Mumbai, June 20: The West Bengal Foundation Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm at Maharashtra Lok Bhavan in Mumbai. Maharashtra’s Governor, Jagdish Mukhi, extended his best wishes to the people of West Bengal residing in Maharashtra and across the country.
The Governor congratulated the students of Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University for their outstanding cultural presentation of Bengali songs and dances. He particularly praised the commendable efforts of the university’s Marathi-speaking students in showcasing West Bengal’s rich cultural heritage.
This event was organized under the Government of India’s ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative. A video message from West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi was also shown at the beginning of the program.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Jagdish Mukhi noted that although Maharashtra and West Bengal are nearly two thousand kilometers apart, there is a remarkable similarity in the spirit, cultural consciousness, and nationalism of the people from both states.
He emphasized that both states are united by a shared heritage of history, culture, spirituality, and nationalism. They have produced great personalities such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sant Tukaram, Ahilyadevi Holkar, and Swami Vivekananda.
The Governor remarked that both Maharashtra and West Bengal played significant leadership roles during India’s freedom struggle. Bengal gave birth to leaders like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Bipin Chandra Pal, while Maharashtra produced notable figures such as Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
He further stated that just as West Bengal is dedicated to literature and culture, Maharashtra is also a land of literary and cultural excellence. Bengal has made immense contributions to literature and music. He referenced the famous saying, “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow,” highlighting that the sons of Bengal gifted the nation both ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Jana Gana Mana.’
The Governor described Mumbai as India’s financial capital, while Kolkata is widely regarded as its cultural capital. He likened the Bengali language to the sweetness of the famous rasgulla.
During the event, university students presented the Durga Puja song “Hello Giri Shuno Khobor,” which depicted the lives and contributions of great personalities from West Bengal. They also showcased folk dances and a Kathak performance.
Students from Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University presented a music and dance program that highlighted West Bengal’s rich cultural traditions.
The event was attended by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Prakash Mahanwar, the Governor’s Joint Secretary S. Ramamurthy, cultural coordinators, Lok Bhavan officials, and students from various schools in Mumbai.
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