A sacred kalash balanced on his head, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami walked from the temple of Sant Shiromani Guru Ravidas Ji to CMD Inter College, Bhagwanpur on Thursday, 30 July 2026 — a gesture that set the tone for a mass rally marking the saint's 650th birth anniversary. The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand announced the event, held at Churiyala, Bhagwanpur in Haridwar district, as the launch of a statewide Kalash Bandhan Maha Rally campaign.

The saint's message at the centre of the rally

Addressing the gathering, CM Dhami framed the event squarely around Guru Ravidas's core teachings. 'Sant Ravidas Ji gave a message of love, equality and humanity during an era of deep social inequalities,' he said, adding that the saint taught society that 'a person becomes great not by birth, but by noble deeds and service to humanity.' He declared that a strong and harmonious nation cannot be built until discrimination is eliminated from society.

The kalash, he noted, is a symbol of auspiciousness, new beginnings and prosperity in Indian culture — and this campaign, in his words, is a maha abhiyan (grand mission) to carry Guru Ravidas's message of samarasta (social harmony) and equality to every household.

Welfare schemes invoked as proof of the inclusive vision

CM Dhami linked the occasion to the BJP government's development record, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governing mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas' (Together with all, development for all, trust of all, effort of all). He listed flagship central schemes — Ujjwala Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana — as instruments delivering basic facilities to poor, Dalit and marginalised families.

Bhagwanpur's infrastructure ledger

The Chief Minister specifically enumerated development works in the Bhagwanpur region: flood protection works in the Bahadurpur-Sonali area at approximately Rs 12 crore, lake beautification at around Rs 3 crore, construction of a modern school at Rs 49 crore, establishment of a Block Public Health Unit at the community health centre, and a new tehsil building at Rs 8 crore. Roads, link roads, CC roads and high-mast lights were also cited as completed projects in the constituency.

Kalash distributed to all district BJP chiefs for statewide rollout

In the rally's most organisationally significant moment, CM Dhami handed kalash to BJP district presidents from all districts of Uttarakhand, formally launching the Kalash Bandhan Yatra across the state. Cabinet Minister Khajan Das and Cabinet Minister Pradeep Batra also addressed the gathering, alongside saints including Swami Nirmaldas Ji, Sadhvi Santosh Rani Ji, Sant Satpal Das Ji and others. Senior administrative officials — including IG Garhwal Rajeev Swaroop, District Magistrate Mayur Dixit and SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar — were present alongside BJP district and divisional office-bearers and large numbers of residents.

The statewide kalash yatra now moves to every district of Uttarakhand — a rolling reminder that for the BJP government, the teachings of a 15th-century saint remain very much live political currency.