September 24, 2024

Gau Pratishtha Andolan: Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra to start from 22nd September

•JyotishPeethadheeshwar Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarandah Ji Will Host 'Gau Dhwaj' to declare Cow as Mother of the Nation in Bengaluru on 14th October

24th September, 2024 

Bengaluru, Karnataka 

Sanatan Dharm holds the cow in high regard, with its significance mentioned across religious texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas. It is not an animal, but a mother—this is the sacred belief and faith of the Sanatan Dharmi Hindus. With this deep devotion, a nationwide Gau Pratishtha Andolan is being carried out to elevate the cow to the status of 'Rashtra Mata' by moving cow protection from the state list to the central list in the Constitution, and to make India free of cow slaughter.

Since India's independence, continuous efforts have been made to protect and honor the sacred cow. One notable movement was the 1966 GauRaksha Andolan, led by Dharma Samrat Yatichakrachudamani Pujya Karpatri Ji Maharaj, in which thousands of cow devotees sacrificed their lives. Continuing the mission, Param GauBhakt Pujya Gopal Mani Ji has led the Gau Pratishtha Andolan, and has kept it alive across the country. This sacred movement is blessed by the Jagadguru Shankaracharyas of the four peethas, who organized a Gau Sansad to demand the status of Rashtra Mata and the implementation of legislation against cow slaughter. In this event, the Rama Gau Pratishtha Samhita Bill has been passed along with a 42-point Dharmadesh.

To ignite the momentum of this movement, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Ji Maharaj of Jyotirmath, lit a sacred flame of cow ghee and declared this year as the Gau Samvatsar (Year of the Cow). From March 14 to March 28, 2024, he led a barefoot march from Govardhan to Delhi. Under his guidance, the Gau Pratishtha Andolan continues to thrive across India. 

As part of this movement, a Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra will take place from September 22 to October 26, 2024. Pujya Gopal Mani Ji will accompany Shankaracharya Ji throughout this journey. The Yatra will visit capitals of 36 Indian States and Union Territories, where a sacred Gau Dhwaj will be installed.

In each state capital, a grand Gau Pratishtha Sammelan will be held, beginning in Ayodhya— where Gobhakt & Gorakshak Ram Lalla resides. The Yatra will travel across the east, west, south, and north of India, culminating in the national capital on October 26. During the Yatra, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Ji will honor distinguished cow devotees from across the country.

Jagadguru Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarandah Ji is scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru, Karnataka on 14th October where from 12 PM to 3 PM, he will preside over the installation of the Gau Dhwaj and deliver an address at the Gau Mahasabha. Afterward, he will continue the journey toward Goa.

The goal of this Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra is to awaken cow devotees nationwide, unite them for a common cause - restoring the dignity and honor of the sacred cow, and conferring upon her the status of 'Rashtra Mata'; and the motto is "Gau Mata, Rashtra Mata – Rashtra Mata, Bharat Mata."

Following this Yatra, a nationwide Gau Pratishtha Mahasammelan will be held on the occasion of Gopashtami in Delhi, on November 7, 8, and 9, which will decisively appeal to the Government of India to end the curse of cow slaughter and honor the cow as Rashtra Mata.

In preparation for this historic journey, today, on September 24, 2024, Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra co-convener Gobhakt Vikas Patni Ji along with Akhilesh Brahmchari Ji, state convener Praveen Jain Ji arrived in to address press conference today.