Lucknow: Braking stereotypes, a Muslim girl from Lucknow won the Gita recitation competition on Monday.
The winner Afreen Rauf is now all set to perform Gita recitation in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Afreen, a student of Municipal Girls Inter College will take part in Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s memorial function, scheduled to be held between 29th and 30th December this year.
Bhagavad Gita, the sacred book of Hinduism, is 700 verses of Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit, which form part of the Mahabharata, the world’s longest epic.
She developed the interest in Sanskrit by watching UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Afreen said.
“I heard Modi ji & Yogi ji recite shlokas, it inspired me to learn & recite them. I hope UP CM Yogi Adityanath acknowledges my efforts.”
Afreen says, “I request all parents to let their girls study and grow. No daughter is less than any son. Therefore, girls should be encouraged in whichever area they plan to excel in.”
Earlier, 12-year-old Mariyam Asif Siddiqui from Cosmopolitan School competed against 5,000 people and secured the first place in a Bhagwad Gita competition organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon).
