Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ on Friday and flag off a 'padyatra' from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to mark the beginning of celebrations for 75 years of India’s independence. The 'padyatra' is also being referred to as the freedom march.
Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav
The Mahotsav means the grand celebration and the government of India will organise several events as part of it to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence. The activities shall begin on March 12. The same day in 1930, it was from here that Mahatma Gandhi, accompanied by 81 other 'padyatris', started the Dandi March against the Britishers' salt law.
How long is the padyatra?
The 'padyatra', which PM Modi will flag off on Friday, will cover a distance of about 388kms from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi in Navsari over a period of 25 days, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel said on Thursday.
Several other groups are expected to join IT along the way. Patel will lead the first 75kms. In the 'Mahotsav', besides the ministry of culture, other ministries, too, are expected to participate and perform in events and programmes, which will be held every week. Indian embassies abroad, too, will organise programmes to mark the historic 75th year since India gained independence.
Celebrations at 16 ASI monuments
At least 16 monuments identified by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will organise celebrations Friday onwards to mark the special occasion. The programmes will include glimpses of India's cultural richness and the first of 16 events will begin at Delhi's Qila Rai Pithora.
Among other monuments where the celebrations will take place are Gwalior Fort in Gwalior, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri, Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Bhubaneswari Temple in Aizawl, Aga Khan Palace Building in Mumbai and Konark Sun Temple in Odisha.
According to a report in Mint, sites in Lucknow, Jhansi, Patna, Varanasi, Sankaram, Amravati and Jaipur are also among the places that will organise programmes and events in honour of India's 75 years of independence.
