Army unveils statue of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in J&K’s Rajouri

Jammu, Oct 27 (PTI) Army on Sunday unveiled the statue of great warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur to commemorate his 355th birth anniversary at Narian along the Jammu-Poonch national highway in Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said.

The unveiling of the statue by the general officer commanding, the 25 Infantry Division Major General Gaurav Rishi, coincided with Infantry Day which was celebrated by the army across the region.

After the inauguration, the defence spokesman said the place would be known as ‘Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Mod’.

Being a great warrior, Bahadur continues to inspire the people of Rajouri and will instil a sense of pride amongst the civilians and locals moving along the highway, he said.

Born on October 27, 1670, in a farmer family of Ramdev in Rajouri as Laxman Dev Manhas, Bahadur left home at the age of fifteen to become an ascetic and came to be known as Madhav Dass Bairagi.

He met Guru Govind Singh for the first time in 1708 in Nanded, Maharashtra and was named Banda Singh by him. Bahadur waged a war against the Mughal rulers of India and avenged the martyrdom of Sahibzaade.