Faith crossed state lines in Ludhiana on Sunday evening when Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini joined thousands of devotees at the Shri Hanumant Katha organised by Bageshwar Dham — a gathering animated by the resonant discourses of spiritual leader Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.

Sharing the experience on X, CM Saini wrote: 'Aaj Ludhiana mein Bageshwar Dham dwara aayojit Shri Hanumant Katha mein sammilt hone ka saubhagya mila' — 'Today I was fortunate to attend the Shri Hanumant Katha organised by Bageshwar Dham in Ludhiana.' He described Shastri's delivery as 'ojpurna vani' ('vigorous, radiant speech') that narrated the valour, devotion, and surrender of Lord Hanuman, leaving him emotionally moved.

Shastri's Voice, Ludhiana's Crowd

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the face of Bageshwar Dham — a prominent Hanuman temple in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh — has built a vast following through large-scale religious discourses held across India. His kathas draw audiences that cut across state and linguistic lines, and Sunday's gathering in Ludhiana, Punjab, was no exception. CM Saini noted that the sacred atmosphere of the katha generated a remarkable experience of devotion and spiritual energy.

Closing his post with a blessing, Saini prayed that 'Prabhu Shri Hanuman ji ki kripa Punjab sahit poore desh ke sabhi parivaarjanon par sadaiv bani rahe' — that Lord Hanuman's grace remain ever present upon all families in Punjab and across the entire country, and that devotion, strength, and positive energy flow through every life.

A Haryana CM at a Punjab Event — The Bigger Picture

BJP leaders have long woven attendance at religious kathas and temple events into their public engagement, treating devotional gatherings as spaces to connect with cultural traditions that span formal state boundaries. For a sitting Haryana Chief Minister to attend a major religious programme in neighbouring Punjab underlines how events anchored in shared spiritual heritage routinely draw participation that no political map fully contains.

The cross-state dimension matters: Punjab and Haryana share deep cultural and religious ties, and a gathering of this scale — presided over by one of the country's most-followed spiritual voices — becomes a natural meeting point for leaders and communities alike.

In a season when large-format kathas are drawing record footfall across North India, Saini's attendance and his public blessing for Punjab's families signal a deliberate outreach that goes well beyond a single evening of devotion.