CM Yogi celebrates Krishna Janmashtami with traditional fervour at Gorakhnath temple
Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Gorakshapeethadhishwar Yogi Adityanath celebrated Krishna Janmashtami with traditional rituals, devotion and grandeur at the Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur, joining devotees in marking the appearance of Lord Krishna, the beloved Gopal and Yogeshwar.
Yogi Adityanath arrived in Gorakhpur from Lucknow on Friday night to participate in the traditional Janmashtami celebrations at the Gorakhnath Temple, one of the most prominent religious centres associated with the Gorakhnath tradition.
From Friday morning until midnight, the Chief Minister remained immersed in programmes dedicated to Lord Krishna. Earlier in the day, he visited the Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple in Mathura and offered prayers, seeking the welfare, prosperity and happiness of the people of Uttar Pradesh.
In the evening, he participated in the Janmashtami celebrations organised at the Lucknow Police Lines before returning to Gorakhpur for the midnight Janmotsav at the Gorakhnath Temple.
Upon reaching the temple, Yogi Adityanath first offered prayers to Guru Gorakhnath, regarded as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. He subsequently paid his respects at the ‘samadhi’ of his guru, Mahant Avedyanath, and offered flowers while seeking his blessings.
A special Bhajan Sandhya was organised at the Mahant Digvijaynath Smriti Bhavan auditorium as part of the Janmashtami celebrations. The Chief Minister attended the devotional programme and listened to ‘bhajans’ and traditional songs celebrating the life and divine deeds of Lord Krishna.
The celebrations also featured a Krishna costume competition in which children dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha. The presence of the young participants created an atmosphere reminiscent of Gokul.
CM Yogi Adityanath interacted warmly with the children, many of whom approached him dressed in colourful Radha and Krishna costumes. He took several children in his lap, spoke to them affectionately and distributed toys, chocolates and gifts. Some children recited ‘shlokas’ and couplets for him, while others clicked photographs and selfies with the Chief Minister.
The main religious rituals began in the sanctum sanctorum of the Gorakhnath Temple at around 11:30 p.m. and culminated at midnight with the traditional appearance ceremony of Lord Krishna.
As the clock struck midnight, the temple reverberated with devotional chants, bells, gongs and traditional Sohar songs. Devotees raised slogans such as “Nand Ghar Anand Bhayo, Jai Kanhaiyalal Ki” and sang devotional compositions dedicated to Lord Krishna.
Following the midnight ceremony, Yogi Adityanath emerged from the sanctum sanctorum carrying the child form of Lord Krishna, popularly known as Laddu Gopal, in his arms. He placed the deity in a beautifully decorated cradle, gently rocked it and performed the aarti amid the chanting of devotees.
After the completion of the Janmotsav rituals, fruits and prasad were distributed among devotees. The temple premises remained crowded with devotees until midnight as people participated in the celebrations with faith and enthusiasm.
The childhood decoration competition was organised in two categories. In the Kanha category, Sharvil Pandey secured the first position, followed by Soumya Prajapati in second place and Himanshi Srivastava in third. In the Gopal category, Sarthak won the first prize, Rajveer secured the second position and Rudra stood third.
The Chief Minister presented certificates and gifts to the winners. Sarika Rai, Manisha Singh and Hridaya Tripathi served as judges, while Shivendra Pandey conducted the programme.
The Bhajan Sandhya at Mahant Digvijaynath Smriti Bhavan continued throughout the evening. The programme, coordinated by folk singer Dr Rakesh Srivastava, featured a series of devotional performances.
Puneet Srivastava opened the programme with a devotional song, followed by performances by Hridaya Tripathi and Anita Singh, who presented traditional Sohar songs. Lakshmi Gupta performed a congratulatory song, while singers Umesh Mishra and Ekta Shukla enthralled the audience with Krishna bhajans.
Dr Rakesh Srivastava presented traditional congratulatory songs and Sohar, further enhancing the festive atmosphere. He was accompanied by Shyamsunder Lal Srivastava Hanslona, Deepak, Aabhas Pathak and Sudhakar Sinha on musical instruments.
Another Bhajan Sandhya was organised by Hanuman Sangeet Ashram and Seva Sansthan in the sanctum sanctorum of the Gorakhnath Temple from 8 p.m. to midnight. Yogi Adityanath also listened to the devotional performances before the midnight Janmotsav rituals began.
The programme commenced with bhajans by singer and musician Abhishek Pandey Bittu. Siddhi Singh, Nishant Shukla, Shreyansh Tejaswi, Om Singh, Hridayansh Srivastava, Apurva Naman, Akanksha Tripathi, Preeti Agrahari and Alka Jaiswal subsequently performed devotional songs.
The programme was coordinated by Dharmendra Kumar Srivastava, with music direction by Abhishek Pandey Bittu. Ajit Raj, Shailesh Dubey and Rudraksh Shukla provided instrumental accompaniment.
The celebrations were attended by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Basic Education Sandeep Singh, Gorakhpur Mayor Dr Manglesh Srivastava, BJP state vice-president and MLC Dr Dharmendra Singh, MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh, sants and a large number of devotees.