Anurag Thakur joins JP Nadda at Gayatri Parivar centenary event in Delhi
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur joined JP Nadda and other dignitaries in Delhi on 2 November 2026 for a centenary programme honouring Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma and marking 100 years of the Gayatri Parivar's Akhand Jyoti.
Key Takeaways
BJP MP Anurag Thakur attended a centenary commemoration in Delhi on 2 November 2026 .
The event marked the birth centenary of Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma , spiritual partner of Gayatri Parivar founder Pt.
Shriram Sharma Acharya.
The occasion also celebrated 100 years of the Akhand Jyoti , the eternal flame central to the Gayatri Parivar's identity.
Former BJP national president and Union Minister JP Nadda was among the senior dignitaries present.
Thakur engaged directly with Gayatri Parivar members, describing it as a 'cherished opportunity for dialogue'.
A century of devotion and social reform reached a landmark moment in Delhi on Monday, 2 November 2026, as BJP MP Anurag Thakur joined a gathering convened to mark the birth centenary of Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma and a hundred years of the lighting of the Akhand Jyoti — the eternal flame at the heart of the Gayatri Parivar movement.
Thakur shared on X that he had the privilege of attending the commemoration programme alongside former BJP national president and Union Minister JP Nadda and other dignitaries, and engaged directly with respected members of the Gayatri Parivar. 'संवाद का सुअवसर मिला' — 'a cherished opportunity for dialogue' — was how he described the interaction.
Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma and the Gayatri Parivar legacy
Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma was the wife and spiritual partner of Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya, founder of the Gayatri Parivar. Together they built one of India's most widely recognised spiritual organisations, anchored in the recitation of the Gayatri Mantra, the practice of yagya, and a sustained programme of social reform spanning education, women's empowerment and rural outreach. The centenary of her birth, combined with a hundred years of the Akhand Jyoti's unbroken flame, made the Delhi event a significant milestone for millions of the movement's followers across the country.Nadda's presence and BJP's outreach to spiritual communities
JP Nadda, who served as BJP's national president before taking on a Union Cabinet portfolio, lent senior political weight to the occasion. His attendance alongside Thakur underlines a consistent pattern: senior BJP functionaries participate in commemorative events connected to spiritual and cultural organisations, using such platforms to engage directly with communities that cut across geography and caste. For Thakur — MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh and a former Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports — the event was an opportunity to connect with Gayatri Parivar members at a nationally significant moment. The Gayatri Parivar's network spans thousands of shaktipeeths and rural centres, making gatherings of this scale a meaningful forum for dialogue between political leadership and citizens rooted in the movement's ethos of service and spiritual discipline. Whether the centenary triggers further commemorative events at Gayatri Parivar centres across states remains to be watched in the weeks ahead.Point of View
Education and rural outreach also offers the BJP an ideological adjacency it is comfortable projecting. Such engagements rarely produce a single headline but cumulatively shape the party's image as a custodian of India's diverse spiritual heritage.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma?
Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma was the wife and co-founder of the Gayatri Parivar spiritual movement alongside Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya, and is revered by millions of the organisation's followers.
What is the Akhand Jyoti and why is its centenary significant?
The Akhand Jyoti is the eternal flame that is central to the Gayatri Parivar's spiritual practice; its centenary marks a hundred years since it was first lit, making it a landmark occasion for the movement's members.
What is the Gayatri Parivar?
The Gayatri Parivar is a spiritual organisation founded by Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya that promotes the Gayatri Mantra, yagya rituals and a wide programme of social reform across India and abroad.
Why did BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and JP Nadda attend the event?
Both leaders attended the Delhi centenary programme to pay their respects to Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma's legacy and engage with Gayatri Parivar members, reflecting the BJP's consistent outreach to spiritual and cultural organisations.
Where was the Gayatri Parivar centenary programme held?
The centenary commemoration programme was held in Delhi on 2 November 2026 .
