India, Aug. 10 -- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a centre dedicated to the study of life, philosophy and words of Sri Guru Ravidas at Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar. Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Bani Adhyayan Centre will come up over 10.4 acres at an overall cost of Rs 37 crore, including Rs 11 crore for the land. The Punjab government will bear the cost of construction, according to an official statement. Mann laid the foundation stone in the presence of Dera Sachkhand Ballan Niranjan Dass. The centre will have a three-storey administration and teaching block, boys' and girls' hostels with accommodation for 54 students each, and a two-storey building for teachers and staff. Also Read - Arunachal CM calls upon universities in NE to become 'problem solving institutions' It will provide children, students and research scholars a dedicated space to study the life, Bani, philosophy and teachings of Guru Ravidas and undertake research that carries the light of his wisdom and message across the world, it said. The foundation stone has been laid as part of the Punjab government's year-long celebrations of the 650th 'Parkash Purab' of Guru Ravidas, for which Rs 100 crore has been earmarked. As part of these celebrations, 50 mobile vans are travelling across all 23 districts to screen documentaries on his life, philosophy and teachings in 13,000 villages, taking his message of equality, humanity and dignity to people across Punjab, the statement said. Mann said this centre will go a long way in undertaking extensive "adhyayan" (study)of Guru Ravidas's words, besides being instrumental in propagating his teachings in every nook and corner of the world. "I hope that this centre will act as a lighthouse for further perpetuating the ideology of Sri Guru Ravidas so that our future generations can seek inspiration from his Bani."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.