Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar today performed Puja-Archana at Baba Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar with due rituals. He prayed to Baba Bholenath for the happiness, prosperity, well-being and peace of the people of the state.

On this occasion, the officials of the Temple Management Committee welcomed the Governor.

Later, in the day, Gangwar formally inaugurated the '22nd Deoghar Book Fair' on the holy land of Baba Baidyanath. On this occasion, he described the book fair as an important platform for the dissemination of knowledge, culture and literature and described it as a symbol of the rich cultural heritage of Jharkhand.

The Governor said that this land of Deoghar is not only famous for a spiritual centre like Baba Baidyanath Dham, but here the great saint Thakur Anukul Chandra Ji inspired the society with his thoughts and spiritual vision. This holy land is an inspiration of cultural, literary and historical heritage. Deoghar's contribution has been very inspiring even during the freedom struggle. The role of the people and revolutionaries here during the Non-Cooperation Movement and Quit India Movement has been incomparable. This land has always given inspiration and energy to the society.

Describing this fair as an excellent effort to revive the book culture in the digital age, the Governor said that books are not only a source of knowledge but are also the invaluable heritage of our lives. Today, when the young generation is distancing itself from books, such events will help in drawing their attention back towards study and writing. He also mentioned the library established by him in Bareilly, which is his personal effort towards building a studious society. The Governor released several books in the program and felicitated scholars who have made outstanding contributions in the field of literature.

He described the fair as an ideal platform to encourage the creativity of the youth and called upon the youth to participate in it enthusiastically. Referring to the mantras of the Prime Minister like 'Padhega India, Badhega India', the Governor said that this book fair is an important step towards realizing his thinking. The Governor congratulated the Book Fair Committee for its successful organisation and called upon all the citizens to take maximum advantage of this fair and be a part of this festival of knowledge.

On this occasion, Lok Sabha MP Dr. Nishikant Dubey, senior officials of the local administration, litterateurs, educationists and members of the Book Fair Committee were present.