Modi to launch 63rd State Van Mahotsav at Mangarh Hill

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to launch 63rd State Van Mahotsav at  Mangarh Hill:

                           A tribute to unknown tribal martyrs:

Vadodara (Information Bureau): Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 63rd State Van Mahotsav from Mangarh Hill, on July, 30, where 1500 odd tribal martyrs were killed by British Rulers, in Santrampur taluka of tribal dominated Panchmahals district. The Chief Minister has earlier announced to launch State level Van Mahotsav from this historic place to commemorate the martyrdom of these unknown tribal freedom fighters who were disciples of Govind Guru. Significantly, last year’s state Level Van Mahotsav was also kicked off at Pavagarh in Panchmahals district.

Govind Guru, a social and religious reformist, who tried hard to change and improve the lives of tribal people and made them, refrained from social evils. He united them to fight against injustice and exploitation.

A Govind Guru Smriti Van numbering 1,507 is being set up at Mangarh in the memory of Govind Guru who worked for the social and economic uplift of Bhils and other tribal living in the region bordering Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. In all, 1,507 tribal people were killed in the freedom struggle against the British in 1913. Gujarat Government plans to develop Mangarh as a pilgrimage centre and as a place of tourist interest too. 

Even as tribal people know the importance of trees, nearly 30,000 saplings have been planted earlier too, in clusters named Nakshatra Van, Rashi Van, Tulsi Van.

The Smriti Van is in the series of several clusters of forest, set up by Gujarat Government over the last decade, called ‘Sanskritik Van’, namely Punit Van at Gandhinagar, Mangalya Van at Ambaji, Teerthankar Van at Taranga Teerth, Hairhar Van at Somnath, Bhakti Van at Chotila, Shyamal Van at Shamlaji, Pavak Van at Palitana and Virasat Van at Pavagadh.