Lucknow: A preparatory meeting was held today at the Aliganj-Kapoorthala office of the New Year Chetna Samiti to review the arrangements for the two-day celebration marking the beginning of Vikram Samvat 2082 on March 29 and 30.
Committee Secretary Dr. Sunil Agrawal announced that the inaugural ceremony took place on March 29 at 5:30 PM at Kala Mandapam, Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Kaiserbagh. The event’s chief guest was Acharya Mithileshanandinisharan, the revered head of Ayodhya’s Siddhpeeth Shri Hanumannivas. Uttar Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh graced the occasion as the special guest, while Ramashish Singh, National Executive Member of Pragya Pravah, was the keynote speaker. Former Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit presided over the event. Additionally, the RSS Centenary Special Edition of the annual journal ‘Nav Chaitanya’ was released during the ceremony.
Dr. Sunil Agrawal further informed that on March 30, the New Year’s Day of Vikram Samvat 2082, the closing ceremony will be held at 5:30 PM at the Khatu Shyam Temple complex, on the banks of the Gomti River at Birbal Sahni Marg. The event will feature a grand Deepotsav and a dance-based Ram Katha performance by Katha Rang Foundation, Lucknow. The chief guest for the closing event will be retired IAS officer Dr. Anita Bhatnagar Jain, while Brahmakumari Radha from Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, Lucknow, and Pushpalata Agrawal, Founder-President of St. Joseph School, Lucknow, will attend as special guests. Retired Chief Income Tax Commissioner Usha Gupta will preside over the event, and the committee’s patron, Rekha Tripathi, will also be present.
Growing Awareness of Hindu New Year
Addressing the meeting, Committee President Dr. Girish Gupta emphasized the growing awareness and enthusiasm for celebrating Hindu New Year (Vikram Samvat). He recalled that in 2009, Dr. S.C. Rai founded the New Year Chetna Samiti to revive the tradition of marking the Indian New Year. “The results of this initiative are now visible,” he said, highlighting that 21 committees in Lucknow alone are celebrating Vikram Samvat this year, with festivities planned at five different ghats of the Gomti River. Additionally, enthusiasm among the general public is increasing, with traders planning special offers, including sweet distribution, tilak ceremonies, and discounts for customers in honor of the occasion.
Dignitaries Present at the Meeting
The meeting was attended by former Vice-Chancellor Prof. S.P. Singh, Rekha Tripathi, Dr. Harendra Srivastava, Ramswaroop Yadav, Bhuvneshwar, Radheshyam Sachdeva, Raghuraj Sharma, Priyanka Chauhan, Kamalendra Mohan, Sheshnath Singh, Ajay Saxena, Arun Tiwari, Shyam Ji, Gopal Ji, Akash Mishra, Sumit Tiwari, Dr. Sangita Shukla, Amit Chandel, and Deepak Agrawal.
