UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has strong Karnataka connections

 

The Raja of Kadri Mutt is anointed once in 12 years. The current Raja of Kadri Yogeshwar Mutt was given charge by Yogi Adityanath. Kadri Mutt is the only place where a chief seer is called the Raja.

 

Yogi Adityanath belongs to the Natha sect, and this Mutt in Mangaluru known as Kadri Yogeshwar Mutt professes and practices the rituals and beliefs of Natha sect. Thus the chief seer of the Mutt is appointed by the main seer of the Natha sect in Gorakhpur Mutt.

 

This selection of the seer for the temple occurs once in 12 years after the Mahakumabhisheka held at Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra. Whereas seers from various other mutts belonging to the Natha sect are called as Mahantha and Peer, only the seer of the Karnataka Kadri mutt is called Raja. According to sources in the mutt, thousand years ago, a king who was ruling the Mangaluru region had given the place to build a Mutt for Natha tradition and to rule the place. Thus the chief of this mutt is called the Raja, said Natha Pantha Publicity Committee State Secretary Keshavanatha, speaking to Kannada Prabha.

 

Only the Akhil Bharatvarshiya Avadhut Bhesh Barah Panth chairperson can select the Raja, Mahanth or Peer for the respective mutts. Yogi Adityanath was the chief of the Akhil Bharatvarshiya Avadhut Bhesh Barah Panth from 15 years. Thus he has selected the Raja of the Kadri Mutt twice, so far.

 

Once the Raja is selected at Triambakeshwar, he has to walk back to his Mutt. It takes one six months to reach the Mutt, and this is called the Jhandi Yathra. However, in 2015, after the selection, Yogi Adityanath had not walked to the Kadri Mutt but had taken part in the coronation of the Raja at the Mutt in Kadri in February 2016. He was there from the first day. In fact, he had selected the Raja of the mutt even 12 years ago and had visited the Kadri Mutt during the coronation.

 

However, there was mixed reaction from those associated with the Kadri Mutt on Yogi Adityanath becoming the Uttar Pradesh CM. Some seers and office bearers of the Mutt clapped and expressed their happiness as the news broke. But some said that a seer should not get involved in politics.

 

Second connection

Another reason given to Yogi Adityanath’s Karnataka connection is the Natha tradition. The Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt has also claimed a connection to the seer-turned-CM. They said that the Balagangadharanatha Swamiji’s temple also practices and professes the Natha traditions.

 

The founder of the BGS (Balagangadharanatha Swami) temple, Balagangadharanatha Swami’s mentor Bhairavaikya Balagangadharanatha and Yogi Adityanath’s mentor Aviadyanatha seers were close to each other. Yogi Adityanath has conversed with the current seer of BGS temple, Nirmalananda Swami told Kannada Prabha.

 

Whenever we go to North India, we visit the Gorakhpur temple, and whenever Yogi Adityanath visits Karnataka, he comes to our temple, said Nirmalananda Swami.