CONTENTS

INCEPTION OF A LEADER

Let’s time-travel to the month of June 1972. XI Winter Olympics had happened four months back in Sapporo, Japan, wherein 1006 athletes from 35 countries had participated in 35 events. NASA had launched the Pioneer 10 spacecraft earlier in March with a mission to become the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt and the first to visit Jupiter. India was painted in red as it was the Silver Jubilee of the Independence Anniversary. It was the same year when after the victory of the 1971 war, Indira Gandhi signed the Simla Agreement with Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The purpose of the agreement was to "put an end to the conflict and confrontation" and maintain the line of control that resulted from the ceasefire of 1971.However, on June 5, 1972, life in a small village Panchur, looked unspoiled by the hustle-bustle across the big blue marble. Panchur is a village located in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand (then a part of Uttar Pradesh).

The mercury was rising but the icy-cold water of the mighty river Ganga was/has been a divine source of solace to the people of the village. Ganga, also known as the Ganges, is the largest river in the country. This river which originates in the Western Himalayas is not only considered as a sacred river but also a cosmic spring of irrigation, thereby fostering the lives of numerous species across the terrain.

As the mild breeze flew across, the wind-chime music of the leaves added melody to the music of Nature. Everyone was busy with their regime when, all of a sudden, life in the village came to a standstill. Ear- splitting cries of an infant pierced through the composed layers of air, echoing through the valleys and ridges.

“Aahaa! There seems to be a baby born in the village,” uttered a villager to another. “But in who’s house? Is that a baby boy or a baby girl?” were the words that spread across like wildfire. “The nectary cries are erupting from the house of Anand Singh Bisht and Savitri Devi. They had been expecting a baby,” uttered one villager.

Anand Singh Bisht worked as a forest ranger and his wife Savitri Devi was a homemaker. Like every parent, the couple too wanted their newborn to be a conquering hero in the walk of life. Hence, they named this second child Ajay Singh Bisht.As Ajay grew up, like his parents, he would wake up early and help them with daily chores. Apart from being respectful and well-spoken, he was an enthusiast newspaper reader; he would often sink his teeth knowing about what’s happening in the world. However, at this time, no one knew that this wondrous boy will be all across the headlines in the times to come. Unlike most kids of his age, Ajay found himself in close-knit with Nature. Even to this day, there are many trees around his house that were planted by him during his childhood days. Apart from being a Nature- hugger, he would spend time with the cattle and dogs.

The Bisht family had cows at home, so Ajay would trail them out to graze after his school hours.

He completed his primary education from the local schools of Pauri and Rishikesh. Then he moved on to pursue his bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in Uttarakhand. During his student life, he followed his instincts and was an active participant in numerous social activities and movements. He often participated in debates held in the university campus.

Then came the time when the big day that was waiting in the wings, spread its mantle to take flight in the endless sky. The Vidyarthi Parishad, that Ajay was a part of, was invited to a program wherein the then Goraksha Peethadhishwar Mahant Avaidyanath was the chief guest.

Several students from all over the nation spoke at that event. However, as Ajay stepped on the stage and started sharing his insights, the audience looked at him with unblinking eyes, inching to the edge of the seat. The moment Ajay concluded his speech, an uproar of clapping and appreciation filled the arena. As Ajay walked amidst the slogans of appreciation, Avaidyanathji Maharaj too could not refrain himself from getting carried away by Ajay’s speech. So, he called Ajay and asked him where he hailed from. Ajay replied that he was from Pauri. To this, Avaidayanath Maharaj insisted Ajay to come over if he gets a chance.

Incidentally, Avaidayanath Maharaj was also from the same part of Uttarakhand. His village was 10 km away from Ajay's village. As the duo shared a short conversation, Ajay was quite awe-struck by that first encounter with Avaidayanath Maharaj. Before departing, Ajay promised to visit him.

Then, after a couple of days, Ajay visited Gorakhpur to meet Maharaj. Ajay stayed there for a couple of days before he returned to his village. This was the time when Ajay witnessed the ascetic life that left a deep impact in his mind.

Upon returning, Ajay enrolled in the MSc of Lalit Mohan Sharma College in Rishikesh. However, he would often find his mind wandering about the Guru Gorakhnath's hermitic site in Gorakhpur. In the meantime, Avaidyanathji Maharaj fell ill and was admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi. Upon learning about his sickness, Ajay reached the hospital to meet him. Avaidyanathji Maharaj told Ajay that they were crusading for the cause of a temple on Ram Janam Bhoomi. He expressed his torment to Ajay that if anything happened to him, the campaign and all their efforts might get bulldozed.

Ajay assured Maharajji that nothing fatal would happen and that he would return to Gorakhpur soon. While he was in MSc first year, he started frequenting Gorakhpur to meet Mahant Avaidyanath who had regained his health by then. That was the time when Ajay started to realize the significance of a mission in life; a mission connected to millions of lives. This was the same mission that was about to ink several pages of the book of history. However, history is proof that achieving a Herculean mission demands renunciation not only from the worldly affairs of life but even from SELF. It requires surrendering yourself completely to ameliorate the life of others.

After a couple of visits, Ajay was swayed about joining Mahant Avaidyanath at the Gorakhnath Mutt as a full-time disciple. This is the time when most people let go of taking such an undaunted step upon learning about the required sacrifices. Of course, everyone wants to follow the herd, we want to enjoy the pizzas and movies on weekends, we want to relish the endeavors of family life and spend vacations with them. However, Ajay was a man fueled with higher purposes.

It was the wintery time of November 1993 when 21-year- old Ajay left his village, his parents, his friends, and his studies. Without revealing much to anyone in the family, he went to Gorakhpur. The mother thought that her son was on a quest for a job, like other youngsters.

For the next couple of months, Ajay acclimatized himself on the ropes of asceticism. On 15th February 1994, Ajay was sanctified as a Nath Panth Yogi by his mentor Mahant Avaidyanath. Ajay was now known as Yogi Adityanath. Since Yogiji had been following a disciplined routine from student life, it was not very difficult for him to engage himself in Sadhana.

In fact, a person has to perform his last rites before stepping into the monk’s life. It symbolizes freedom from the former life and the genesis of a new life. That is why yogis often rub ash over their body. This ash is a symbol of death for the world. The ashes are the base of the crematorium, indicating that the body is ultimately going to be turned into ashes. It is a symptom that the yogi has renounced worldliness.

He became a Yogi on 14th January 1994 after receiving initiation from his mentor Mahant Avaidyanath and completing all the yogic rituals. The devotees of the temple started addressing him by the title of Chota Maharaj.

Six months had passed by since Yogi Adityanath had left Panchur to seek asceticism in Gorakhpur, but not even an iota of information was known to his parents. That was the era when the mobile phone revolution had not rocked the world. There were landline phones in some households but rarely in remote areas. So, the primary source of communication was through letters or visiting relatives. This added to the worry of parents since they had not heard of their son for months. The father wanted to contact Ajay but he had no clue about Ajay’s whereabouts.

Then one day, Anand Singh Bisht received some information. The source of information was Pushpa, his elder daughter who had settled in Delhi after marriage. She asked her father to visit the Gorakhnath temple to get answers to his questions but she did not reveal much information.

In fact, someone had told Pushpa that a small Hindi newspaper published in Delhi broadcasted a news that Gorakhpur’s MP and Goraksh Peethadheeshwar had announced the name of their successor two months ago. The name of the successor was Yogi Adityanath who hailed from Pauri but he looked like her brother. Knowing this, the father left for Gorakhpur on the next available train. As he got off at the Gorakhpur railway station, he started heading towards the Gorakhnath temple with a war of thoughts in his mind. With inquisitive eyes, as he entered the temple premises, he noticed a young monk draped in saffron, with a shaved off head, inspecting the cleaning of the floor. The passersby greeted him as Yogiji.

As the father inched closer with piqued curiosity, he froze as if struck by lightning. The young man standing in front of him was his own son. What the father was witnessing was something he had not imagined even in the wildest of dreams. As Ajay, now transformed into Yogiji, noticed his father standing beside him, shocked Ajay stepped forward to seek his father’s blessings. However, the father stood still, as if carved in stone and looked at his son through the film of tears. He asked his son to return home with him there and then.

