Athletes and Students Honoured at Balrampur’s Mata Pateshwari Navratri Event
Balrampur – Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid a ceremonial visit to the sacred Mata Pateshwari shrine on the first day of Navratri, using the occasion to celebrate the achievements of young talent across sports and education.
After completing the traditional aarti, the CM inspected the temple compound, issuing clear instructions to ensure orderly crowd movement, spotless sanitation and robust security for the upcoming Navratri and Dussehra celebrations. He stressed the need for vigilance among police personnel, temple staff and local volunteers.
The event featured a special segment where state‑level medalists were felicitated. Long‑jump champion Kanchan from the 36th North Zone Junior Athletics meet received a trophy and a customized track‑suit. Judo practitioners Prachi Jain (silver), Sandhya Yadav and Mamta (bronze) were also recognized, as were taekwondo medalists Palak Shukla and Anaya Gupta.
Three promising taekwondo participants – Sachi Kasyap, Sakshi Singh and Sakshi Siddharth – were encouraged to aim for national representation. In the educational arena, twelve schoolchildren were presented with study‑material packs, desks and chocolate treats. A group of girls from the Devi Swaroop school were adorned with traditional chunri as a sign of respect.
The chief minister extended his compassion to the temple’s cows, feeding them jaggery and green fodder, and engaged in dialogue with local dignitaries, community leaders and saint Mahant Mithilesh Nath.
Concluding his visit, Yogi inaugurated an agricultural fair on the temple grounds, overseeing a display of modern farm machinery. He awarded tractors and power sprayers to farmers Jagannathan, Motilal Yadav, Sarveshwar Mani Tiwari, Dilip Kumar and Harish Kumar, supporting the state’s drive toward mechanised agriculture.
The programme encapsulated a blend of devotion, youth empowerment and rural development, reflecting the administration’s holistic approach during religious festivals.