Ujjain, May 14: Former model and social media influencer Harsha Richhariya, now known as Harshanand Giri after taking sanyas, distributed swords to young women during the concluding day of a seven-day religious discourse programme in Ujjain district on Thursday.
The event took place at Lakshmipura village, around 22 km from Ujjain, where a 108-kund yagya and Devi discourse programme has been underway since May 8.
During the closing ceremony, members of Karni Sena distributed swords to women attendees from the stage. Organisers said the programme initially planned to distribute 101 swords, but only 11 could be handed over due to limited availability.
Addressing the gathering, Harshanand Giri urged young women to remain alert about their safety and stay committed to Sanatan traditions. She also encouraged women to learn self-defence skills, including sword fighting, horse riding and weapons training, to protect themselves and their families when required.
In a video message during the event, she also reacted to a recent disturbance in Bhopal and expressed concern over what she described as the targeting of Hindu girls. She further questioned the arrest of a Bajrang Dal worker in connection with the incident.
Large numbers of devotees attended the religious discourse despite intense summer heat. During the seven-day programme, Harshanand Giri spoke on various forms of Goddess worship and spiritual traditions.
Before embracing sanyas, Harsha Richhariya had a public profile as a model and digital influencer. She later adopted the spiritual name Harshanand Giri after taking initiation under Swami Sumananand Giri of the Panchayati Niranjani Akhara.
She also spoke about social challenges faced by young women and urged families to remain attentive towards issues such as substance abuse and unsafe social environments.
