Shankaracharya to launch 81-day 'Gavishti Yatra' for cow protection

Metro India News | VARANASI 

In a move to honour the cow as the Rashtra Mata (Mother of the Nation) and safeguard Sanatan Dharma, an 81-day 'Gavishti  (Go-Raksharth- Dharmayudh) Yatra' is being organized under the guidance of Jyotirpeethadheeshwar Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj. The yatra will traverse all 403 assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh. The journey is scheduled to begin on Jyeshtha Krishna Dwitiya (corresponding to May 3, 2026) and continue uninterrupted until Ashadh Shukla Dashami (July 24, 2026). Its primary objective is to take concrete steps toward the protection and welfare of cows.

The yatra has outlined five major pledges- to ensure the prestigious status of Gau Mata as Rajya Mata/Rashtra Mata, to establish a 'Gau Dham' (cow shelter) in every assembly constituency of the state, to inspire Hindus in each assembly segment to become 'Gau Matdata' (cow donors/supporters), to appoint '5 Gau Veers' (cow protectors) in every village and neighbourhood to strengthen the security network for cows, to conduct an accurate assessment of the current status of existing gaushalas (cow shelters) and slaughterhouses at the assembly level.

The yatra will culminate in a closing ceremony on July 24, 2026, at the 'Manyavar Shri Kanshiram Ji Cultural Site (Smriti Upvan)' in Lucknow. While addressing the media, Sanjay Pandey, media in-charge to Shankaracharya Maharaj, appealed to all lovers of Dharma and cow devotees to extend their support and to participate in the yatra.

Shankaracharya takes objection to brass flame in Ayodhya temple

Swami Shri Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has written to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust, objecting to the installation of a brass ‘Jyotiswaroop’ at the Ayodhya birthplace. He termed it a violation of Shastric norms and an “unforgivable blunder.” He stated that every part of Lord Ram’s birthplace is sacred, especially the site of the former central dome where the ‘Chal Vigrah’ was kept, calling it spiritually significant and sensitive. He questioned whether the new Garbhagriha was built away from the original spot. The Shankaracharya has sought clarification and demanded removal of the metal artwork, urging installation of a traditional Jyoti lit as per Vedic rituals.