Excitement in air, mood still festive in Gorakhpur three days after Yogi Adityanath takes charge as UP CM

Gorakhpur: In the pilgrim town of Gorakhpur, nearly 250 km from the power centre in Lucknow, the excitement in the air is palpable and the mood festive ever since Yogi Adityanath assumed chief ministership of Uttar Pradesh.

From Civil Lines to Ghantaghar, chants of "Yogi-Yogi" are heard frequently, while the 44-year-old's supporters virtually compete with each other in handing over laddoos to those passing by the Gorakhnath Temple where Adityanath was the 'mahant' (head priest) since 1994.

A couple of days back, officials of the temple had told reporters that more CCTV cameras would be installed in the temple premises from the safety and security point of view.

Even the baati-chokhaa (traditional eastern UP dish prepared using gram) sellers are upbeat with the latest political development in the state and expect that their local cuisine would eventually make inroads in the dietary habits of people residing in western districts of UP.

Adityanath was sworn-in as UP's 21st chief minister along with his team of 46 ministers March 19 at Kanshiram Smriti Upwan in Lucknow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh, a number of a host of Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Narayan Dutt Tiwari had attended the grand swearing-in ceremony.

The saffron-clad Yogi, who is an ardent follower of Sanatan Hindu Dharma, hails from the Nath sect, the roots of which could be traced to Guru Gorakhnath, believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

The sect focuses on 'brahmacharya' (celibacy), yoga and self-purification through spiritual practices.