PM’s address at the 525th Birth Anniversary of Saint Meera Bai in Mathura
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 23 Nov, 2023

Radhe-Radhe! Jai Shri Krishna! Present in the program, esteemed saints of Braj, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath ji, our two Deputy Chief Ministers, several members of the Cabinet, Member of Parliament from Mathura, Sister Hema Malini ji, and my dear residents of Braj! Firstly, I apologize for my delay in coming here as I was busy in an election rally in Rajasthan. I have come to this devotional atmosphere directly from there. I am fortunate to pay my obeisance to Braj, to meet the people of Braj today, because this is the land where one can visit only when Lord Krishna and Radha beckon. This is no ordinary land. Braj is the abode of our ‘Shyama-Shyam Ju.’ Braj is the manifestation of the love of ‘Lal ji’ and ‘Ladli ji.’ Braj is the very place whose essence is worshiped worldwide. In every particle of Braj, Radha Rani resides, and Krishna is present in every speck here. Therefore, our scriptures say सप्त द्वीपेषु यत् तीर्थ, भ्रमणात् च यत् फलम्। प्राप्यते च अधिकं तस्मात्, मथुरा भ्रमणीयते॥ That is, the benefits of visiting Mathura and Braj alone are even greater than the benefits of all the pilgrimages in the world. Today, I once again have the opportunity to be among you in Braj thanks to the Braj Raj Mahotsav and the celebration of the 525th birth anniversary of Saint Meera Bai ji. I bow with complete dedication to the divine Lord Krishna and Radha Rani of Braj. I also pay my respects to the feet of Meera Bai ji and all the saints of Braj. I also greet the Member of Parliament Hema Malini ji. She is not just an MP; she has become one with Braj. Hemaji is not only fully devoted to organizing the Braj Ras Mahotsav as an MP but also actively works to enhance the grandeur of the celebration, immersing herself in Krishna devotion. My family members, For me, attending this event is special for another reason as well. There has been a unique connection between Gujarat and Braj, from Lord Krishna to Meera Bai. The Kanha of Mathura became Dwarkadhish only in Gujarat. And Saint Meera Bai ji, who came from Rajasthan and spread love in Mathura-Vrindavan, also spent her final years in Dwarka. Meera’s devotion is incomplete without Vrindavan. Overwhelmed by Vrindavan devotion, Saint Meera Bai said – आली री मोहे लागे वृन्दावन नीको…घर-घर तुलसी ठाकुर पूजा, दर्शन गोविन्दजी कौ .. Therefore, when people of Gujarat get the privilege of visiting Braj spread across UP and Rajasthan, we consider it to be the blessings of Dwarkadhish. And I have been called by Ma Ganga, and with the grace of Lord Dwarkadhish, I have been among you since 2014, dedicated to your service. My family members, The 525th birth anniversary of Meera Bai is not just the birth anniversary of a saint. It is a celebration of Bharat’s entire culture. It is a celebration of Bharat’s tradition of love. This celebration is also a celebration of the non-dualistic thought that sees oneness in man and God, life and Shiva, devotee and deity, known as Advaita. Today, I am fortunate to release a commemorative coin and ticket in the name of Saint Meera Bai. Meera Bai was born in the brave land of Rajasthan which has made immense sacrifices for the honour and culture of the country. This Braj Mandal, which covers 84 ‘kos’, (approximately 250 kilometres) encompasses both Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Meera Bai enriched the consciousness of Bharat through devotion and spirituality. Meera Bai explained devotion, dedication, and faith in a simple language – मीराँ के प्रभु गिरधर नागर, सहज मिले अबिनासी, रे ।। This program organized in her devotion reminds us not only of Bharat’s devotion but also of Bharat’s valour and sacrifice. Meera Bai’s family and Rajasthan sacrificed everything for the protection of our centres of faith so that the soul and consciousness of Bharat could be preserved. Today’s event not only reminds us of the tradition of Meera Bai’s love but also the tradition of her valour. And this is the identity of Bharat. We see the same Krishna playing the flute, and we also see the vision of Vasudeva wielding the Sudarshan Chakra. My family members, Our Bharat has always been a country that venerates ‘Nari Shakti’ (women’s power). Braj residents understand this better than anyone else. Here, the ‘Ladli Sarkar’ has a first say in Kanhaiya’s city as well. Here, Radhe-Radhe is used for everything, from address, dialogue to respect. Krishna’s name is complete only after Radha is mentioned before him. Therefore, women in our country have always taken responsibilities and continuously guided society. Meera Bai is a shining example of this. Meera Bai said – जेताई दीसै धरनि गगन विच, तेता सब उठ जासी।। इस देहि का गरब ना करणा, माटी में मिल जासी।। i.e. whatever is visible between this earth and sky, everything will perish one day. We all can understand the gravity behind this statement. Friends, Saint Meera Bai ji showed society the path in a tumultuous era when it was most needed. In such challenging times in Bharat, Meera Bai demonstrated that a woman’s self-esteem has the power to guide the entire world. She considered Sant Ravidas her guru and openly said – “गुरु मिलिआ संत गुरु रविदास जी, दीन्ही ज्ञान की गुटकी”. Therefore, Meera Bai