The Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh is hosting 'Shakti Mahotsav' at 16 Shaktipeeths across the state, emphasizing women's safety, dignity, and self-reliance, aligned with Mission Shakti 5.0.
Lucknow: The Yogi government will host the 'Shakti Mahotsav' on the auspicious days of Saptami-Ashtami at 16 Shaktipeeths across Uttar Pradesh. Acting on the instructions of CM Yogi Adityanath, the Department of Culture has completed all preparations for the event.
Aligned with the objectives of Mission Shakti 5.0, the festival will prioritize female artists, emphasizing themes of women’s safety, dignity, and self-reliance. As part of the festivities, there will also be tableau presentations showcasing the nine goddesses.
State folk artists will participate in various spiritual programs, including street performances based on Kumbh Mela, Navdurga, and women’s empowerment.
The Shakti Mahotsav, organized under the guidance of the Yogi government, will take place at key Shaktipeeth sites, including Maa Pateshwari Temple, Devipatan, Sheetla Mata Temple, Mainpuri, Maa Vaishno Devi Temple, Firozabad, Maa Kali Mata Temple, Jhansi, Maa Katyayani Shaktipeeth, Vrindavan, Mathura, Alopi Devi Shaktipeeth, Prayagraj, Maa Vindhyavasini Shaktipeeth, Vindhyachal, Naimisharanya Prabha Sthal, Naimishdham, Sitapur, Gorakhnath Temple, Gorakhpur, Sheetla Chowkiyadham, Jaunpur, Deoband Maa Tripur Bala Sundari Shaktipeeth, Saharanpur, Koodadham, Fatehpur, Durga Temple, Varanasi, Badi Devkali Temple, Ayodhya, Khatri Pahad Vindhyavasini Temple, Banda, Maa Chandrika Devi Temple, Lucknow, Kalibari Temple, Lucknow, and Ramgiri Shaktipeeth, Chitrakoot.
The Yogi government is placing a strong emphasis on women’s safety, dignity, and self-reliance through its Mission Shakti initiative. The Culture Department is integrating this focus into the spiritual and cultural events of the Shakti Mahotsav.
As part of the festival, renowned female artists will lead performances at key Shaktipeeths. Shefali Pandey and Aayushi Raj will perform at Pateshwari Temple, Devipatan. Shalini Sharma will grace the stage at Sheetla Mata Temple, Mainpuri. Pooja Upadhyay and Khushi Sharma will offer their performances at Maa Vaishno Devi Temple, Firozabad, and Abhilasha Sharma and Archana Kotary at Maa Kali Mata Temple, Jhansi.
At Maa Katyayani Shaktipeeth, Vrindavan, Seema Morwal and Pooja Nagar will present their art, while Vandana Shukla and Mohini Srivastava will perform at Alopi Devi Shaktipeeth, Prayagraj. Faguni Devi and Kalpana Gupta will honor Maa Vindhyavasini at Vindhyachal, with Vinod Kumar Saini and Shakti Srivastava leading performances in Sitapur.
Other key performances include Sapna Sharma and Stuti Kushwaha at Sheetla Chowkiyadham, Jaunpur; Madhuri Singh and Bhavna in Saharanpur; Anjali Singh and Alka Bajpai in Fatehpur; Mangala Saloni at Durga Mandir, and Shalini Rajpal with Rita Sharma at Badi Devkali Mandir, Ayodhya. These talented artists, along with their teams, will present bhajans (devotional hymns).
Additionally, performances by artistes such as Akash Dwivedi in Mainpuri, Rakesh Srivastava in Gorakhpur, and Ganesh Pathak in Varanasi will further enrich the festival.
A special tableau centred around the nine goddesses will be presented at these Shaktipeeths and temples, captivating audiences with performances inspired by Kumbh and Navdurga.
The spiritual energy will be further enhanced through traditional folk songs and dances dedicated to the goddess, while street plays will promote women’s empowerment—a core theme of the Yogi government.