20.06.2026 : West Bengal State Foundation Day Celebrated at Maharashtra Lok Bhava
West Bengal State Foundation Day Celebrated at Maharashtra Lok Bhavan
Governor Jishnu Dev Varma applauds Solapur University for Cultural Presentation on West Bengal
The West Bengal State Foundation Day was celebrated with enthusiasm through cultural programmes at Maharashtra Lok Bhavan, Mumbai, on Saturday (20 June). Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma extended his greetings to the people of West Bengal residing in Maharashtra and across the country.
The Governor congratulated Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University and its students for their outstanding cultural presentation showcasing Bengali songs and dances. He particularly appreciated the Marathi-speaking students of the University for their commendable efforts in presenting the rich cultural heritage of West Bengal.
The programme was organised under the Government of India’s ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative. At the beginning of the programme, a video message from the Governor of West Bengal, R. N. Ravi was also screened.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma said that although Maharashtra and West Bengal are separated by a distance of nearly two thousand kilometres, the spirit, cultural consciousness and national outlook of the people of both States are remarkably similar.
He observed that the two States are united by their shared legacy of history, culture, spirituality and nationalism. Both States have given the nation great personalities such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sant Tukaram, Ahilyadevi Holkar and Swami Vivekananda.
The Governor noted that both Maharashtra and West Bengal provided significant leadership during India’s freedom struggle. While Bengal produced leaders such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Bipin Chandra Pal, Maharashtra gave the nation stalwarts like Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and many others.
He further remarked that just as West Bengal is deeply devoted to literature and culture, Maharashtra too is a land of literature and cultural excellence. Bengal has made an immense contribution to the fields of literature and music. Referring to the well-known saying, “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow,” he stated that the sons of Bengal gifted the nation both ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
The Governor said that while Mumbai is the financial capital of India, Kolkata is widely regarded as its cultural capital. He described the Bengali language as melodious and as sweet as the famous rasgulla.
On the occasion, students of the University presented the Durga Puja song “Helo Giri Shuno Khobor”, a monologue depicting the lives and contributions of great personalities of West Bengal, folk dances and a Kathak performance.
The students of Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University also presented a musical and dance programme showcasing the rich cultural traditions of West Bengal.
Vice-Chancellor of the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University Prof. Prakash Mahanwar, Joint Secretary to the Governor S. Ramamoorthy, cultural coordinators, officers and staff of Lok Bhavan, and students from various schools in Mumbai were present.