The Uttar Pradesh government is marking the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today, December 25, with a series of cultural programmes across the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and several other leaders paid floral tributes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the ‘Sadaiv Atal’ memorial on his birth anniversary today.

On this occasion, PM Modi will also unveil 65-foot-tall bronze statues of three senior leaders linked to the Jansangh tradition – Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee – at the newly developed Rashtriya Prerna Sthal, which is spread over 65 acres.

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More than Rs 21 crore has been spent on building the statues. The site also includes a museum that showcases important milestones from the lives of the three leaders, according to an official statement.

What all is planned today 

The Department of Culture will organise special cultural performances at the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal and in districts closely associated with Vajpayee’s life, including Lucknow, Bateshwar in Agra, Balrampur and Sitapur.

Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said the 100th birth anniversary is being observed to connect people with the values of nationalism, culture and public service. He added that folk traditions would echo across the state on Atal Jayanti, with programmes featuring poetry recitals, folk and Sufi music, puppetry, shehnai, Alha singing and traditional dance forms, according to a report by PTI.

Artists to perform across multiple venues 

Audiences will witness poetry recitals, folk songs, Sufi music, puppetry, shehnai performances, Alha singing, Rajasthani folk dance, magic shows and traditional dance forms such as Bam Rasiya, Dhobiya, Faruwahi and Mayur dance.

As per the programme schedule, poets, folk singers, dancers and other cultural performers will take part at multiple venues, highlighting the diversity and cultural richness of Uttar Pradesh.

The Rashtriya Prerna Sthal features 65-foot-tall bronze statues of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The Uttar Pradesh Department of Culture has spent over Rs 21 crore on the project, which also includes a museum preserving key moments and memories from the lives of these three national leaders.

“The entire country is celebrating the birth centenary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This is a time to revive the country’s culture, history, and heritage and to awaken the spirit of patriotism among the countrymen,” Union Minister Piyush Goyal told news agency ANI.

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Amit Shah unveils bronze statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday unveiled a bronze statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the eve of his 101st birth anniversary. Shah inaugurated the 41-foot-tall statue at Atal Park in Panchkula in the presence of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, several Haryana ministers and other dignitaries. The Home Minister was in the city to attend multiple programmes during the day.

Speaking at the passing out parade of Batch 93 of the Recruit Basic Course, where 5,061 newly trained Haryana Police constables were inducted into the force, Shah described Vajpayee as a born patriot, a capable administrator and a poet at heart. He said that when it came to the nation’s security and development, Vajpayee was more firm and determined than anyone else.