Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate here on Sunday year-long celebrations commemorating the 200th birth anniversary of social reformer and Arya Samaj founder Dayanand Saraswati.
Born in 1824, Saraswati worked to counter the then prevalent social inequities. Arya Samaj has played a key role in cultural and social awakening of the country by its emphasis on social reforms and education, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.
The government has been committed to celebrating social reformers and important personalities, especially those whose contributions were not given their due yet on a pan-India scale, it added.
From declaring the birth anniversary of Birsa Muda as the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to participating in a programme commemorating Aurobindo's 150th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been leading such initiatives from the front, the PMO said.
