CM Yogi Launches 'Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan' in Varanasi
Synopsis
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined the inauguration of the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan in Varanasi on 29 July 2026, launching the social-harmony campaign during the 650th birth anniversary year of saint-poet Guru Ravidas Maharaj, whose teachings on equality remain central to Dalit cultural identity across India.
Key Takeaways
CM Yogi Adityanath attended the launch of the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan in Varanasi on 29 July 2026 .
The campaign is pegged to the 650th birth anniversary year of saint-poet Guru Ravidas Maharaj .
Guru Ravidas , a 14th–15th century Bhakti saint from Varanasi, is especially revered among Dalit communities across northern India.
The Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan is framed around social harmony and equality — themes drawn directly from Guru Ravidas's teachings.
Uttar Pradesh governments have used Guru Ravidas Jayanti events as platforms for welfare and social-inclusion messaging in prior years.
Rollout details of the campaign across UP's 75 districts are awaited.
Varanasi — one of India's oldest living cities — became the stage for a new social-harmony campaign on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, as the Chief Minister's Office of Uttar Pradesh announced that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined the inauguration of the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan (Social Harmony Pledge Campaign) to mark the 650th birth anniversary year of saint-poet Guru Ravidas Maharaj.
The saint whose message still moves millions
Guru Ravidas, the 14th–15th century mystic-poet from Varanasi, is among the most revered figures in the Bhakti tradition — particularly among Dalit communities across northern and central India. His verses, woven into the Guru Granth Sahib and sung at shrines from Uttar Pradesh to Punjab to the diaspora, carry a single insistent thread: that devotion transcends caste and social rank. His birthplace, Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi, draws lakhs of pilgrims every year on his Jayanti. A 650th anniversary year is not a routine milestone — it lands with particular weight for communities for whom Ravidas is not merely historical memory but living faith.What the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan sets out to do
The campaign, launched formally at today's ceremony, is framed around the twin pillars of samarasta (social harmony) and sankalp (resolve or pledge). Uttar Pradesh administrations have consistently used Guru Ravidas Jayanti observances as platforms for welfare and social-inclusion messaging, and this launch fits that pattern — but the scale of the 650th anniversary year signals an intent to extend the campaign's reach and visibility well beyond a single-day event. Varanasi, already positioned as a cultural and spiritual flagship under the current government, provides both the symbolic resonance and the logistical infrastructure for such a launch.Yogi Adityanath's presence — and what it signals
CM Yogi Adityanath has made attendance at religious and cultural commemorations a consistent feature of his administration since taking office in 2017. His presence at today's event — broadcast live — underscores the political and social salience of Guru Ravidas's legacy in a state where Dalit voters constitute a significant demographic. The choice of Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's own Lok Sabha constituency, adds another layer of symbolic weight to the occasion. The rollout details — geographic coverage, implementing agencies, and timelines — of the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan across Uttar Pradesh's 75 districts will be the real measure of the campaign's ambition.Point of View
Live-broadcast presence in Varanasi ties the BJP-led state government directly to the Ravidas legacy rather than leaving that space to opposition parties. Varanasi's dual identity — as the saint's birthplace and the Prime Minister's constituency — makes it the highest-visibility stage the UP government could have chosen. Whether the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan translates into substantive policy delivery or remains primarily a symbolic exercise will determine its long-term political dividend.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan launched in Varanasi?
The Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan is a social-harmony and equality campaign launched by the Uttar Pradesh government in Varanasi on 29 July 2026, timed to the 650th birth anniversary year of saint-poet Guru Ravidas Maharaj.
Why is 2026 significant for Guru Ravidas Jayanti?
2026 marks the 650th birth anniversary year of Guru Ravidas, a milestone that the Uttar Pradesh government has used as the occasion to launch the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan in his birthplace of Varanasi.
Who is Guru Ravidas and why is he important?
Guru Ravidas was a 14th–15th century Bhakti saint-poet from Varanasi whose teachings on devotion and social equality are deeply revered, particularly among Dalit communities across northern and central India. His verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Why did CM Yogi Adityanath attend the Guru Ravidas event in Varanasi?
CM Yogi Adityanath attended the inauguration of the Samarasta Sankalp Abhiyan to mark the 650th anniversary year of Guru Ravidas, reflecting his administration's practice of participating in major religious and cultural commemorations across Uttar Pradesh.
Where is Guru Ravidas's birthplace?
Guru Ravidas was born in Seer Govardhanpur, a locality in Varanasi, which remains a major pilgrimage site for his devotees and the venue for the 650th anniversary celebrations.
