Kumar Bahukhandi
Politics has heated up in Nepal over Yogi’s poster in the rally of monarchy supporters
There have been cordial relations between the Gorakhnath monastery and the kings of Nepal. It is said that in the Khichdi fair held every year on 14 January at the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, the first Khichdi is offered to Guru Gorakhnath by the family of the King of Nepal. But this is not the only reason behind Yogi becoming a poster boy in Nepal.
Pictures of Gorakshapeethadhiswar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were waved in a pro-monarchy restoration rally held in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on Sunday. Some media reports also claimed that the crowd also raised slogans of Yogi-Yogi. This incident has created a stir in politics from Nepal to India. Nepal’s ruling political parties have made it an issue that India is interfering in Nepal’s politics. Ruling party Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist, CPN-UML) leader and Nepal’s PM KP Oli said that ‘We do not wave pictures of foreign leaders in our rallies. This is a violation of our sovereignty.’ At the same time, the National Democratic Party termed this incident as a conspiracy of the government. The party says that the government wants to defame the monarchy supporters as a part of strategy, so it is adopting such tactics. The question is how did Yogi Adityanath become so important for Nepal’s politics? Why is Yogi Adityanath becoming a poster boy for monarchy supporters in Nepal?
1-Nepal’s royal family has an old relationship with the Peethadheeshwars of Gorakhnath Math
India-Nepal relations are not limited to geographical or political spheres. People living in and around Gorakhpur, which is located about 94 kilometers from the India-Nepal border, know the extent of cultural and spiritual connection between the two countries. It is said that in the Khichdi fair held every year on January 14 at the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, the first Khichdi is offered to Guru Gorakhnath by the family of the King of Nepal. Only after that, the Khichdi fair starts among the general public. The roots of Nath sect are linked to Guru Matsyendranath and Guru Gorakhnath in India… Gorakhnath has had a deep connection with Nepal. It is believed that he blessed the founder of the first Shah dynasty of Nepal. Since then, the Shah dynasty has continued to hold the monarchy of Nepal. Temples like Pashupatinath and Muktinath in Nepal have been enriching the heritage of Nath sect.
