Priests from Gorakhpur ‘purify’ CM residence

FIVE PRIESTS on Monday performed pujas for several hours and tried to correct “vaastu dosh” at the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s official residence before Yogi Adityanath steps in.

A Rudrabhishek —prayer to Lord Shiva —was performed with 10 litres of milk and a puja of Gauri-ganesha was done at 5 Kalidas Marg in the evening.

Adityanath,apeethadhishwar of Gorakshanath Temple in Gorakhpur, is expected to move into the official accomodation on Tuesday.

The five pundits had gone from the Gorakhpur Mutt with which Adityanath is associated. They were led by Vedacharya Ramanuj Tripathi. The milk used in the “rudrabhishek” was carried froma“gaushala”insidethemutt.

When asked about the puja, Dwarika Tiwari, the in-charge of Yogi Adityanath’s office in Gorakhpur, asked: “Why are people surprised? In Hindu tradition, everyone performs puja before entering a new house and as per their own rituals. Maharajji is also Peethadhishwar of the Mutt and Ramanuj Tripathiji is the purohit here. So, he performed the rituals as per that of the mutt.”

Tiwari was busy making lists and gathering contact numbers of those working at the temple.

Whiletheholypurificationrituals at the Chief Minister’s residence were being done inside, youngsters were given the task of markingthemaingateofthebungalow with the sign of the swastik”andom,apartfromwriting “Shubh-laabh”.

The house was decorated with flowers.

Explaining the reason for “Rudrabhishek”,anothermember of Adityanath’s office explained: “Gorakshanath Temple is of Nath peeth and our deity is Lord Shiva. Thus, being the Peethadhishwar of the temple, rudrabhishek is a very significant ritual.”

Vishal Srivastav CM’S residence in Lucknow on Monday.