At the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow, Prerna Sansthan recently organised the worship of 5,100 girls, marking a significant cultural and spiritual celebration. The event was graced by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel as Chief Guest.

Parsing the scale of the event, Champat Rai commended the cervical cancer vaccination drive held alongside and emphasised the need for social unity, recalling Deendayal Upadhyay’s philosophy. He also underlined India’s cultural contribution in gifting the world the word Maa.

Extending Navratri greetings, Shri Anil ji highlighted India’s unique tradition of revering girls as the embodiment of Durga. He stressed the importance of family, society, and government working together to ensure the safety, education, and empowerment of daughters, while also instilling in them a sense of responsibility.

Governor Anandiben Patel lauded Prerna for the initiative, calling the presence of so many young girls at Raj Bhavan a moment of pride. She emphasised that daughters must be educated, future-oriented, and urged parents to take responsibility for their development.

She also announced that around 100 girls had been vaccinated against cervical cancer during the event, with support from Kalyan Singh Cancer Institute and Prerna. She further advised families to instil simple practices of discipline, health, and mindfulness in children.

Gunjit Kalra, President of Prerna Parivar, shared that this was the third year of organising Kanya Pujan at Raj Bhavan. Girls from 281 villages and marginalised communities were included, arriving in 100 buses.

On arrival, the girls’ feet were ceremonially washed, tilak applied, and chunaris offered. They received prasad, gifts such as notebooks and colour boxes, and cultural performances including Kathak and devotional songs were staged. Governor Patel herself served halwa, puri and chana to begin the worship.

The event was led by Prerna Parivar’s President Gunjit Kalra with office-bearers Prashant Bhatia, Shikha Bhargava, Akshay Khosla, Biraj Sagar Das, Piyush Singh Chauhan, Sharad Jain. Other members included Devanshi Viraj Sagar Das, Ankit Sahni, Abhinav Bhargava, Yashvardhan Agarwal, Shantanu Singh, Jatin Verma, and Gunjan Jain. The programme was anchored by Shikha Bhargava, Secretary of Prerna Parivar.