Jalandhar, Feb 1 (IANS) To mark the 649th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new name of Adampur Airport in Punjab as Shri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji Airport on Sunday.
Later, he will be visiting Dera Sachkhand at Ballan, near here, to meet the spiritual head of the Ravidassia community.
PM Modi, less than four hours after the Union Budget 2026 presentation in Parliament, reached Adampur and simultaneously virtually inaugurated the terminal building at Halwara Airport in Ludhiana.
On the occasion of the 649th anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas, the renaming of Adampur airport honours the revered saint and social reformer whose teachings of equality, compassion, and human dignity continue to inspire India’s social ethos.
Further advancing aviation infrastructure in the state, the terminal building at the Halwara airport established a new gateway for the state, catering to Ludhiana and its surrounding industrial and agricultural hinterland.
Located in the Ludhiana district, Halwara is also home to a strategically important Indian Air Force station.
The earlier airport in Ludhiana had a relatively small runway, suitable for small aircraft. To improve connectivity and accommodate larger aircraft, a new civil enclave has been developed at Halwara, which has a longer runway capable of handling A320-type aircraft.
Aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of sustainable and environmentally responsible development, the terminal incorporates several green and energy-efficient features, including LED lighting, insulated roofing, rainwater harvesting systems, sewage and water treatment plants, and the use of recycled water for landscaping.
The architectural design reflects Punjab’s rich cultural heritage, offering passengers a distinctive and regionally inspired travel experience.
Prime Minister Modi will be visiting Dera Sachkhand Ballan on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti, a prominent Ravidassia community sect that has much influence in the state’s Doaba region comprising Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala districts.
He will be spending nearly 45 minutes at the Dera located on the outskirts of Jalandhar with Sant Niranjan Das, the revered saint of the Ravidassia community and head of Dera Ballan, who was conferred the Padma Shri on Republic Day.
PM Modi last visited the air base of Adampur on May 13, 2025, where he interacted with brave air warriors and soldiers, days after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire. Adampur was among the air force stations that Pakistan attempted to attack on the intervening night of May 9 and 10 after India’s Operation Sindoor, but failed.
The Doaba region holds 23 of 117 Assembly seats, and the Dera Sachkhand Ballan has direct influence in at least 19 seats. Dera Ballan, located in Ballan village, some eight km from Jalandhar city, was founded in the early twentieth century by Sant Pipal Das.
–IANS
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