However, Yogiji, while holding the fort of his emotions, gestured his father to walk in the temple. Meanwhile, Avaidyanathji was informed that Yogiji's father had come. Peethadheeshwar approached his father and said, “Dear blessed soul, you have four sons, can’t you give one of them in the name of social call of duty?” The father had no words. However, while still enveloped in a blanket of dilemmas, Anand Singh Bisht decided to return to Panchur.

As he reached home, he narrated the chronicle to his wife; now, the mother of Yogi Adityanath. The wailing heart of the mother could not believe her ears. A spell of ceaseless sobs took over. He insisted her husband to take her to Gorakhpur.

For the first time, the mother clapped eyes on her son Yogi who was living a monastic life. The heart- rendering sight conspired her to burst into a saddened orchestra. Seeing his mother, Yogiji also found himself plunging into a pool of emotions but he silenced the rising tide. Being a witness to the uprise of emotions between the mother and son, Peethadheeshwar explained to Yogiji’s mother, “There is no restriction on Yogi. He can meet his family whenever he wants. You too can come here whenever you please. You are always welcome to this God’s temple.” After spending some time with their son, the couple departed with a mix of emotions.

Meanwhile, following the hallmark of Avaidyanathji, the young-lad-turned-into-a-monk succeeded the grand empire of the temple. Yogiji used to have a chat with Avaidyanathji every day while being seated in vajraasana and used to dandvat pranam before taking Avaidyanathji’s leave. But this journey had its shortcomings and perils. It was a twist of fate that Yogiji, just a month after he was declared the heir, walked out of the Pratap Ashram campus to protest against police action with the students when Mahant Avaidyanathji was in Delhi to attend the Parliament session. This protest resulted in a clash. Mahant was always keen-eyed about his disciples whenever he was not in town. Mahant always kept his amigos with Yogi and used to direct them, “The young monk is daring, take care of him.” Instead of worshiping God in one place, Yogiji rather chose to travel across the region and spread awareness.

Four years later, Yogiji made his first visit to Panchur in the same attire of a monk; both outwardly and inwardly. By this time, his parents had visited Yogiji in Gorakhnath Mutt on several occasions. However, Yogiji’s voyage was not to see his family but to abide by an important tradition of an ascetic's life. He was to take alms (Bhiksha) from his parents as a monk. The parents offered rice, fruits, and coins to their ascetic son. Since that time, Yogiji, now also known as Maharajji, has visited his hometown on rare functions in the family. Under the Gorakhpur Mutt’s administration, he has also laid the foundation of a college, Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath College, near his village.

It was on 12th September 2014 when Yogiji became the Mahant or high priest of the Gorakhnath Math after the death of his guru Mahant Avaidyanathji. Chanting of holy mantras and prayers in the humongous gather of disciples forms a part of the ordination.

During the course, Yogi had started initiating the Janata Darbaar every day in the Gorakhnath temple. The initial attendees and applicants were the people of Gorakhpur. But soon the word of mouth began to spread like wildfire about how the Mahanta settled the property dispute or settled the matrimonial matters in the wink of an eye. People started attending the darbaar with their hitches from far and wide.

Since the inception of the monk life, Adityanathji would wake up at 3:30 in the morning. He still relishes eating food with people irrespective of the caste or religion they belong to.

Yogiji has 3 brothers Mahendra Singh Bisht, Manvendra Mohan, Shailendra Mohan and three sisters Shashi Singh, Kaushalya Devi and Pushpa Devi.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's

father Shri Anand Bisht passed away at the age of 89 on 20th April 2020 due to multi-organ failure. He was cremated in Haridwar. But choosing duty over personal grief, Yogi ji chose not to attend the last rites of his father, despite having a deep desire to have a last glimpse of him. The son, sincere to his duties, chose to be at the helm to deal with the COVID pandemic, and stick to the lockdown norms.

Yogiji has a special interest in yoga and spirituality. At the onset of the day, he engages himself in yoga and meditation, followed by a massage with turmeric mixed in oil. He promotes the campaign for Cow-protection. Gorakhpur has almost turned into a cow sanctuary now. Even at his Lucknow residence, Yogiji feeds cows every morning as a part of his regime. And, the interesting part is that he has named every single cow and calls them by their name. Yogiji also has a dog Kalu, who was gifted to him by the temple devotees. Kalu, who is a pure-vegetarian, turned into an internet celebrity some time back as the pictures of Yogiji feeding and patting his dog turned viral.