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The power of Gorakhpur’s Yogi Adityanath, a man hard to ignore

Gorakhpur, the constituency of new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is fast becoming popular ever since the controversial figure,…

The power of Gorakhpur’s Yogi Adityanath, a man hard to ignore

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (PHOTO: AFP)

Gorakhpur, the constituency of new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is fast becoming popular ever since the controversial figure, a Hindu hardliner, came to power in the state. News of his coming into power as a state chief minister shocked not only the Indian media but also the international media. And, probably, his own people might never have thought that this son of the soil would shake the country's politics to an extend that it would make world news.

And, it did not take long for the man in power now to set new orders and rules and he continued to hog the limelight. First, it was the crackdown on illegal abattoirs and setting up of the Anti-Romeo Squad to whip eve-teasers. He claims that the squad was formed to ensure protection of women, though many sees it as a part of the 'love jihad' which he launched some years ago.

Well, seen as the Robinhood of the region, even before he became the 21st chief minister of UP, Adityanath did bring about a lot of changes to the place, and he did it his way. Five-time MP from Gorakhpur before he became CM, Adityanath has an appeal that attracts the youth. He could reach out to them and transformed many goons for the welfare of the region. He changed the names of many roads in his home town, from Arabic and Urdu to Hindu names. He also runs morcha and small systems in Gorakhpur for the welfare of the people there. Be it against a certain cmmunity or for the welfare of his people, the steps that he took often created controvies and made headlines.

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After the crackdown on meat sellers, he made big news again with the attempt to reach out to them and abattoir owners, as meat crisis troubles his state.

As the media continues to feed on the news of Adityanath. we bring you glimpses of the little known place that has brought forth a figure hard to accept, yet hard to ignore.

Where is Gorakhpur?

The city is about 273 km away from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It lies close to Nepal border, along the Rapti river banks in the northeastern part of Uttar Pradesh. It is said that Lord Buddha renounced his princely costumes at the junction of rivers Rapti and Rohini to move on to his spiritual journey.

The meaning of Gorakhpur

The name Gorakhpur originated from the Sanskrit word Gorakshapuram, meaning the abode of ancient saint Gorakshanath.

What is Gorakhpur famous for?

Life in the city centers around Gorakshanath Temple or Gorakhnath Math, a place of worship of the Nath tradition founded by Guru Matsendranath. Various cultural and social activities are carried out in the temple.

The people and community

It has a population of 673,446 (2011). Majority of them are Hindus and Muslims. Christians and other communities are a minority there.

Historical relevance of Gorakhpur

The ancient Gorakhpur comprised the districts of Basti, Deoria, Azamgarh and some parts of Nepal Tarai. These region called as Gorakhpur-Janpad was an important centre of Aryan culture and civilisation. It holds a connection with Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism, who renounced his princely costumes at the junction of rivers Rapti and Rohini to proceed on in the quest of truth in the year 600 BC. It is also associated with 24th Tirthankar Lord Mahavir, founder of Jainism.

Gorakhpur during British Raj

On February 4, 1922, the infamous Chauri Chaura incident took place in Gorakhpur district. This made Mahatma Gandhi call off the Non-Cooperation Movement. The fight between police and civilians took an ugly turn and caused the halt of this major movement.

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