Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi District Renamed As Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced that Bhadohi district is now Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi.

Announcing the new name during a programme here, Adityanath said, "Now our Bhadohi district will be called Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi."

During his visit to the district, the chief minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 112 projects worth over Rs 1,340 crore.

"On the occasion of Guru Purnima, the government had said Bhadohi district, renowned for its carpet industry, would be known by the name of Satguru Ravidas Maharaj, a saint who united society through his spiritual devotion," Adityanath said.

He said it is "deeply gratifying" that Sant Ravidas' vision -- a state where none goes hungry and everyone reaps the benefits of welfare measures -- has been realised.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 80 crore people in India are currently receiving free ration. In this context, it is truly fitting that this district bears the name Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi," Adityanath said.

Bhadohi was a part of Varanasi district before it became the 65th district of the state on June 30, 1994.

The district has undergone several name changes, with the last such renaming carried out on December 6, 2014, when the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government officially changed its name back to Bhadohi from Sant Ravidas Nagar-Bhadohi.

On July 29 this year, Adityanath announced that the Bhadohi district would once again be renamed Sant Ravidas Nagar, as the ruling BJP kicked off a Dalit outreach initiative from the prime minister's constituency, Varanasi.

Lashing out at the Samajwadi Party during Sunday's event, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "The funds currently being spent on development of pilgrimage sites and beautification and preservation of heritage landmarks are the same funds that, before 2017, were used to encroach upon land in the name of constructing boundary walls for graveyards."

The "double-engine" government has put a stop to that, curbed corruption, and transformed Uttar Pradesh, once plagued by mafia and unrest. "No one calls UP a 'bimaru' (ill) state anymore. No one can label UP "riot-prone", Adityanath said.

"When a youth from any Uttar Pradesh district travels outside the state, they no longer face an identity crisis. Daughters and traders no longer face threats to their safety. Artisans are no longer forced to migrate. Farmers no longer resort to suicide, because government schemes have successfully reached them," he said.

Adityanath said his government has provided government jobs to youth. "In the next six months, the Uttar Pradesh government will provide jobs to another one lakh youth. Anyone who undermines the employment prospects of the youth will go to jail, and their property will be confiscated."

Highlighting the development potential offered by Bhadohi's geographical location, Adityanath said Sant Ravidas Nagar is situated between the holy city of Varanasi and Prayagraj. The region boasts both rich heritage and infrastructure development driven by the "double-engine" government.

He said when the decision was made to extend the Ganga Expressway via the Vindhya Expressway, he specifically directed Sant Ravidas Nagar be connected to this network.

The chief minister said the Sant Ravidas Kutiya in Aurai tehsil remains a focal point of faith for devotees. Efforts have been made to integrate the Sita Samahit Sthal at Sitamarhi into the Ramayana Circuit, asserting that funds are now being invested in developing pilgrimage sites, preserving and beautifying the legacy of our ancestors, and honouring people's faith.

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