Delhi: Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel anointed with waters from 25 rivers

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) A statue of India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Patel Chowk here was anointed with water from 25 rivers across the country on his 150th birth anniversary on Friday, officials said.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta attended the 'Jal Sangam se Jan Sangam – The Festival of Unity' event along with Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, MP Bansuri Swaraj, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, students, NSS volunteers, members of My Bharat organisation, and teachers.

A Unity March organised by the Delhi government was also flagged off during the event.

The event began at Patel Chowk, where the statue of India's Iron Man, Sardar Patel, was anointed with water from 25 major rivers of the country, a statement from the chief minister's office said.

Gupta said the anointment was not merely a gesture of reverence, but a symbol of unity, integrity, and devotion – the very essence that Sardar Patel infused into the soul of India.

Students from Delhi collected water from 25 rivers, including the Jhelum, Brahmaputra, Narmada, and Godavari, representing India's cultural diversity and spiritual unity. "India is not merely a piece of land, but a living national being whose consciousness flows through our rivers," she said.

The chief minister led the 'Unity March' from Patel Chowk to the National War Memorial, joined by students, NSS volunteers, My Bharat youth members, and teachers.

She added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in 2014, began the tradition of celebrating Sardar Patel's birth anniversary as National Unity Day, inspiring every Indian to draw strength from his ideals.

Gupta described the day as a historic reaffirmation of the vision of an integrated and strong India.

Education minister Sood said that during the most trying times of Partition, when Delhi was in chaos and thousands of Hindu refugees stood homeless under the open sky, Sardar Patel emerged as the city's greatest guardian.

He restored law and order, established relief camps, and assured that for every displaced family arriving from Punjab, Sindh, and the Frontier Province, Delhi would be their home, Sood added.

He also shared that as part of the 'Jal Sangam se Jan Sangam' journey, 150 students and teachers would collect water from 25 culturally significant rivers across India and offer it to the Yamuna, symbolising national unity. PTI VIT OZ MPL MPL MPL