Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a temple dedicated to 17th-century saint Tukaram Maharaj at Dehu near Pune city and will unveil the Revolutionary Gallery in Mumbai on June 14 during his daylong visit to Maharashtra. An official statement on Monday said the PM will attend the “Dwishatabdi Mahostsav” of Mumbai Samachar, a newspaper published for 200 years.

In Pune, Modi will inaugurate the Dehu Jagatguru Shrisant Tukaram Maharaj Temple at 1:45 pm, the statement said. A prominent name in the Bhakti movement, Tukaram was a Warkari saint and poet. He was known for his devotional poem ‘Abhanga’ and his spiritual song ‘Kirtan’.

He lived in Dehu near Pune. A rock temple was built after his death, but it was not officially built as a temple. The statement said it was rebuilt in a stone masonry with 36 pinnacles and included a statue of St. Tukaram. Later, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Jal Bhushan Bhavan and the Revolutionary Gallery at the Raj Bhavan in South Mumbai.

Jal Bhushan has been the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra since 1885. After its expiration, it was demolished and a new building was approved in its place. The foundation stone of the new building was laid by President Ram Nath Kovind in August 2019. All the distinctive features of the old building have been preserved in the newly constructed structure, the statement said.

In 2016, the then Governor of Maharashtra Vidyasagar Rao found a bunker in Raj Bhawan. It was formerly used by the British as a secret stockpile of weapons and ammunition. The bunker was renovated in 2019. A revolutionary gallery has been set up in the bunker as a museum to commemorate the contribution of Maharashtra’s freedom fighters and revolutionaries.

It pays tribute to Vasudev Balwant Phadke, Chaphekar’s brother, Savarkar’s brother, Madam Bhikaji Cama, V B Gogate and his contribution to the 1946 naval mutiny. Later, Prime Minister Modi will take part in the ‘”Dwishatabdi Mahostav” (200th). Bandra Kurla Complex, a business district in the suburbs, is celebrating ‘Mumbai Samachar’.

Weekly Mumbai Samachar (then known as Bombay Samachar) was started on July 1, 1822, by Ferdunjee Marzbanji, a Persian scholar. In 1832 it became a diary. The Gujarati newspaper has been published continuously for over 200 years.

A stamp will also be issued at the ceremony to commemorate this unique achievement, the statement said.