was not just a great woman of the medieval era; she was also among the greatest social reformers and guides. Friends, Meera Bai and her verses are a light that is relevant in every age, in every era. If we look at the challenges of the present time, Meera Bai teaches us to be liberated from stereotypes and stay connected to our values. Meera Bai says – मीराँ के प्रभु सदा सहाई, राखे विघन हटाय। भजन भाव में मस्त डोलती, गिरधर पै बलि जाय? Her devotion is simple yet firm. She is not afraid of any obstacles; she only inspires everybody to continue with their efforts. My family members, On this occasion, I would like to mention another special characteristic of the land of Bharat. The incredible capability of the Indian soil is that whenever its consciousness was attacked, whenever its consciousness became weak, an awakened energy source somewhere in the country took a resolve and made efforts to show direction to Bharat. And some became warriors, while others became saints for this sacred task. Our saints from the Bhakti era are an unparalleled example of this. They built the foundations of renunciation and detachment and, at the same time, fortified our Bharat. Look at the entirety of Bharat: in the south, there were Saints like Alvar and Nayanar, and scholars like Ramanujacharya! In the north, there were saints like Tulsidas, Kabir, Ravidas, and Surdas! In Punjab, there was Guru Nanak Dev. In the east, saints like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Bengal are still radiating their light globally. In the west, in Gujarat, there were saints like Narsinh Mehta. In Maharashtra, there were saints like Tukaram and Namdev! Everyone had different languages, dialects, customs, and traditions. Yet, their message was the same, their goal was the same. Though there were different streams of devotion and knowledge emerging from different regions of the country, they came together to connect the entire Bharat. And friends, A sacred place like Mathura has been a confluence of various streams of the Bhakti movement. Saints like Malukdas, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, Swami Haridas, Swami Hit Harivansh Prabhu, and many others have visited here! They brought a new consciousness to Indian society, breathed new life into it! This devotional sacrifice continues to this day, with the continuous blessings of Lord Shri Krishna. My family members, Our saints have said about Braj – वृन्दावन सौं वन नहीं, नन्दगाँव सौं गाँव। बंशीवट सौं वट नहीं, कृष्ण नाम सौं नाँव॥ In other words, there is no sacred forest like Vrindavan anywhere else. There is no sacred village like Nandgaon. There is no banyan tree like Banshi Vat. And there is no auspicious name like Krishna’s. The Braj region is not only the land of devotion and love, but it has also been the centre of our literature, music, culture, and civilization. This region has upheld the country even in difficult times. However, when the country became independent, unfortunately, this sacred pilgrimage did not receive the importance it deserved. Those who wanted to split Bharat from its past and who were indifferent to Bharat’s culture and spiritual identity, could not give up the slave mentality even after independence. They kept Braj Bhoomi deprived of development. Brothers and sisters, Today, the country has stepped out of the mentality of slavery for the first time in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of independence. We have taken a pledge of ‘Panch Pranas’ from the Red Fort. We are moving forward with taking pride in our heritage. Today, the holy abode of Lord Vishwanath in Kashi is before us in a magnificent form. Today, we witness divinity along with grandeur at the Mahakal Mahalok in Ujjain. Today, lakhs of people are blessed by Kedarnath. And now, the date for the consecration of the temple of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya has also arrived. Mathura and Braj will no longer lag behind in this race of development. The day is not far when there will be grandeur in the Braj region as well. I am pleased that the ‘Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad’ has been established for the development of Braj. This council is working on various tasks for the convenience of the devotees and the development of pilgrimage sites. Programs like ‘Braj Raj Mahotsav’ are also contributing to the development of this region. Friends, This entire region is connected to the leelas (divine plays) of Krishna. Areas like Mathura, Vrindavan, Bharatpur, Karauli, Agra, Firozabad, Kasganj, Palwal, Ballabhgarh come under different states. The Indian government is making an effort to collaborate with different state governments to develop this entire region. Friends, The changes and development happening in the Braj region and in the country are not just a transformation in the system. They are a symbol of the evolving nature of our nation, an indicator of its reawakening consciousness. The Mahabharata is proof that when there is a revival of Bharat, there is undoubtedly the blessing of Lord Krishna. With the strength of that blessing, we will fulfil our resolutions and contribute to the creation of a ‘Viksit Bharat’. Once again, I extend heartfelt wishes to all on the 525th birth anniversary of Saint Meera Bai. Many thanks to you all! Radhe-Radhe! Jai Shri Krishna!