On Friday, the Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur hosted a vibrant celebration of Janmashtami. The event featured a Bal Roop Sajja competition, where children dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha delighted attendees. The atmosphere was further enriched by a bhajan sandhya, where devotional songs resonated throughout the temple grounds, drawing in a large number of devotees.
In the Gopal category, Sarthak won the top honour, while Rajveer and Rudra finished second and third respectively. Gorakshpeethadhishwar and chief minister Yogi Adityanath interacted with the children, showering them with affection and distributing toys, chocolates and gifts.In the Kanha category, Sharvil Pandey secured first prize, followed by Soumya Prajapati and Himanshi Srivastava. All participants received certificates and gifts.The competition was judged by Sarika Rai, Manisha Singh and Hridaya Tripathi, while the programme was conducted by Shivendra Pandey. Later in the evening, a bhajan sandhya was organised inside the temple sanctum under the banner of Hanumat Sangeet Ashram and Seva Sansthan and coordinated by folk singers.
CM Yogi also listened to the devotional renditions before the midnight celebrations.