‘Punya Smran,’ a week-long festival of paying respects to Gurus in Gorakshpeeth to begin on Saturday

Gorakhpur : A week-long festival honouring Gurus will commence on Saturday, September 14, at the Gorakshpeeth of the Nath sect, known for its dedication to public welfare and upholding the Guru-disciple tradition.

This annual event, a tribute to Brahmalin Mahant Digvijaynath Ji Maharaj, revered as “Yugpurush,” and Brahmalin Mahant Avedyanath Ji Maharaj, celebrated as “Rashtrasant,” is organized under the guidance of the Gorakshpeethadhishwar.

As in previous years, this year’s event will feature programs focused on religion and national issues, reflecting the philosophies of these revered Mahants. The Shrimad Bhagwat Katha will reinforce religious teachings, while a conference will address national concerns with scholarly discourse.

Preparations for the event, set to take place at the Gorakhnath Temple in observance of the 55th death anniversary of Mahant Digvijaynath Ji and the 10th death anniversary of Mahant Avedyanath Ji, have been completed under the supervision of Chief Minister and Gorakshpeethadhishwar Yogi Adityanath.

Providing details of the week-long festivities scheduled from September 14 to 21, Chief Priest Yogi Kamalnath shared that the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha Gyan Yagya will commence on September 14, followed by the conference on societal and national issues beginning on September 15.

Jagadguru Ananta Nanda Kashipeethadhishwar Swami Dr Ram Kamaldas Vedanti Ji from Kashi will narrate the sacred Shrimad Bhagwat Katha. The Katha will officially start at 2:30 pm on September 14 with a ceremonial procession of the Akhand Jyoti and the Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with distinguished religious leaders, saints, and patrons, will participate in this grand procession from the Gorakhnath Temple’s sanctum sanctorum to the Katha venue at Digvijaynath Smriti Bhawan. Devotees can partake in the holy recitation daily from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM until September 20.

Yogi Kamalnath also announced that a conference addressing contemporary issues, inspired by the teachings of the departed Mahants, will be inaugurated at 10:30 am on September 15 at Mahant Digvijaynath Smriti Bhawan. On the inaugural day, Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, will be the chief guest for the discussion on “India as the Mother of Democracy,” with Prof. Sadanand Gupta, former Executive President of Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan, Lucknow, as a featured speaker.

At the conference on the theme of ‘Social Harmony: Special References to Mahayogi Gorakhnath and Nathpanth’ on September 17th, the keynote address will be delivered by Prof. Ishwar Sharan Vishwakarma, former Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Prayagraj, while Dr. Padmaja Singh from the Department of Ancient History, Archaeology, and Sanskrit at DDU Gorakhpur University will serve as the local speaker.

Similarly, on September 18th, the conference on ‘Sanskrit and Indian Culture’ will feature Prof. Vinay Kumar Pandey, former Chairman of the Department of Astrology and Honorary Director of Sri Vishwanath Temple at Banaras Hindu University, as the keynote speaker. Dr. Laxmi Mishra, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Sanskrit Department at DDU Gorakhpur University, will be the local speaker.

On September 19th, during the conference on ‘Indian Culture and Cow Service,’ Sridharacharya Ji, Mahantraghavacharya Ji, and Dr. Ram Vilas Vedanti will share their insights, with several other saints and spiritual leaders in attendance. These conferences will take place daily, starting at 10:40 am.

The final two days of the death anniversary observance will focus on tribute meetings. On September 20th, at the tribute ceremony for Yugpurush Mahant Digvijaynath Ji Maharaj, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be present, along with Mahant Balaknath Ji, Mahant Shernath Ji, Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti Ji, and the heads of all institutions of the Maharana Pratap Shiksha Parishad.

Similarly, on September 21st, the tribute meeting for Rashtrasant Mahant Avedyanath Ji Maharaj will be held in the presence of CM Yogi Adityanath, Mahant Balaknath Ji, Mahant Shernath Ji, Dr. Ram Vilas Vedanti Ji, as well as representatives from various social, cultural, and political organizations. Many respected saints, mahants, religious leaders, and social workers from across the nation will participate in these tribute events.

The Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran Katha, the seven-day conference, and the tribute meetings will be streamed live on the Gorakhnath Temple’s Facebook page, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube channel.

Yogi Kamalnath has also announced that a free bus service will be available daily from 2:00 pm for devotees travelling from designated locations to the Gorakhnath Temple to attend the Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran Katha.