CURATED BY – RAJEEV KHARE | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Raipur, the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, the immortal protector of Bharatbhoomi, the great warrior who sacrificed everything for the motherland, will be celebrated with full respect and tradition on May 29 this year as per Vikram Samvat Panchang. All communities will participate in this function organized in the premises of Banjari Mata Temple in Birgaon of Raipur district and various cultural programs will be organized.

Giving information, National Vice President of All India Kshatriya Mahasabha, Shri Akhilesh Singh said that Maharana Pratap Jayanti should be celebrated as per Vikram Samvat and not on the basis of English (Gregorian) calendar. He said, “When Maharana Pratap was born, the English calendar did not exist. Vikram Samvat was used in that era. The English calendar was implemented in the world in 1582 and its use in India started after 1752. In such a situation, it is appropriate and respectful to celebrate the birth anniversary of any historical great man by linking it to the calendar of that era.”

Mr. Singh said that “We celebrate all the major festivals like Pitru Paksha, Diwali, Dussehra, Holi and Navratri according to the Indian calendar, then celebrating the birth anniversary of a great personality like Maharana Pratap on the basis of the English calendar is against our tradition. Even today many of our brothers celebrate this birth anniversary on 9 May according to the English calendar, which is not appropriate from the historical point of view.”

He also told that in an All India meeting held in Udaipur in the presence of Maharana Mewar, it has been decided unanimously that the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap will be celebrated according to Vikram Samvat, so that our cultural consciousness and pride remain intact. Finally, Shri Akhilesh Singh appealed to all the organizations and countrymen:

“I urge all the patriots, organizations and brothers to take this matter seriously and not only this year, but also in all the coming years, celebrate the birth and death anniversaries of all the great men including Maharana Pratap according to Vikram Samvat. This is the true respect for them and the preservation of our cultural consciousness.”

Maharana Pratap is not only a historical warrior, but he is an ideal who is a symbol of self-respect, independence and loyalty towards the motherland. The task of keeping his memory alive in the true sense is possible only when we remember him according to his era – not by Western calculations.