CM Fadnavis joins live 'Shri Ram Katha' for Ashok Singhal centenary
Synopsis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 14 November 2026 shared a live broadcast of a 'Shri Ram Katha' in Nagpur honouring Ashok Singhal, former international president of the VHP, in his centenary year.
Key Takeaways
CM Devendra Fadnavis shared a live stream of a 'Shri Ram Katha' event on the evening of 14 November 2026 .
The event was held in Nagpur to mark the centenary birth year of Ashok Singhal (1926–2015) , former international president of the VHP.
Vishva Hindu Parishad , founded in 1964 , organised the centenary programme; Singhal was its most prominent leader during the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation.
Nagpur serves as the headquarters of the RSS, making it the symbolic centre for Sangh Parivar commemorations.
Additional centenary-year events for Singhal are expected to be held in other cities during 2026 .
A hundred years after his birth, Ashok Singhal — the man who staked his life on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement — was honoured in the city that is home to the RSS. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared a live broadcast of the 'Shri Ram Katha' (Ram Katha devotional recital) organised in Singhal's centenary year on the evening of 14 November 2026 in Nagpur, inviting followers to tune in at 6:12 p.m.
Who was Ashok Singhal and why the centenary matters
Ashok Singhal (1926–2015) served as international president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Hindu nationalist organisation founded in 1964, and became one of the most recognisable faces of the decades-long Ram Janmabhoomi agitation. His centenary in 2026 has become an occasion for Sangh Parivar-aligned leaders and organisations to hold commemorative programmes across the country. The choice of Nagpur — headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — for the flagship event carries unmistakable symbolic weight.
Nagpur, the RSS, and a gathering of the faithful
Nagpur has long functioned as the ideological nerve-centre for Sangh Parivar organisations, making it a natural setting for a programme of this scale. BJP leaders routinely participate in or amplify events hosted by VHP and affiliated groups, and Fadnavis — himself a Nagpur MP before becoming Chief Minister — has a deep political and personal connection to the city. By sharing the live link, he extended the reach of the evening's devotional proceedings to his social-media audience.
What to expect as the centenary year continues
With Singhal's centenary running through 2026, organisers are expected to stage additional commemorative events in other cities. The Nagpur 'Shri Ram Katha' is likely one of several anchor programmes planned by the VHP to keep the centenary in public focus — a pattern consistent with how the organisation has marked the anniversaries of its prominent leaders in the past.
For VHP's rank and file, it is a year to remember a leader who shaped the organisation's most consequential chapter. For Fadnavis, amplifying that memory in Nagpur is both a tribute and a homecoming.
Point of View
Particularly in a city as symbolically loaded as Nagpur. The centenary offers the VHP a year-long platform to consolidate its identity around a founding-era figure and the Ram Janmabhoomi legacy — with the Ram temple consecration now complete, that legacy has acquired a triumphalist dimension. For Fadnavis, sharing the live link is low-cost, high-resonance politics: it signals ideological solidarity without requiring a policy commitment. Watch whether the centenary programmes grow in scale as the year closes.
NationPress
14 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ashok Singhal?
Ashok Singhal (1926–2015) was the international president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and a central figure in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in India.
What is the Shri Ram Katha event in Nagpur about?
The 'Shri Ram Katha' in Nagpur on 14 November 2026 is a devotional recital organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad to mark the centenary birth year of Ashok Singhal.
Why was Nagpur chosen for Ashok Singhal's centenary programme?
Nagpur is the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and has historically been a preferred venue for Sangh Parivar events, making it a natural choice for a flagship centenary tribute.
What is the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)?
The Vishva Hindu Parishad is a Hindu nationalist organisation founded in 1964, focused on cultural and religious mobilisation, with Ashok Singhal as one of its most prominent leaders.
Will there be more Ashok Singhal centenary events in 2026?
Yes, additional centenary-year programmes for Ashok Singhal are expected to be organised in other Indian cities throughout 2026.
