Lagatar24 Desk
Gorakhpur, May 15: Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, on Monday, conducted an ‘annaprashan’ (rice ceremony) for the daughter of a sweeper who has a physical disability.
Earlier today, the chief minister held a janta durbar in Gorakhpur when the sweeper Vivek Sharma who came with his infant expressed his desire.
The chief minister is also the gorakshpeethadhishwar, or chief priest, of the Gorakhnath Temple, and the sweeper Vivek Sharma and his wife Sandhya had earlier expressed their desire for him to perform their daughter’s “annaprashan” rite.
The ceremony marking a baby’s first intake of food other than milk was then conducted by the chief minister. And he blessed her.
“It is a great fortune for us to have our daughter’s Annaprashan done by the Chief Minister himself,” Vivek said.
Vivek, an outsourced sweeper for the Municipal Corporation who has a disabled foot, resides with his family in the employee housing constructed on the temple premises.
Additionally, Vivek has a son who is three years old.
Vivek claimed that he had asked Guru Gorakhnath for a vow on the exact day that his daughter was born, requesting that the girl’s Annaprashan be performed by Gorakshpeethadhishwar.
The Chief Minister reportedly concurred, fed the kid “kheer” with his own hands, and gave her a blessing.
