Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate Jagatguru Shrisant Tukaram Maharaj Temple in Dehu, Pune during his visit to Maharashtra on June 14. He will also inaugurate Jal Bhushan Building and Gallery of Revolutionaries at Raj Bhawan in Mumbai.
In the evening, the Prime Minister will participate in Dwishatabdi Mahotsav of Mumbai Samachar, a newspaper that is publishing continuously for 200 years at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.
Giving a detailed itinerary on Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “At around 1:45 pm, he (the PM) will inaugurate Jagatguru Shrisant Tukaram Maharaj Temple in Dehu, Pune.”
Sant Tukaram was a Warkari saint and a poet known for his Abhanga devotional poetry and community-oriented worship through spiritual songs known as Kirtans. He lived in Dehu where a Shila Mandir was built after his demise, but it was not formally structured as a temple. It has been rebuilt in stone masonry with 36 peaks, and also carries an idol of Sant Tukaram.
“At around 4:15 pm, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Jal Bhushan Building and Gallery of Revolutionaries at Raj Bhawan in Mumbai,” the PMO statement said.
Jal Bhushan has been the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra since 1885. Upon completing its lifespan, it was demolished and a new building was sanctioned in its place. The Foundation stone for the new building was laid by President Ram Nath Kovind in August 2019. All distinctive features of the old building have been preserved in the newly constructed building.
In 2016, the then Governor of Maharashtra, Vidyasagar Rao, had found a bunker in Raj Bhawan. It had earlier been used by the British for the clandestine storage of arms and ammunition. The bunker was renovated in 2019.
The gallery has been developed in the bunker as its kind museum, to commemorate the contributions of the freedom fighters and revolutionaries of Maharashtra. It offers tributes to the contribution of Vasudev Balwant Phadke, the Chaphekar brothers, the Savarkar brothers, Madam Bhikaji Cama, V B Gogate, Naval Mutiny in 1946, among others.
“At around 6 pm, the Prime Minister will participate in Dwishatabdi Mahotsav of Mumbai Samachar at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai,” the statement said.
The publication of Mumbai Samachar as a weekly was started on 1st July 1822 by Fardunjee Marzbanji. It, later on, became a daily in 1832. The newspaper is being published continuously for 200 years. To commemorate this unique feat, a postal stamp will be released on the occasion.