In his address at the inaugural ceremony, the CM said, "For the next nine days, the book fair will run at Lucknow University, where visitors will experience a grand confluence of knowledge and literature." He urged children and youth to spend less time on smartphones and dedicate at least one hour daily to reading creative and knowledge-enhancing books.
Citing examples of Indian sages and seers, the CM said that in our tradition, sages like Yajnavalkya showed society the path of knowledge. Narrating the episode of Rishi Yajnavalkya and his wives Katyayani and Maitreyi, he said that the pursuit of knowledge should be life's supreme goal.
The CM praised the National Book Trust for upholding the tradition of organising the Gomti Book Festival, highlighting that this year's event hosts more than 250 stalls offering books in various languages, ranging from children's works to those of renowned authors.
The CM presented children with a book, 'Exam Warriors', authored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that if children carefully read it, achieving success in any examination or competition will become easier.
In his address, the CM highlighted India's rich knowledge tradition, citing the contribution of Takshashila University, Panini, Sushruta, and the Brahmavettas. He explained that Takshashila was named after Taksh, the son of Bharat (Lord Ram's brother). He emphasized that reading and progress have always been part of India's heritage, aligning with the Prime Minister's message: “When citizens read, the country leads.”
Citing original works of Maharishi Valmiki and Tulsidas Ji, the CM said that original creations are not only immortal but also make their creators immortal. He urged students to ensure that, along with their academic studies, they also read good books.
Reemphasizing the message of 'Swasth Nari, Sashakt Samaj', the CM said that if women are healthy, society and the nation will be strong. He appealed to children of all schools in Lucknow to attend the book festival and urged every student to buy at least one book.
The Gomti book festival will run from 20 to 28 September. During the program, the CM specially gifted books to Anganwadi workers Sunita Shukla, Deepmala, Kusum, Poonam Pal, Vinita Pathak, Gyanwati, and Tarawati. On this occasion, the CM also visited various stalls at the book exhibition.
Present at the event were Minister Yogendra Upadhyay, Government Advisor Awanish Awasthi, National Book Trust Chairman Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Lucknow University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Manuka Khanna, noted author, filmmaker, and historian Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, and NBT Director Yuvraj Malik, along with literature lovers.
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