Jalandhar, August 10: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann laid the foundation stone for the Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Bani Adhyayan Centre at Dera Sachkhand Ballan near Kartarpur, marking a major milestone in the state’s year-long commemoration of the 650th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj.
The research centre will cover 10.4 acres with a total constructed area of approximately 96,500 square feet, involving an overall investment of ₹37 crore, including ₹11 crore for land acquisition and permissions. The ceremony took place in the presence of Padam Shri Sant Niranjan Dass Ji alongside other prominent religious personalities from the Sant Samaj.
This centre will go a long way in undertaking extensive research into the sacred Bani of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj, besides playing an instrumental role in propagating his teachings to every corner of the world, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann declared. The institution will act as a lighthouse to perpetuate these core values so future generations can draw inspiration from the sacred writings, the Chief Minister affirmed.
The upcoming infrastructure includes a three-storey administrative and teaching block, separate three-storey residential hostels for 54 male and female scholars, and a dedicated two-storey housing facility for faculty members.
The facility will serve as a dedicated academic space for students and scholars studying the life, social philosophy, and egalitarian vision of the saint-poet, the Chief Minister maintained.
The state government has allocated ₹100 crore toward statewide commemorative events, which include 50 mobile projection units travelling to 13,000 villages across all 23 districts to screen educational documentaries on the spiritual leader’s life and anti-caste teachings.
The Chief Minister linked the cultural initiative to state investments in public education, noting that state government schools recorded 881 NEET qualifiers in 2026 compared to 80 in 2021, reflecting a broader structural transformation across public institutions.
