As parties rush to honour Guru Ravidas, revisiting his legacy of Dalit resistance in Punjab and beyond

5 min readChandigarhJul 31, 2026 06:30 AM IST Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offers prayers at Sant Ravidas birthplace temple, in Varanasi, July 29. (PTI Photo) Seven months before Sant Ravidas’s 650th birth anniversary, the BJP launched a nationwide commemoration campaign on Wednesday (July 29) at his birthplace near Varanasi, in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Centuries after his lifetime, Guru Ravidas continues to shape religious thought, social reform, politics and Dalit assertion across India, particularly in Punjab. The AAP government also launched a year-long commemoration campaign in February.A Bhakti saint, philosopher and poet, he challenged caste hierarchies while remaining rooted in his occupation as a cobbler, preached the dignity of