Female foeticide is against the very ethos of Sanatan Dharma: Adityanath
CM performs Navratri rituals at Gorakhnath temple
GORAKHPUR : Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said female foeticide and crime against women was sinful under the Sanatan Hindu Dharma and was like denying the existence of divine power.
Talking to reporters after performing ‘kanya pujan’ (worshipping of girls) at Gorakhnath Temple here, Yogi said the ritual was a way to offer prayers to nine manifestations of goddess Durga with full Vedic tradition.
As part of the ritual, girls were made to stand on a metallic plate as Yogi washed their feet, applied ‘tilak’ on their forehead and performed ‘aarti’ amid chanting of mantras.
The CM also offered prayers to ‘batuks’ (manifestation of kaal bhairav). A feast was also organised for the children who were also given ₹51 each.
“As the head priest of Gorakhnath Temple, Yogi has been performing kanya pujan on the ninth day of Navratra every year but as he is also the UP chief minister now, devotees are more excited this time around,” a temple functionary said.
“Despite being the CM, Yogi Adityanath is performing all ritu- als the way he did earlier. As he camps here, he is acting as the head priest of the temple,” a devotee said.
A ‘shobha yatra’ (procession), led by Yogi, will be taken out on Vijay Dashmi from the temple to Mansarovar Ramleela ground.
A chariot, with a saffron flag mounted atop it, will be used to take Yogi to Ramleela ground.
Before the procession, a ‘tilak utsav’ will be held at the temple where devotees will apply ‘chandan tilak’ on Yogi’s forehead and seek his blessings. On a five-day visit to Gorakhpur, Yogi reached the temple on September 26 and will return to Lucknow after Dussehra celebrations.