Puri, September 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Padma Bhushan awardee Sadhvi Ritambhara on Wednesday said India is already a Hindu Rashtra in terms of its cultural ethos, traditions and way of life, but argued that the country should also be formally declared a Hindu Rashtra at the political level.
Sadhvi Ritambhara made the remarks during her visit to Puri, where she offered prayers at the Shri Jagannath Temple. She is in the Odisha pilgrimage city to deliver a seven-day Bhagavata Katha at Seven Hills in Baliapanda.
Addressing the political debate over the demand for a Hindu Rashtra, she said the core sentiment of India’s majority community was rooted in the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or “the world is one family”.
She said India’s Hindu traditions and cultural heritage reflected this universal outlook and urged political parties to promote the philosophy of Sanatan Dharma as a means of taking the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to the world.
Asked about the demand for a Hindu Rashtra from a religious and cultural perspective, Sadhvi Ritambhara said India already reflected the concept through its traditions, conduct and collective consciousness.
“This country is already a Hindu Rashtra,” she said, citing references to Lord Shri Ram Chandra in the Constitution and the national motto “Satyameva Jayate” as examples of the country’s cultural ethos.
She, however, said there was an “urgent need” for India to be declared a Hindu Rashtra politically as well.
Sadhvi Ritambhara further said Hindu identity and Indian identity were closely associated with the pursuit of peace, welfare and happiness for people around the world. She maintained that this philosophy should also form part of political thought.
On issues involving cattle killing, she stressed the need for cow protection and welfare. She said governments could generate revenue through other means but argued that earning money through the sale of cow meat was, in her view, a grave religious wrong.
Reflecting on her visit to the Jagannath Temple, Sadhvi Ritambhara described the experience as deeply spiritual and said the significance of Jagannath Dham could not be adequately expressed in words.
She described Puri as a sacred land associated with harmony and devotion, saying she felt blessed to have visited the holy city.
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