New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend an event here on October 31 that will mark the culmination of Amrit Kalash Yatra held under the 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign, the Culture Ministry said on Friday.
Amrit Kalash Yatris from 7,000 blocks of 766 districts will be present during the event which will be hosted at Vijay Chowk and Kartavya Path, it said.
Prime Minister Modi will address the final event of 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign, the ministry said in a statement.
This event will also witness the launch of an autonomous body -- Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) -- which will help in setting the focus of the government on youth-led development and to make the youth "active drivers" of development.
"The aim of this autonomous body is to inspire youth to become community change agents and nation builders allowing them to act as the 'Yuva Setu' between the government and citizens," the ministry said.
It will also mark the culmination of the two-year-long campaign 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' which began March 12, 2021, to celebrate the 75 years of India's Independence.
'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' has since witnessed more than two lakh programmes organised throughout the country with enthusiastic public participation, it said.
For the final event of 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' (MMMD), more than 20,000 Amrit Kalash Yatris from 36 states and Union Territories are reaching the national capital by October 29 through various modes of transport like specially dedicated trains, buses, and local transport to take part in the two-day programme at Kartavya Path and Vijay Chowk on October 30-31, the statement said.
According to it, these Amrit Kalash Yatris will stay at two camps -- Dhanchiri camp in Gurgaon, and Radha Soami Satsang Beas Camp in Delhi.
On October 30, all the states represented by their respective blocks and urban local bodies will put the mitti (soil) from their 'kalash' in one giant 'Amrit Kalash' reflecting the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. Popular art forms from each state will be displayed during the ceremony of pouring mitti in the Amrit Kalash. The programme is slated to begin at 10.30 am and will go on till late evening, the ministry said.
On October 31, there will be a public programme, open for all, from 12 noon to 2 pm with vibrant cultural performances. At 4 pm, Prime Minister Modi is slated to address the Amrit Kalash Yatris and the nation, remembering the bravehearts who laid down their lives for India to breathe free and to prosper, it added.
In its first phase, the MMMD campaign became a massive success, with over 2.33 lakh Shilaphalakams built in 36 states and UTs, nearly four crore Panch Pran pledge selfies uploaded, and over two lakh 'Veeron ka Vandan' programmes held nationwide. Additionally, more than 2.36 crore indigenous saplings have been planted, and 2.63 lakh Amrit Vatikas created under the Vasudha Vandan theme, the statement said.
In the second phase, Amrit Kalash Yatras were planned to touch every household of the country. Soil and rice grains were collected from more than six lakh villages in rural areas and from wards in urban areas across India.
Collected 'mitti' from each village was mixed at block level and then brought to the state capital, and with a ceremonial send-off, sent to the national capital with thousands of Amrit Kalash Yatris, it added.
