Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Friday, inaugurated the Gomti Book Festival at Gomti Riverfront Park.

Organised in collaboration with the National Book Trust and the Lucknow Development Authority, the festival will run from November 9 to 17.

During the inauguration, the Chief Minister encouraged children to expand their reading beyond textbooks, urging them to explore creative and informative books to gain broader insights. He also appealed to children to buy at least one book from the fair to foster a lifelong reading habit.

Expressing concern over the influence of the digital age, CM Yogi Adityanath remarked, “Today’s youth are spending nearly six hours of their day on smartphones or other digital devices. If this time were redirected toward meaningful pursuits, it could benefit both society and the young generation.” He further stressed, “We should use technology as a tool, not become enslaved by it.”

Drawing attention to India’s ancient tradition of knowledge, Yogi emphasized the profound significance of the country’s Shruti tradition. He noted that sacred sites like Naimisharanya became pilgrimage centres as sages documented knowledge there.

He remarked that listening, reflecting, and putting learned principles into practice has long been a valued tradition in India, which now needs to be revived.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the rich cultural legacy of Uttar Pradesh, noting its privilege as the birthplace of revered poets like Maharishi Valmiki and Tulsidas. He referenced the ‘Ramcharitmanas’, which is cherished and sung in homes throughout India, as well as the ‘Bhagavad Gita’, remarking that this profound work of wisdom was composed on the battlefield.

Yogi underscored the importance of taking pride in this invaluable heritage and emphasized the need to preserve it for future generations.

The Chief Minister praised the National Book Trust’s initiative and suggested that similar book fairs should be organized across all 18 divisions of Uttar Pradesh. He noted that such fairs would benefit all sections of society and increase people’s interest in reading.

He emphasized the need to reduce time spent on digital devices and focus more on reading books. “Books broaden our perspectives and make us more aware of society”, he stated, stressing the need to inspire the younger generation in this direction.