Ekta Nagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Museum of Royal Kingdoms of India, to be built at a cost of ₹367 crore, on October 31 at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, spokesperson minister Jitu Vaghani announced today.

Vaghani added that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary is observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) across the country. This year, to mark Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, a series of large-scale and diverse events have been planned at Ekta Nagar.

The minister said that, for the first time, a grand moving parade will be held at Ekta Nagar on the lines of the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi. The event will feature cultural performances showcasing the heritage of different states and ten thematic tableaux highlighting the achievements of various states under the theme ‘Ekta’ (Unity).

Vaghani further informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the celebrations to be held on October 30 and 31 at Ekta Nagar. On October 30, the Prime Minister will arrive from Vadodara at 5:30 p.m., flag off electric buses, and inaugurate or lay foundation stones for infrastructure and development projects worth over ₹1,219 crore. He will also release a commemorative coin and postage stamp dedicated to Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary.

Among the projects to be inaugurated and launched are the Birsa Munda Bhavan, built at a cost of ₹303 crore, and the Museum of Royal Kingdoms of India, to be constructed at a cost of ₹367 crore. In total, the Prime Minister will inaugurate projects worth ₹519 crore and lay foundation stones for projects worth over ₹700 crore.

On October 31, the Prime Minister will pay floral tributes to Sardar Patel’s statue and inaugurate the Cyclothon Curtain Raiser at Dam View Point-1 as part of Bharat Parv celebrations. The series will continue with a Cycling Fun Ride on November 16, featuring dignitaries from the Centre and the Gujarat Government, followed by a Cyclothon Competition on November 17, organized by the state’s Sports Department, with participants from across India.

Notably, the National Unity Day Parade will see participation from 16 contingents representing the BSF, CISF, ITBP, CRPF, SSB, and police units from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and the NCC.

Additionally, 16 BSF gallantry medal awardees from Operation Sindoor and five CRPF Shaurya Chakra winners will join the parade in open jeeps. The parade will be led by around 100 members of a Heralding Team, dressed in colorful attire and playing various musical instruments.

Vaghani also noted that, as part of National Unity Day traditions, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) will organize an Aarambh event at Ekta Nagar, which will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister. This year, 660 trainee officers from the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) will participate in the program, where the Prime Minister will deliver an address to the nation. DeshGujarat