Admin plans Kabir fest, Ravidas Jayanti to lack grandeur

Varanasi: Plans are afoot for organizing a Kabir festival showcasing the life of Saint Kabir Das, and also invoking other Bhakti cult mystics, including Guru Nanak, Gorakhnath and Rahim Das, who were contemporaries of the saint poet, in Varanasi.
However, the Ravidas Jayanti celebrations at his birthplace in Seer Gowardhanpur area here on February 27 will be a bit subdued and will lack the grandeur of past years as the organisers have decided to avoid big gathering in view of Covid-19 protocol.
The district administration has forwarded a proposal on holding Kabir Mahotsava between February 23 and 25.
District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma told TOI on Sunday, “On the state government’s directive, we prepared a proposal for holding a three-day Kabir Mahotsava and have forwarded it to the culture department to seek state government’s approval.”
As per the plan, the fest will showcase the journey of Kabir’s life from dawn to dusk. With the inauguration of the event, a Yatra will also be flagged off from Varanasi, where the saint was born, and culminate at Magahar village in Sant Kabir Nagar district, where Kabir attained salvation.
Many cultural events, exhibition and other activities will also be organised in Kabir Math in Kabir Chaura and Lehartara areas.
“It has also been planned to link the fest with Sant Kabir’s contemporary poets and saints, like Guru Nanak, Gorakhnath, Rahim Das, Dadu Dayal, Pipa, Ghasi Das and others, who had connections with UP, by holding separate events on them as a part of this fest. This proposal was sent about a week ago and government’s approval on it is awaited,” Sharma added.
Meanwhile, the traditional celebrations at the birthplace of Sant Ravidas in Seer Gowardhanpur area will be toned down this year.
The DM said that during a discussion with Guru Ravidas Janmasthan Charitable Trust regarding birth anniversary celebration, the organisers said arrangements will be made for smaller gathering this year.
Trustee Kishanlal Saroa said NRIs will not be coming this year and the special trains for bringing thousands of pilgrims from different states, have also not been booked this year due to the pandemic.
The event, which has witnessed participation of many big wigs like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top politicians and celebrities, will be somber this time, he said. The All India Ravidasiya Dharm’s Sant Gyandas Maharaj will reach on February 25 and attend the main function on February 27. Saroa said that tents and other arrangements for food and lodging of pilgrims are being made.