1 February 2026·PIB

Renaming of Adampur Airport as Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport is a fitting tribute to the timeless ideals of Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji: Prime Minister

In this note

1. At a Glance

On Sant Ravidass Jayanti, 1 February 2026, the Government of India renamed Adampur Airport (Jalandhar, Punjab) as Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport, Adampur [1][2].
Announced by PM Narendra Modi as a tribute to the 15th-century Bhakti saint Guru Ravidas, whose message of equality, compassion and service is invoked as a civilisational ideal [1].
Examinable as: (i) Art & Culture / Bhakti Movement (GS-I), (ii) civil aviation under UDAN (GS-III), and (iii) toponymy / symbolic governance.

PM Modi visited Punjab on 1 February 2026 to mark the 649th Birth Anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas Ji and unveiled the renamed airport [2].
Announcement coincided with Magh Purnima (Sant Ravidass Jayanti) commemorations centred at Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi, the saint's birthplace [1][2].

Adampur is a dual-use airfield: it co-hosts the Indian Air Force Station Adampur, home to the 47 Squadron IAF ("Black Archers") [2].
Identified as an unserved airport under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) Regional Connectivity Scheme of MoCA for civilian operations [2].
Renaming follows a pattern of toponymic tributes (e.g., Mana → Swami Vivekanand Airport, Raipur; Agartala → Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore Airport) approved by the Union Cabinet [3][4].

New name: Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport, Adampur [1].
Location: Adampur, Jalandhar district, Punjab [2].
Date of announcement: 1 February 2026, on Sant Ravidass Jayanti [1].
Announcing authority: Prime Minister's Office; airport renaming is administratively processed by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) with concurrence of MHA, MEA and State Government [3].
Co-located IAF unit: 47 Squadron, AFS Adampur [2].
Scheme linkage: UDAN-RCS unserved-airport list [2].
Anniversary marked: 649th Birth Anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas Ji [2].

Social / Historical: Guru Ravidas was a leading Nirguna Bhakti saint from Varanasi; his verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib (~40 hymns). Renaming projects recognition of Ravidassia/Scheduled Caste heritage, with Punjab's Doaba region (Jalandhar) being a major Ravidassia stronghold [1].
Ethical / Governance: Symbolic tribute to a saint who preached caste equality (Begumpura — "land without sorrow"), aligned with constitutional values under Art. 14, 15, 17 [1].
Administrative: Renaming of an airport requires No-Objection Certificates from MHA (security), MEA (international acceptability), MoD (for defence airfields), and State approval before Cabinet/PMO notification [3].
Strategic: AFS Adampur is a frontline base near the western border; was visited by PM Modi in May 2025 post Operation Sindoor to address air warriors — civil renaming does not alter IAF nomenclature [2].

1 Feb 2026: PM visit to Punjab; renaming announced [1][2].
May 2025: PM Modi addressed air warriors at AFS Adampur following India's response to cross-border escalation [2].

Adampur Airport is located in Jalandhar district, Punjab [2].
Renamed on Sant Ravidass Jayanti (Magh Purnima) — falls on a full moon of the Hindu month of Magh [1].
The renaming marked the 649th Birth Anniversary of Guru Ravidas [2].
Guru Ravidas is associated with the Nirguna Bhakti tradition and the city of Varanasi.
His hymns are preserved in the Adi Granth / Guru Granth Sahib of Sikhism.
AFS Adampur hosts 47 Squadron of the Indian Air Force [2].
Adampur was an UDAN scheme unserved-airport site for civil operations [2].
Implementing ministry for airport renaming: Ministry of Civil Aviation (announcement by PMO) [1].
Concept of "Begumpura" ("city without sorrow") is attributed to Guru Ravidas — an early egalitarian utopia.

GS-I — Indian Culture / Bhakti Movement: "Bhakti saints used vernacular poetry to challenge social hierarchies — discuss with reference to Guru Ravidas."
GS-II — Governance / Symbolism: "Renaming of public infrastructure as a tool of inclusive nation-building — analyse the policy, process and critiques."
GS-I — Social Reformers: "Examine the relevance of Guru Ravidas's vision of Begumpura to contemporary debates on caste equality in India."

Bhakti Movement (Nirguna vs Saguna) — Ravidas belongs to the Nirguna Sant tradition.
Guru Granth Sahib — includes hymns of Ravidas and other non-Sikh saints.
UDAN-RCS scheme — civilian use of Adampur is via this scheme [2].
Indian Air Force order of battle (Western Air Command) — AFS Adampur context [2].
Procedure for renaming places/airports in India — MoCA + MHA + MEA + Cabinet route [3].
Article 17 & abolition of untouchability — constitutional dimension of Ravidas's egalitarian message.
Ravidassia community / Dera Sachkhand Ballan, Jalandhar — Doaba social geography.

Adampur Airport is in Jalandhar, Punjab, not Adampur in Haryana (Hisar district has a different Adampur).
The renaming applies to the civil airport name; the IAF station "AFS Adampur" retains its designation.
Guru Ravidas's birthplace is Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi (UP) — not Punjab, although his largest following is in Punjab's Doaba.
Sant Ravidass Jayanti is observed on Magh Purnima (lunar), not a fixed Gregorian date.
Airport renaming is steered by Ministry of Civil Aviation, not the Ministry of Culture.