Punjab Announces Four Shobha Yatras for Guru Ravidas 650th Parkash Purab
Punjab's AAP government has unveiled four Shobha Yatras to mark the 650th Parkash Purab of Guru Ravidas, converging at Sri Khuralgarh Sahib on December 3.
The Punjab government has announced four major Shobha Yatras to mark the 650th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Maharaj, with the processions set to converge at Sri Khuralgarh Sahib on December 3.
The programme was announced by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema at Punjab Bhawan, in the presence of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and department adviser Deepak Bali. Cheema described the initiative as a religious and cultural effort to carry forward the teachings and writings of Guru Ravidas.
The four processions will begin on different dates and cover a wide stretch of territory before reaching the convergence point.
The first yatra will set out from Varanasi, the saint's birthplace, on November 30 and pass through Kanpur, Delhi, Ambala, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar and Rupnagar.
The second will start from Faridkot on December 2, moving through Ferozepur, Moga, Ludhiana, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Garhshankar.
The third will depart from Bathinda on December 1 and travel via Barnala, Mansa, Lehragaga, Sangrur, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Morinda and Rupnagar.
The fourth will begin from Jammu on November 30, passing through Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.
After the yatras converge on December 3, Sri Akhand Path Sahib will commence on December 4, with the Bhog ceremony scheduled for December 6.
The government has already rolled out a series of related programmes around the 650th Parkash Purab, including drone shows, academic seminars, school essay competitions, discussions on Guru Ravidas's teachings and Kirtan Darbars across the state.
The scale and timing of the celebrations carry a clear political dimension, falling months ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Punjab has the highest share of Scheduled Castes in its population among all Indian states, and the Doaba region in particular has a strong Ravidassia presence.
With the Ravidassia community and Dalit voters expected to remain a significant factor in the state's electoral politics, the AAP, BJP, Congress and SAD have all been working to deepen their engagement with religious and social institutions linked to the community. The BJP is separately running four yatras focused on combating drug abuse.
For the Mann government, the four processions offer a platform spanning both Punjab's major regions and routes originating outside the state, alongside an opportunity to foreground its cultural and religious outreach.