Spirituality best remedy for stress, says AP CM Chandrababu Naidu
Amaravati, July 16 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said spirituality is the most effective remedy for stress in today’s fast-paced life and described temples as institutions that promote peace, harmony and social well-being.
Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Jagannath Rath Yatra at Venkatapalem in Amaravati, the Chief Minister said human relationships were weakening while the negative influence of social media was increasing, leading to incidents such as family suicides and crimes against children.
He said spirituality offers a path to mental peace and emotional well-being and stressed the need to strengthen spiritual values in society.
Naidu said the state government was constructing 5,000 Sri Venkateswara temples across Andhra Pradesh to promote spirituality and social harmony.
Following the traditional rituals observed at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Chief Minister ceremonially swept the path before the chariot with a golden broom and flagged off the Rath Yatra by pulling the chariot carrying the deities Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
He also carried a model of Amaravati’s master plan on his head as an offering and prayed to Lord Jagannath for the development of Amaravati into a world-class global city.
Naidu underscored the importance of preserving India’s tradition of joint families, saying they should be encouraged instead of the growing trend towards nuclear families.
Expressing happiness over the conduct of the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Amaravati for the first time, he said ISKCON had decided to organise the festival annually in the state capital.
The Chief Minister lauded the service activities of ISKCON and the Akshaya Patra Foundation, stating that both organisations had made significant contributions to spirituality and social welfare.
He said the Akshaya Patra Foundation provides nutritious mid-day meals to students in 25,000 schools across 16 states and three Union Territories, while 1.8 lakh students in Andhra Pradesh benefit through 10 centralised kitchens.
Naidu said the state government would continue to work with organisations such as ISKCON to preserve and promote India’s cultural and spiritual heritage.
Union Minister Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, Minister P. Narayana, Tenali MLA Sravan Kumar and others participated in the Rath Yatra.
TNT KM
