Heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all of you on the auspicious occasions of Diwali, Govardhan Puja, and Annakoot Festival...
The series of Diwali celebrations conveys messages of good health, economic prosperity, family and societal harmony, and environmental protection.
The Govardhan Parv, which follows Diwali, symbolizes ancient Indian tradition of reverence for nature, mountains, and protection of mother cow. This tradition is vividly represented by Lord Shri Krishna lifting the Govardhan mountain on his finger. Govardhan Puja is performed in sacred remembrance of this divine act of protecting humanity.
The festival inspires the preservation and promotion of cattle wealth, which is crucial for India's rural economy and environmental conservation. It embodies an Indian worldview in which there is a balance between nature, animals, humans, and divinity.
I am pleased to share that Govardhan Parv is being celebrated across the state. It is being observed in all districts in line with local rituals and cultural traditions. During these celebrations, innovators in the fields of animal husbandry and dairy production will be honoured. On this occasion, initiatives have been launched to connect people with the welfare schemes of the Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, and Cooperative Departments, and to promote rural livelihoods through the expansion of milk production and the Vrindavan Gram Scheme.
Our festivals and traditions inherently reflect coexistence with nature and the spirit of holistic development. Govardhan Parv is associated with the coordination and conservation between nature and living beings. On this day, a symbolic mountain is created using cow dung and worshipped. Mountains play a vital role in maintaining natural balance. They help in water conservation, preservation, and balancing the seasons, thereby safeguarding rivers, ponds, and other water sources. Govardhan Puja reinforces commitment to protect our environment.
We aim to ensure that the importance of nature and livestock reaches the new generation through this festival.
Madhya Pradesh is rich in natural resources and cattle wealth. It is believed that 33 crore deities reside in the Mother cow. We declared 2024-25 as the Year of Cow Protection and Promotion. We are working for doubling the income of livestock-rearing farmers. Madhya Pradesh currently contributes 9% to the country's milk production, and our goal is to increase this to 20 percent. For this, we are running a Campaign across villages by which livestock owners are being provided technical and practical knowledge on breed improvement, artificial insemination, vaccination, animal health care, balanced diet, and animal nutrition. Through all these efforts, we aim to make Madhya Pradesh the Dairy Capital.