Call to rename railway station after Baba Budha Ji echoes in Ramdas

Situated on the banks of the Ravi river, the small border town of Ramdas, located in Ajnala, is steeped in history. It is closely associated with the great Sikh saint, Baba Budha Ji, who was a contemporary of several Sikh Gurus. Two historic gurdwaras in the town commemorate his legacy.

Guru Hargobind performed the cremation of Baba Budha Ji here and in his memory Gurdwara Samadha is situated here. Another historic site, Gurdwara Tappasthan, is also located in Ramdas and is linked to Baba Budha Ji.

A long-standing demand of residents of Ramdas has been to rename the railway station in honour of Baba Budha Ji, who lived here. Given the historical significance of Gurdwara Baba Budha Sahib and his enduring legacy in the area, the residents insist that the railway station bear his name.

According to a local legend, after Baba Budha Ji’s family moved from Kathunangal to Ramdas, he came into contact with Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, at the age of 12. Baba Budha Ji spent 113 of his 125 years to the service of the Sikh faith in this area.

The government has initiated the construction of beautiful gate on all four main roads leading to Ramdas, with an approximate cost of Rs 2.75 crore.

Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the construction of the main road connecting the gurdwara dedicated to Baba Budha Ji has already been completed. Additionally, link roads from Ramdas to surrounding villages have been constructed. The Ramdas Nagar Council is also set to commence further development works in the town.

Located about 50 km from Amritsar, the rail, which was built during the British era, once served as the lifeline of the region. Dhaliwal said that the Ministry of Railways will soon begin work on building a new railway station at Ramdas at a cost of Rs 3.11 crore. The station is expected to be named after Baba Budha Ji.

At present, the railway station at Ramdas is lying in a disarray and it should not only be rebuilt but also dedicated to Baba Budha Ji, as the annual fair held in his memory attracts lakhs of visitors to the town.

Following a meeting with Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, Dhaliwal submitted a letter requesting a railway line extension to Balladwal village, situated near the Indo-Pakistan border. He said around 45 families of the Rai Sikh community reside there and enhanced rail connectivity would provide youngsters with hassle-free travel to colleges in nearby towns.

Amritsar