PM Modi All Geared Up for the Start of 150th Anniversary Celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi
October 2 will mark the beginning of the 150th anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi. PM will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 149th birth anniversary today and attend programmes related to sanitation and renewable energy. The emphasis will be on the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ mission as the day marks the beginning of the 150th year of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth.
“Events related to sanitation and renewable energy shall be the focus of the Prime Minister’s engagements on Gandhi Jayanti,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. PM Modi will offer floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and also visit Vijay Ghat to pay tributes to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, whose birth anniversary also falls on October 2, the statement said. The day will mark the launch of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Mahatma.
At the Rashtrapati Bhavan cultural centre, the Prime Minister will attend the closing session of the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention — a four-day international conference that has brought together sanitation ministers and other leaders from around the world. PM Modi will visit a mini digital exhibition at the event, accompanied by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The dignitaries will launch commemorative postage stamps on Mahatma Gandhi and a CD based on his favourite hymn ‘Vaishnav Jan’. The Swachh Bharat Awards will be distributed on this occasion. Later in the day, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the first Assembly of the International Solar Alliance.
Gandhi Jayanti is a national festival celebrated in India to mark the anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s birth in 1869. It is celebrated annually on 2 October, and it is one of the three national holidays of India. The UN General Assembly announced on 15 June 2007 that it adopted a resolution which declared that 2 October will be celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Gandhi Jayanti is marked by prayer services and tributes all over India, including at Gandhi’s memorial in New Delhi where he was cremated. Popular activities include prayer meetings, commemorative ceremonies in different cities by colleges, local government institutions and socio-political institutions. Painting and essay competitions are conducted and best awards are granted for projects in schools and the community encouraging a non-violent way of life as well as celebrating Gandhi’s effort in the Indian independence movement.
Gandhi’s favourite bhajan (Hindu devotional song), Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, is usually sung in his memory. Statues of Mahatma Gandhi throughout the country are decorated with flowers and garlands, and some people avoid drinking alcohol or eating meat on the day. Sale of alcohol is banned on this day.
Listen to Gandhi’s favourite bhajan ” Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram “on YouTube:
