VIJAYAWADA – Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Tuesday that technology brings progress but also intense stress, and that spirituality is the only way to overcome it. Speaking as chief guest at the closing ceremony of Vijayawada Utsav 2.0, held during the Dasara Sharan Navaratri festivities, he said protecting the state’s culture, traditions and centuries-old heritage is as important as development and welfare.
“Technology causes tension, and the only cure for that tension is spirituality,” Naidu said. “We may own technology that can conquer the world, but spirituality gives us the chance to conquer our own minds.” He said such festivals help reduce mental stress and lift spirits, and offer relief to a generation that spends hours watching social media reels.
Chandrababu congratulated the organisers and residents of Vijayawada for staging an event that, he said, the country and the world would remember. He credited the success to the blessings of Goddess Durga and expressed hope that Utsav 3.0 would draw global attention. He praised the festival’s music, dance, folk art and cultural performances, and said hosting the Saras conference in the city alongside it added to Vijayawada’s appeal.
Comparing the present with the previous government’s tenure, Naidu said there were no festivals in the state two years ago, with fear and unrest prevailing. “Today, people are celebrating festivals freely and joyfully,” he said. He added that free bus travel for women had significantly increased the number of women visiting temples across the state.
The chief minister said his government was easing citizens’ lives through welfare schemes, development works, youth employment and good governance. He said his aspiration was a “healthy, wealthy and happy society” and a poverty-free state, and noted that the government had recently resolved the grievances of several thousand people in Vijayawada at one time.
Chandrababu said holding similar festivals at all major pilgrimage centres would benefit residents and boost tourism, and assured the government’s support for organisations that promote the state’s arts, traditions and spiritual heritage. He said the event had drawn interest from two chief ministers, Union ministers and even the President of India, which he attributed to the special significance of Vijayawada.