A year-long people’s celebration of Guru Ravidas Ji
Guru Ravidas Ji, the 15th-century saint-poet of the Bhakti movement, taught that dignity comes from conduct and devotion, never from birth. His vision of Begampura describes a city with no sorrow, no tax and no fear, where everyone is equal.
This initiative brings that message to all 36 districts of Maharashtra through events, seva drives, competitions and learning resources, run together with departments, institutions and community organisations.
Read about the initiative →Highlights
Langar seva for 25,000 devotees in Mumbai
National bhajan competition opens for entries
The campaign so far
Sample figures for the design. Live numbers come from the activation dashboard.
1,874events held
34 of 36districts reached
6.2 lakhonline pledges
41,500competition entries
Events near you
2 · About & Events
About the initiative and its events
Why this celebration exists, who is behind it, what is happening when, and how it is progressing.
Guru Ravidas Ji and the idea of Begampura
Born in Seer Goverdhanpur near Varanasi, Guru Ravidas Ji worked as a cobbler and became one of the most loved voices of the Bhakti movement. His 41 shabads across 16 ragas are part of the Guru Granth Sahib, and Meera Bai is remembered as his disciple.
बेगमपुरा सहर को नाउ
“Begampura is the name of the city.” Its people know no grief, no anxiety and no fear.
Objectives of the initiative: carry his teachings to every district of Maharashtra, promote equality and dignity of labour, support education among young people, and document the living heritage of his followers.
Life and legacy
Birth
Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi, on Magh Purnima (traditionally dated 1377 CE).
Seva
Kept his family trade as a cobbler and served sadhus, teaching that honest work is worship.
Teaching
Travelled and sang against caste discrimination; Meera Bai and many others became followers.
Bani
41 shabads included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Today
Celebrated by crores every year on Guru Ravidas Jayanti.
Partners
Logo wall grouped by partner type. Each logo opens a partner profile.
Event calendar
State-levelRegion / district
Progress reports
Sample targets and progress.
Progress against annual targets
Quarterly reports
Q3 2026 report
Q2 2026 report
Launch report
Documents
| Title | Type | Language | Date |
|---|
3 · Departments
Departments taking part
Every participating department has its own page with its activities, contacts and reports.
Department groups
Education & Youth
Essay and quiz competitions, Ravidas chairs in universities, scholarships.
Open group →Culture & Heritage
Kirtan darbars, exhibitions, documentation of manuscripts and sites.
Open group →Social Justice
Awareness drives on equality, welfare scheme camps, legal aid.
Open group →Health & Seva
Blood donation, health camps and langar support at major events.
Open group →Rural & Livelihood
Skill training for leather and craft workers, self-help group melas.
Open group →Information & Outreach
Broadcasts, publications, digital campaigns and press.
Open group →All departments A–Z
Activity pages
Each activity has a page with goal, dates, venue list, photos and outcome.
Begampura reading circles in 5,000 schools
Ravidas bani manuscript exhibition
Skill camps for leather artisans
Region-wise pages
The five regions of Maharashtra. Each region page lists its districts, departments and activities.
4 · Activation
Activation across the country
Where the campaign is active, what is scheduled, and what has already happened.
Activation map
Schematic map of Maharashtra. Each tile is a district, placed roughly where it lies; colour shows the number of events. Pick a region or select a district.
Events:1–2526–7576–150150+
Schedules
| Date | Activation | Place | District | Region | Organised by |
|---|
Types of activation
Each type has a page with a how-to kit, schedule and reporting form for organisers.
Nagar Kirtan & Shobha Yatra
Open kit →Shabad Kirtan Darbar
Open kit →Langar Seva
Open kit →Blood & Health Camps
Open kit →Bani Path in Schools
Open kit →Swachhta at Shrines
Open kit →Past activations
5 · Get Involved
Be part of the celebration
Take the pledge, enter a competition, share your video or test what you know. Log in to keep track of your entries and certificates.
What you can do
Students
Quizzes, essay and painting competitions, reading circles in your school.
For students →Youth & volunteers
Join seva drives, help run local events, become a campaign volunteer.
For youth →Women & self-help groups
Craft melas, kirtan mandalis and livelihood workshops.
For women →Sangat & deras
Register your event, get the organiser kit and report attendance.
For sangat →Schools & universities
Host lectures, set up a Ravidas reading corner, nominate students.
For institutions →Villages & gram panchayats
Hold a gram sabha on Sant Ravidas, run a cleanliness drive, report it online.
For villages →Competitions
Sample dates.
Essay: “Begampura in my city”
Last date: 15 Jan 2027 · Prizes: ₹51,000 / ₹31,000 / ₹21,000
Painting: Life of Guru Ravidas Ji
Last date: 31 Dec 2026
Shabad & bhajan singing
Last date: 20 Jan 2027
The Begampura pledge
I pledge to treat every person as equal, to respect honest labour, to keep my mind clean of hatred, and to give some of my time in seva to those who need it.
6,20,418 people have taken the pledge (sample).
Upload a video
Share a recitation, a kirtan from your area or a short message on what Guru Ravidas Ji’s teachings mean to you. Selected videos are featured in the gallery.
- MP4 or MOV, up to 2 minutes and 200 MB
- Landscape 16:9 preferred
- No music you do not have rights to
Online quiz
Four quick questions on the life and teachings of Guru Ravidas Ji. The full quiz has 20 questions and gives a certificate when you score 60% or more.
6 · Media & Downloads
Media and downloads
Photos, videos and podcasts from the campaign, free material to download and share, and your certificates.
Photos and videos
Podcast: Begampura Baatein
Conversations with scholars, ragis and young sevadars.
Free downloads
Event posters
Phone wallpapers
Selected bani with meanings
Social media kit
Press releases
10 Nov 2026
Bhajan competition receives 12,000 entries from 36 districts
02 Nov 2026
Manuscript exhibition to travel to all six divisional headquarters
21 Oct 2026
Programme for Magh Purnima celebrations in Mumbai announced
Media resources
Logo pack, brand guide, high-resolution photos and fact sheet.
Media contact
Campaign media cell
Email and phone shown here when the site goes live.
My certificate
Download certificates for the pledge, quiz and competitions. Log in to see all of yours, or enter a registration ID.
Try the sample ID above.