PM Modi Inaugurates Bharat Parv Ahead of Sardar Patel's Birth Anniversary, Witnesses Play on Bankim Chattopadhyay’s ‘Anand Math’

Narmada, Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated Bharat Parv 2026 at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district, setting the stage for the two-day Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations that mark the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The cultural festival, organised in the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’, will continue till November 15.

As per the Gujarat Chief Minister's Office, PM Modi dedicated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth over Rs 14,000 crore to the nation from Banaskantha district. On the occasion of the national-level celebration of PM Kisan Utsav Diwas, he also released the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), transferring financial assistance directly to farmers' bank accounts across the country.

A highlight of the evening was a theatrical adaptation of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic novel Anand Math. Titled 'Anand Math: Maa Ne Phir Bulaya Hai', the approximately 90-minute production was staged by the National School of Drama with around 300 artistes performing on a 100 ft by 100 ft stage. The contemporary interpretation of the 1882 novel, which gave the nation the national song Vande Mataram, formed a key part of the cultural programme at Ekta Nagar, home to the Statue of Unity.

On Saturday, coinciding with Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for 31 tourism and infrastructure projects worth over ₹426 crore. These include an IRCTC hotel, the Ekta Cruise and a Rain Forest project. In the evening, he will participate in the main Rashtriya Ekta Diwas programme featuring the Ekta Parade by security forces, a theatrical presentation on ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat’ by the National School of Drama, and grand cultural performances by nearly 5,000 artists from across the country.

Earlier during his two-day Gujarat visit, PM Modi held a roadshow in Banaskantha district and dedicated as well as laid the foundation stones for development projects worth over ₹14,000 crore. He also visited the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) cattle farm and the Embryo Transfer Technology-In Vitro Fertilisation (ET-IVF) Laboratory. The facility, focused on genetic upgradation and advanced reproductive technologies for the Kankrej cattle breed, is the country’s first of its kind and is expected to accelerate breed improvement by 10–20 times.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi were present on the occasion.