Gorakhpur, 23 July (HS): Chief Minister and

Gorakshapeethadhiswar Yogi Adityanath said that without devotion, life is

filled with darkness, chaos, and ignorance. To realize the ease of life, we

must embrace knowledge and devotion. This knowledge and devotion are gained

through sacred stories like the Shri Ram Katha and the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha.

CM Yogi was addressing the devotees present at the

Gorakhnath Temple on the occasion of the inauguration of the seven-day Shri Ram

Katha, organized on Thursday to mark Guru Purnima. After worshipping the

platform in the Digvijaynath Smriti Bhawan auditorium of the temple, he said

that where there is no devotion in life, there is only darkness. Without

devotion, there is only chaos in life and only ignorance. The only way to

attain liberation from darkness, anarchy and ignorance is through devotional

knowledge.

Explaining the significance of the Shri Ram Katha,

Gorakhpeethadhiswar said that in the tradition of Sanatan Dharma, the name of

Lord Shri Ram, the most virtuous person, is one that is deeply embedded in the

hearts and souls of every Indian with complete faith and devotion. Lord Shri

Ram resides in every breath of every Sanatani. The name of Lord Shri Ram is

such that whether one is a child or an old man, middle-aged or young,

householder or detached, everyone finds this name close to them.

CM Yogi said that wherever we go in the country, whether

Hindi-speaking or non-Hindi-speaking, everyone greets us with the same

greeting: Jai Shri Ram. In western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and some

areas of Punjab, we hear only one word for mutual greeting: Ram Ram Ji. He said

that this greeting of Jai Shri Ram or Ram Ram Ji is a part of our eternal

culture. This greeting not only unites our values but also draws a line of

decorum in every situation of life.

CM Yogi said that it is the good fortune of Uttar Pradesh

that it is renowned as the heart of the country because of its holy shrines and

pilgrimage sites. When dignity is discussed in any aspect of life, everyone

looks towards the Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram and Ayodhya. To understand

the secrets of life, one looks towards the eternal Kashi. To know how devotion

should be in life, people look at Mathura-Vrindavan. What harmony should be,

its vision is found in Prayagraj. He said that no matter how much propaganda

the world does, the opportunity to know the eternal values is available only

in the pilgrimage sites of Uttar Pradesh.

Following the address by Gorakshapeethadhiswar and Chief

Minister Yogi Adityanath, devotees were treated to the Sri Ram Katha by Acharya

Shantanu Maharaj, seated on the stage, who came from Prayagraj. This story will

be narrated daily from 3 pm to 6 pm.

Shri Ramcharitmanas book procession taken out amidst Vedic

chanting: Before the commencement of Shri Ram Katha, under the leadership of

Gorakshapeethadhiswar Yogi Adityanath, a procession of Shri Ramcharitmanas book

was taken out from the main temple to the Katha site amidst the sound of bands,

the sound of conch shells and the chanting of Vedic mantras by 151 Veda-studying

students. On reaching the Katha site, Gorakshapeethadhiswar Yogi Adityanath and

the hosts worshipped the Vyaspeeth.

On this occasion, Chief Priest of Gorakhnath Temple Yogi

Kamalnath, Mahant Rajudas from Hanumangarhi Ayodhya, Mahant Ravindradas from

Kalibari, Mayor Dr. Manglesh Srivastava, State Vice President of BJP and MLC

Dr. Dharmendra Singh, MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh, Shriram Chauhan, Vipin Singh,

Mahendrapal Singh, Dr. Vimlesh Paswan, Pradeep Shukla, host Baijnath Jaiswal,

Amit Jaiswal, many saints and a large number of devotees were present.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi