The Chief Minister's Office of Rajasthan announced on Sunday, 21 June 2026, that Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 41 development works valued at over ₹74 crore in Aburaj, Sirohi district. The event, held as a Dhanyawaad Sabha evam Sant Samagam (thanksgiving assembly and saints' congregation), also marked the formal restoration of the name Aburaj for the Abu Parvat area.

Context

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Sharma invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guiding principle of 'Virasat bhi, Vikas bhi' ('Heritage too, Development too'), stating that 'today the country is moving forward with Prime Minister Modi's core mantra of heritage alongside development.' He framed the name restoration as consistent with that philosophy, saying the renaming of Abu Parvat to Aburaj 'is not merely a change of name — it is respect for our culture, our heritage, the faith of the people, and the sentiments of the sant samaj.'

The event brought together state ministers, elected representatives, religious leaders and a large number of devotees and residents of Sirohi. Among those present were Panchayati Raj Minister of State Ota Ram Dewasi, Industries and Commerce Minister of State K.K. Vishnoi, Members of Parliament Madan Rathore and Lumbaram Chaudhary, MLA Samaram, and Mahant Pratappuri.

Policy Backdrop

The 'Virasat bhi, Vikas bhi' framework has been a central plank of the BJP-led central government since 2014, used to justify pairing physical infrastructure investment with heritage-linked cultural measures at sites of religious or historical significance. Rajasthan, under the BJP government that returned to power in December 2023 with Bhajanlal Sharma as Chief Minister, has adopted the same dual-track approach at the district level.

The pattern — announcing multiple local works at a single high-visibility event while foregrounding a heritage or symbolic narrative — has been replicated across BJP-governed states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. The presence of religious figures such as Mahant Pratappuri alongside elected officials underscores the deliberate convergence of governance and cultural messaging.

Stakeholders and Impact

Mount Abu, situated in Sirohi district, is Rajasthan's only hill station and a prominent Jain pilgrimage destination, drawing visitors from across the country. The 41 development works — spanning an investment of over ₹74 crore — are expected to benefit local residents, pilgrims, and the tourism ecosystem of the Aburaj region. The sant samaj (community of religious leaders) has been identified as a key stakeholder in the name-restoration decision, reflecting the administration's effort to align governance with the sentiments of religious communities in the area.

State ministers and MPs attending the event signals that the government views the Sirohi–Mount Abu corridor as a priority zone for both infrastructure delivery and cultural outreach ahead of future electoral cycles.

What's Next

Observers will watch for follow-through on the 41 projects in subsequent state budget allocations and any tourism master-plan updates covering the Aburaj corridor. The name restoration could also prompt parallel proposals for other heritage sites across Rajasthan, a trend seen in other BJP-governed states. The government's ability to deliver the announced works on schedule will be a key metric for assessing the administration's district-level execution capacity under Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.