At the ancient Mahesh Jagannath Temple in Serampore, which dates back 630 years, some 11,000 devotees took part in a mass recitation of the Bhagavad Gita. The Women Empowerment Foundation organized the “11,000 Kante Geeta Paath” program, which started with a Kalash Yatra from Lakkhi Ghat. After praying to the Ganga, about 500 women carried ceremonial kalash. The spiritual assembly also attracted close to 2,000 sadhus.

The performance included a group recitation of the Bhagavad Gita and the Hanuman Chalisa.

Swami Padmashree Pradipta Nanda Maharaj (Kartik Maharaj), Somen Adhikari, President of Mahesh Jagannath Temple, and Swami Bhavani Das Daityapati Maharaj of Jagannath Mandir, Puri, Odisha, were among the eminent guests.

The Foundation’s founder and chairperson, Namita Nayak, said “Our goal is to combine devotion, cultural heritage, and women’s empowerment while establishing sustainable economic opportunities for women”.

The organization has reportedly assisted close to 6,000 women through its Nari Udyog initiative.

Priyanka Dutta