3 days ago
‘Religious revival due to Ahilyabai'
Lucknow: BJP's national general secretary (oranisation) BL Santhosh on Thursday said Ahilyabai Holkar's contributions to the revival of India's religious and cultural heritage are monumental.
"The very existence of the grand temple in Kashi, especially in their current form, is largely due to her efforts. Had it not been for Ahilyabai Holkar, we might not have witnessed this architectural and spiritual grandeur in Kashi," Santhosh said.
He was addressing the 'Punyashloka Pujya Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Janm Trishatabdi Varsh Smriti Abhiyan-2025', held at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Law University on Thursday.
He lamented that mainstream education has long overlooked such towering figures.
"It is unfortunate that we were not taught about Ahilyabai Holkar in schools and colleges. For years, leaders like Shivaji, Maharana Pratap, and Ahilyabai were excluded from our academic curriculum. Yet, 300 years ago—long before the term 'women empowerment' gained popularity—Ahilyabai had already set a remarkable example," he said. He further said Holkar was truly invincible — she never lost a single battle.
