U.P. CM offers Khichdi at Gorakhnath temple, urges people to strengthen bond with nature

Yogi Adityanath performed a 45-minute special puja and rituals at 4:15am at the temple on Makar Sankranti

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday urged the people to strengthen their bond with the nature as Makar Sankranti provides a wonderful opportunity to pray to Lord Sun for light, prosperity and wellness of human beings.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath offering Khichdi at Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur on Jan 15. (Sourced)

Extending his greetings, Yogi said, “This festival is celebrated in various ways in different parts of the country.” Earlier, the CM performed a 45-minute special puja and rituals at 4:15am. He then offered Khichdi to Guru Gorakhnath in the main temple.

The temple campus remained abuzz with activities as seers performed special rituals and entire campus was echoing with the sound of ‘Har Har Mahadev and Guru Gorakhnath Ki Jai’. At 4:25 am, the temple door was opened for thousands of devotees from different parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal who were waiting in long queues from midnight defying the chilly conditions.

In view of the rush, traffic diversion was put in place and security personnel were seen managing the crowd at different places. Unprecedented security arrangements were made in and around the temple premises for the occasion. Commandos of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) were deployed late on Saturday night and ADG Akhil Kumar was also monitoring the security arrangements. The month-long Khichdi fair in Gorakhpur is symbol of social harmony as members of several communities come here during this period.