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Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Sant Namdev connnect: Maharashtra politicians write Punjab CM Mann, seek ‘holy place' status for Gurdaspur's Ghoman
1 2 3 4 5 6 Chandigarh: At least two prominent politicians from Maharashtra and a Pune-based NGO, Sarhad, which boasts of working to strengthen the cultural and historical bond between Maharashtra and Punjab, have written to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann seeking holy place status for Ghoman village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district of Punjab. This is where Maharashtra-born medieval-era poet, saint, and a prominent figure of the Bhakti movement, Sant Namdev, is believed to have spent the final years of his life. What makes the late saint's association with Punjab even more special is that his 61 hymns (shabads) are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib, considered a 'living Guru' in Sikhism. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder president and Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar, in a span of less than five months, wrote twice to CM Mann, requesting the latter to grant holy place status to Ghoman in Gurdaspur. Currently, Ghoman houses Shri Namdev Darbar, where devotees pray at the 'samadhi' of the late saint. "As you may recall, Ghuman (read Ghoman) holds significant cultural and spiritual importance due to its association with Bhagat Namdev Ji. Given its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature, I request you to look into the matter favourably and expeditiously," Pawar wrote in a letter to CM Mann on July 29, a copy of which is with TOI, as he pointed out the same request made in a preceding letter on March 11. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Health and comfort: the comfiest slip-on shoes of the year Ultra-Comfortable Shoes Undo On March 11, Pawar wrote, "I am forwarding a letter regarding a request that I have been personally associated with and which is very close to the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. Sant Namdev Ji holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra, as well as Punjab, where Bhagat Namdev Ji's shabads are revered in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. His spiritual contributions created a lasting bond between the two states. " Referring to the literary congregation held in 2015, Pawar further pointed out, "During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which was held in Ghuman (Ghoman), we proposed declaring the village as a holy place, marking its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature. This historic event further highlighted Ghuman's spiritual legacy and its deep-rooted cultural relevance. " Pawar further wrote, "As per my knowledge, more than 50,000 devotees from Maharashtra and the rest of India visited Sant Namdev's Ghuman last year alone. This clearly reflects the spiritual influence of Sant Namdev Ji's teachings and the deep connection he holds with the hearts and minds of people across India." Pawar's letter to CM Mann further read, "I earnestly request you to personally look into this matter and take the necessary steps to grant holy place status to Ghuman (Ghoman). Your esteemed leadership and vision can help in preserving and further enhancing this sacred site." Sarhad Pune founder president Sanjay Nahar said over the phone that "After writing the letter to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Sharad Pawar also spoke to (AAP national convenor) Arvind Kejriwal to seek holy place status for Ghoman." Sarhad Pune, while raising the demand in a letter to Punjab CM on March 11, highlighted that "the village holds immense spiritual and cultural significance due to the long stay of Sant Namdev, whose 61 verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib." It added that the people of Punjab believe that Ghoman "is also the resting place of Bhagat Namdev Ji." Sarhad Pune noted that "over the past decade, lakhs of devotees from Maharashtra have visited Ghuman, with thousands choosing to stay there for extended periods." While demanding holy place status for Ghoman, Sanjay Nahar said, "The govt of Maharashtra has expressed its willingness to contribute wherever necessary. Elevating Ghuman to this status will not only honour its sacred heritage but also generate employment opportunities for thousands of youth in the surrounding areas." On May 14, former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is also one of the patrons of Sarhad Pune, also wrote a letter to Punjab CM requesting the holy place status for Ghoman. Shinde wrote, "The emotional appeal to grant Ghuman (read Ghoman), the sacred place where Sant Namdev Maharaj dedicated his later years, the status of a national holy site is close to my heart and to millions of devotees in Maharashtra. As Union minister, I personally took up this issue and wrote to the Prime Minister in 2011, urging for Ghuman's (Ghoman's) recognition as a site of national spiritual importance. " Shinde further wrote, "Since then, senior leaders from Maharashtra, including Sharad Pawar Ji, have supported the demand and written to your esteemed office." Shinde pointed out, "Sant Namdev Maharaj is not just a saint of Maharashtra or Punjab — he is a national spiritual icon whose teachings continue to resonate across generations." According to Shri Namdev Darbar committee