Which of the following leaders is also the chief priest of the Gorakhnath temple and the monastery?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (b) Yogi Adityanath

Explanation:

• Yogi Adityanath, the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, is the Mahant (Chief Priest) of the Gorakhnath Math, a Hindu monastery in Gorakhpur.

• He succeeded his spiritual father, Mahant Avaidyanath, as the head of the monastery in September 2014.

• The Gorakhnath Math belongs to the Nath tradition (Nath Sampradaya), which was founded by Guru Matsyendranath and consolidated by Guru Gorakhnath.

• The monastery serves as a significant cultural and religious hub in eastern Uttar Pradesh and follows the philosophy of Hatha Yoga and social equality.

Information Booster:

• As the Mahant, Yogi Adityanath is the supreme authority of the monastery and oversees its various educational and medical institutions.

• Traditionally, the Mahant of the Gorakhnath temple has played a significant role in the regional politics of Purvanchal (eastern UP).

Additional Knowledge:

Uma Bharti (Option a)

• She is a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. While she is a Sanyasin (monk), she is not associated with the leadership of the Gorakhnath Math.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Option c)

• He is a global spiritual leader and the founder of the Art of Living Foundation. His headquarters is the International Center in Bengaluru, not the Gorakhnath temple.

Mahant Paramhans Das (Option d)

• He is a well-known seer based in Ayodhya and is often associated with the Tapaswi Chawni. He is frequently in the news regarding the Ram Mandir, but he does not hold the position of chief priest at Gorakhpur.