Sant Gadge Maharaj birth anniversary observed at Delhi Secretariat: Minister

New Delhi: A special cultural programme marked the birth anniversary of Sant Gadge Maharaj at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday, with devotional performances and messages centred on cleanliness, social reform and education.

Organised by the Office of the Minister for Social Welfare & SC/ST/OBC Welfare, the event featured bhajan-kirtan and theatrical presentations based on the saint’s life and teachings. Artists highlighted his campaign against superstition, animal sacrifice and social discrimination, and portrayed how he travelled from village to village spreading awareness about sanitation and harmony. Performances also underlined how diseases such as cholera can be prevented through cleanliness, turning his message into a wider social movement.

Addressing the gathering, Delhi’s Minister for SC/ST and OBC Welfare, Ravindra Indraj Singh, said saints had historically awakened society in ways institutions could not. Calling it a matter of pride to celebrate the reformer’s birth anniversary at the Secretariat, he noted that Sant Gadge Maharaj, who belonged to the Dhobi community, had propagated cleanliness and social harmony as early as 1876.

Referring to lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister said it reinforced the importance of hygiene and healthy living, values long advocated by the saint.

Appealing to citizens, he said, “Become the foundation stone. Wherever you are, conduct a cleanliness drive once a week. Change will not come from decoration of stages but through your effort and participation. You represent not just 200 people, but the consciousness of 20,000.”

He added that future editions of the programme would be organised on a larger scale to spread the teachings of saints to a wider audience.