joint secretary Sarabjit Singh Bawa, "It is believed that Bhagat Namdev founded Ghoman and meditated here for 18 years." Bawa said devotees heading to Mata Vaishno Devi from Maharashtra often make a stop at Ghoman either while going to Vaishno Devi or on their return. "There is a serai and a big hall for accommodation." "For the past couple of years, devotees have been flocking to Ghoman on cycles from Pandharpur of Maharashtra in batches of a hundred or more," he added. Former Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit, a veteran politician from Maharashtra, Bawa said, in his capacity as governor, gave Rs 1 crore, of Rs 2 crore cost, for the construction of the serai. During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Ghoman, then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal announced to set up a govt degree college dedicated to Bhagat Namdev and a chair at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). While a constituency college of the GNDU, Baba Namdev University College, was set up in nearby Kishankot the next year, the chair at GNDU remained a non-starter even as it emerged it was reportedly first set up in 1997 and remained defunct. Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, who attended the inaugural function of the Sammelan, announced the construction of a 157-km-long four-lane cemented road from Amritsar to Una in Himachal Pradesh via Mehta, Ghuman, Tanda, and Hoshiarpur at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore under the national highways project. According to Bawa, "In ten years, of the announced road project, only part of the stretch that was completed is from Amritsar to Mehta. " Nahar said that devotees from Maharashtra believe that Namdev breathed his last in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, but those from Punjab believe that he took 'samaadhi' in Ghoman. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Demand to grant holy place status to Ghoman grows
1 2 Chandigarh: At least two prominent politicians from Maharashtra and a Pune-based NGO, Sarhad, which boasts of working to strengthen the cultural and historical bond between Maharashtra and Punjab, have written to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann seeking holy place status for Ghoman village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district of Punjab. This is where Maharashtra-born medieval-era poet, saint, and a prominent figure of the Bhakti movement, Sant Namdev, is believed to have spent the final years of his life. What makes the late saint's association with Punjab even more special is that his 61 hymns (shabads) are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib, considered a 'living Guru' in Sikhism. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder president and Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar, in a span of less than five months, wrote twice to CM Mann, requesting the latter to grant holy place status to Ghoman in Gurdaspur. Currently, Ghoman houses Shri Namdev Darbar, where devotees pray at the 'samadhi' of the late saint. "As you may recall, Ghuman (read Ghoman) holds significant cultural and spiritual importance due to its association with Bhagat Namdev Ji. Given its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature, I request you to look into the matter favourably and expeditiously," Pawar wrote in a letter to CM Mann on July 29, a copy of which is with TOI, as he pointed out the same request made in a preceding letter on March 11. On March 11, Pawar wrote, "I am forwarding a letter regarding a request that I have been personally associated with and which is very close to the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. Sant Namdev Ji holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra, as well as Punjab, where Bhagat Namdev Ji's shabads are revered in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. His spiritual contributions created a lasting bond between the two states. " Referring to the literary congregation held in 2015, Pawar further pointed out, "During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which was held in Ghuman (Ghoman), we proposed declaring the village as a holy place, marking its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature. This historic event further highlighted Ghuman's spiritual legacy and its deep-rooted cultural relevance. " Pawar further wrote, "As per my knowledge, more than 50,000 devotees from Maharashtra and the rest of India visited Sant Namdev's Ghuman last year alone. This clearly reflects the spiritual influence of Sant Namdev Ji's teachings and the deep connection he holds with the hearts and minds of people across India." Pawar's letter to CM Mann further read, "I earnestly request you to personally look into this matter and take the necessary steps to grant holy place status to Ghuman (Ghoman). Your esteemed leadership and vision can help in preserving and further enhancing this sacred site." Sarhad Pune founder president Sanjay Nahar said over the phone that "After writing the letter to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Sharad Pawar also spoke to (AAP national convenor) Arvind Kejriwal to seek holy place status for Ghoman." Sarhad Pune, while raising the demand in a letter to Punjab CM on March 11, highlighted that "the village holds immense spiritual and cultural significance due to the long stay of Sant Namdev, whose 61 verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib." It added that the people of Punjab believe that Ghoman "is also the resting place of Bhagat Namdev Ji." Sarhad Pune noted that "over the past decade, lakhs of devotees from Maharashtra have visited Ghuman, with thousands choosing to stay there for extended periods." While demanding holy place status for Ghoman, Sanjay Nahar said, "The govt of Maharashtra has expressed its willingness to contribute wherever necessary. Elevating Ghuman to this status will not only honour its sacred heritage but also generate employment opportunities for thousands of youth in the surrounding areas." On May 14, former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is also one of the patrons of Sarhad Pune, also wrote a letter to Punjab CM requesting the holy place status for Ghoman. Shinde wrote, "The emotional appeal to grant Ghuman (read Ghoman), the sacred place where Sant Namdev Maharaj dedicated his later years, the status of a national holy site is close to my heart and to millions of devotees in Maharashtra. As Union minister, I personally took up this issue and wrote to the Prime Minister in 2011, urging for Ghuman's (Ghoman's) recognition as a site of national spiritual importance. " Shinde further wrote, "Since then, senior leaders from Maharashtra, including Sharad Pawar Ji, have supported the demand and written to your esteemed office." Shinde pointed out, "Sant Namdev Maharaj is not just a saint of Maharashtra or Punjab — he is a national spiritual icon whose teachings continue to resonate across generations." According to Shri Namdev Darbar committee joint secretary Sarabjit Singh Bawa, "It is believed that Bhagat Namdev founded Ghoman and meditated here for 18 years." Bawa said devotees heading to Mata Vaishno Devi from Maharashtra often make a stop at Ghoman either while going to Vaishno Devi or on their return. "There is a serai and a big hall for accommodation." "For the past couple of years, devotees have been flocking to Ghoman on cycles from Pandharpur of Maharashtra in batches of a hundred or more," he added. Former Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit, a veteran politician from Maharashtra, Bawa said, in his capacity as governor, gave Rs 1 crore, of Rs 2 crore cost, for the construction of the serai. During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Ghoman, then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal announced to set up a govt degree college dedicated to Bhagat Namdev and a chair at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). While a constituency college of the GNDU, Baba Namdev University College, was set up in nearby Kishankot the next year, the chair at GNDU remained a non-starter even as it emerged it was reportedly first set up in 1997 and remained defunct. Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, who attended the inaugural function of the Sammelan, announced the construction of a 157-km-long four-lane cemented road from Amritsar to Una in Himachal Pradesh via Mehta, Ghuman, Tanda, and Hoshiarpur at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore under the national highways project. According to Bawa, "In ten years, of the announced road project, only part of the stretch that was completed is from Amritsar to Mehta. " Nahar said that devotees from Maharashtra believe that Namdev breathed his last in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, but those from Punjab believe that he took 'samaadhi' in Ghoman. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Amid ceasefire, Kashmiri singer's Marathi devotional songs calls for peace
Just as India and Pakistan announce a ceasefire after days of cross-border strikes and rising tensions, a young 's prayer for is resonating far beyond the valley. from a village in Bandipora near Srinagar, has been winning hearts with her soul-stirring renditions of Marathi bhajans and devotional songs, particularly , a centuries-old prayer for universal peace by Sant talented 30-year-old received a standing ovation from the audience, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NCP president Sharad Pawar among them, at the inaugural ceremony of the 98th Marathi Sahitya Sammelan at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi in Feb. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In fact, Pawar was so impressed by Shamima's rendition of the state's song 'Jai Jai Maharashtra' that he insisted she close the session with a Pasaydan, a prayer for world peace by Sant Dnyaneshwar. Her soulful rendition of Marathi songs left everyone, including Modi, spellbound."Presenting Pasaydan was not part of the original schedule, but Pawarsahab said the session must end with it. Modiji was scheduled to spend 45 minutes, but he sat for two hours till the session ended with Shamima's electrifying singing of a Pasaydan," recalled Sanjay Nahar, Shamima's mentor and founder of the Pune-based NGO Sarhad, which educates children from terror-hit in 1998, Sarhad discovered the shy Akhtar and helped her not just hone her skill but emerge as a major musical voice from the valley, spreading the message of peace and love through music. "Music knows no boundaries. My Marathi songs and bhajans are popular not only in Marathi homes, but even in Pakistan and Bangladesh," says Akhtar on the phone from her home in Kashmir, where she returned a few days after the Pahalgam terror attack."The barbaric killing of innocent tourists