New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the commencement of year-long celebrations to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of social reformer and founder of Arya Samaj Swami Dayanand Saraswati, in the national capital.

Modi described Dayanand Saraswati as a voice of reasoning and logic, who emerged as an effective force against centuries of social evils associated with women.

He reignited the essence of Vedas in the Indian society, the Prime Minister said.

"We bow to Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati Ji on his 200th Jayanti. He was a beacon of knowledge and spirituality," Modi said while kick-starting the celebrations at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on the occasion.

Union ministers G Kishan Reddy, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Meenakashi Lekhi were also present on the occasion.

Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, born on February 12, 1824, was a social reformer who founded Arya Samaj in 1875 to counter the prevalent social inequities.

Arya Samaj has played a key role in the cultural and social awakening of the country through its emphasis on social reforms and education, official sources said.

The government has been committed to celebrating social reformers and important personalities, especially those whose contributions were not given their due yet on a pan-India scale, they added.