Release Date: 22 January 2026, 5:12 PM | PIB Delhi
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah today addressed the ‘Centenary Year Celebration – 2026’, organised by the Gayatri Parivar in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on the occasion of the birth centenary of the revered Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma Ji and the centenary year of the Akhand Deep. Several dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, were present on the occasion.
Shri Amit Shah said that Haridwar is a confluence of faith, spirituality, and culture, and that by attending the ‘Akhanda Jyoti Sammelan’ today, he is experiencing a sense of eternal energy and consciousness. He stated that Pt. Shriram Sharma Ji envisioned the process of building individuals through faith, spirituality, and culture; building the nation through individuals; and ultimately shaping an era through nation-building. He awakened and energised the divine spirit residing within every individual. Shri Shah remarked that those who understand Sanatan Dharma, Indian culture, and India’s history firmly believe that if there is one place where solutions to all the world’s problems exist, it is within Indian tradition.
The Union Home Minister said that the spiritual reconstruction of India would not only be beneficial for the nation but also for the entire world. Great visionaries such as Swami Vivekananda, Maharshi Aurobindo, and the revered Pt. Ram Sharma Ji expressed through their powerful words that when India awakens in its full radiance, it will illuminate the entire world and the whole universe. Shri Shah said that the words of such great souls and seers never fail, and that their truths must be accepted as divine guidance and followed collectively. He added that Pt. Shriram Sharma Ji, through the Gayatri Mantra, took devotion out of temple sanctums and carried it to the hearts and souls of the common people.
Shri Amit Shah stated that visionary Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya and the revered Mata Bhagwati Devi accomplished the work of many eras within their own lifetimes. They nurtured a banyan tree whose shade today guides more than 150 million followers across over 100 countries on the path of spirituality and self-realisation. He said that from 1925–26 to 2026, moving forward on the same path and towards the same goal—not just as an individual or an idea, but with millions of people—demonstrates the immense energy embodied in Pt. Sharma Ji’s life, thoughts, and actions. Even decades after his passing, the Akhand Jyoti has not only continued to burn but has found a permanent place as a lamp in the hearts of millions.
Shri Shah noted that the year 1925–26 marked a period of national renaissance. In the same year, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded and is now celebrating its centenary. Gita Press, Gorakhpur, is also marking 100 years of its establishment, and this year also commemorates the birth centenary of the revered Mata Ji. He said that the convergence of all these milestones in a single year signifies that this period was divinely ordained for India’s renaissance.