made me numb. Normalcy returned, and the valley was getting flooded with tourists. After the Pahalgam massacre, I felt a little insecure, and even Sanjay Sir suggested I go home till things normalise," she said a few days before the India-Pakistan conflict first visited Pune in 2017 as a participant in the annual Kashmir festival. "Many of my friends were already at Sarhad, and they introduced me to Sanjay Sir. I couldn't have found a better platform than Sarhad to learn, experiment, and grow with my passion for music," says Akhtar, who carries a legacy of music. Born into a family with a strong tradition of music and poetry—her paternal grandfather was one of the finest Rabab players in Kashmir, while her maternal grandfather was a Sufi saint, and her maternal grandmother wrote sharpened her singing, she admits, is her education. A graduate in music from Bhatkhande Music University, Lucknow, and later a Visharad or Master's in Hindustani classical music, she dived deep into the fascinating but also complex world of music, learning not just the notes but digesting different surs and ragas. It was at Bhatkhande Music University where she also met and befriended her future husband — her senior, Mazhar Siddiqui."I found a spark in Shamima. She radiated a musical light that comes from Kashmir, which has a long Sufi music tradition," says Siddiqui, who comes from a famous music gharana in Lucknow and is also associated with Sarhad Music. Together, they have helped Sarhad establish two studios. With help from Nahar, the husband-wife team has created Gaash (light in Kashmiri), a popular that Shamima is getting accolades, Nahar sees his dream coming true. "My idea was to take children out from terror-hit areas and give guitars in their hands instead of guns. When I see students like Shamima and her sister Ruqaiyya playing guitar and scaling heights with their singing, I feel my dreams coming true," says Nahar, whose dream of founding a music university remains unfulfilled.
Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Citizens should not pressure government into military action: Retd Lt. General Sudarshan Hasabnis
Speaking at the third Lalitaditya Memorial speech event organised by Sarhad in Pune, Retired Lieutenant General Sudarshan Hasabnis opined that Indian citizens should not create an internal environment that pressures the government into military action. He said, 'The national response [to the Pahalgam attack], I am quite sure, will be both covert and overt. It will be multidimensional. Like I said just the other day, there is no point in us citizens trying to create a situation inside our country which puts pressure on the government to take military action.' At the event organised in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Hasabnis highlighted the media's role in creating such an environment and said, 'The media has a big role to play in this. In fact Mr Modi, in relation to the Ukrainian War and the Gaza War has repeatedly said that 'this is not an era for war'. I am sure India doesn't want war. At the same time, we as a united nation have to show that we have the resolve that in case and whenever we go to war, we will be prepared.' He explained that any war is like a boxing match where each boxer will be on the receiving end of some punches. 'If you go, if you take any action, there will be some reaction. There will be loss of life. We need to be prepared for that,' he said. Former Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Haseeb Drabu delivered the keynote address at the event and said that the loss of social connectedness was a much greater loss to Kashmir rather than the economic loss. 'The far greater loss of this attack is the loss of social connectedness. Every tourist who goes to Kashmir is not an ATM machine from whom we take out cash. It's a relationship we have invested in. People have been going there for years and years and have built relationships. Tourism is an industry of peace. It is an industry which connects people,' Drabu said.
News18
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Kishore Kumar: A Life Of Missed Opportunities But No Regrets
As Kishore Kumar woke up on the morning of May 4, 1976, he had a quirky feeling that this must be the wrong side of the bed. He was oblivious to the fact that the secretary in the I&B Ministry, Syed Burney, had already initiated a note to ban all his songs. Till last night, his songs were at ear's length from every listener. Not anymore. By the time, he started brushing his teeth, he was banned. For Kishore, it was a well-earned sabbatical. From Khandwa to Kanyakumari, with Amit by his side, he decided to relive his childhood with a tête-à-tête with nature encompassed by his raw voice. Did he miss anything? Was he to rue anything? Going by the long history of his tryst with missed opportunities, the answer seemed to be an emphatic no, as we try to explore here. Had these windows opened in full, Kishore Kumar would have been seen in an even broader light. It was the success of Andolan (1951) that triggered close friend Vrajendra Gaur to come up with yet another film Sarhad the same year. All the three brothers Ashok, Anup and Kishore were cast together for the first time, playing rival brothers vying with each other to win the love of Nalini Jayant. Cousin Arun Kumar was to wield the musical baton. The film failed to progress beyond the initial shoots. Sarhad was his first big miss.
