Mumbai . The Maharashtra government has decided to rename Pune’s international airport as Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj International Airport. The proposal was approved in a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The move is aimed at paying tribute to revered 17th-century saint Tukaram Maharaj, who is famous for the Bhakti movement and his devotional poems.
Chief Minister Shinde said that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had already recommended renaming Pune airport and said that approval would be taken from the Centre. State Minister for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol announced the decision. He said that Saint Tukaram Maharaj was born and spent his childhood in Lohegaon, Pune, where this airport is located, hence this naming has been done keeping in mind the historical and cultural connection of the area.
The sentiments of the Warkari community and local residents also support this name change. Tukaram Maharaj played an important role in the propagation of Bhagwat religion through the Warkari sect, which the community still looks upon with respect.