Shri Sant Baba Niranjan Das Ji, it has long been a centre not just of worship but of social and educational outreach for the community. The Chief Minister's choice to anchor the new Kendra here — and to lay the stone in Sant Baba Niranjan Das Ji's presence — signals both respect for the institution's standing and a deliberate partnership between state and community. Mann closed his post with a duty framed in plain terms: 'ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨਾਂ, ਸੰਤਾਂ ਤੇ ਭਗਤਾਂ ਦੀ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਸੰਦੇਸ਼ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਹਰ ਕੋਨੇ ਤੱਕ ਪਹੁੰਚਾਉਣਾ ਸਾਡਾ ਫਰਜ਼ ਹੈ' — 'it is our duty to carry the sacred message of the Gurus, saints and bhagats to every corner of Punjab.' With ₹124.55 crore now committed across the study centre and the Prakash Purab budget, the government has put a precise number on that duty.Point of View
Sustained engagement with the Ravidassia community, which forms a significant portion of the state's Dalit population, carries clear electoral logic alongside genuine cultural intent. The ₹100 crore Prakash Purab budget and the ₹24.55 crore centre together represent a pattern of state-funded religious-cultural infrastructure that Punjab governments across party lines have used to consolidate community relationships. What distinguishes this iteration is the academic dimension — embedding bani study within a formal degree framework — which could set a template for how the state engages with other saint-poet traditions going forward.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Bani Adhyayan Kendra?
It is a new study centre being built at Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Punjab where students will be able to formally study the bani of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji and earn academic degrees. The centre has been sanctioned at a cost of ₹24.55 crore.
Where is Dera Sachkhand Ballan located?
Dera Sachkhand Ballan is located in Jalandhar district, Punjab. It is the pre-eminent religious and social institution of the Ravidassia community in the state.
Who is Sant Baba Niranjan Das Ji?
Sant Baba Niranjan Das Ji is a Padma Shri recipient and the spiritual head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan. He was present at the foundation stone ceremony on 9 August 2026.
How much has the Punjab government allocated for Guru Ravidas Ji's 650th Prakash Purab?
The Punjab government has set aside ₹100 crore to celebrate Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji's 650th Prakash Purab on a large scale across the state.
Who was Guru Ravidas Ji?
Sri Guru Ravidas Ji was a 15th-century saint-poet whose compositions are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. He is especially revered by the Ravidassia community and is known for his teachings on human dignity, devotion, and the rejection of caste discrimination.
