Gorakhpur, 15 May: Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, performed ‘annaprashan’ (rice ceremony) for the daughter of a physically challenged sweeper on Monday. When sweeper Vivek Sharma, who came with his child, stated his request.
The chief minister held a janta durbar in Gorakhpur earlier on Monday.
The sweeper Vivek Sharma and his wife Sandhya had earlier stated their wish to the chief Minister, who is also the Gorakshpeethadhishwar, the top priest of the Gorakhnath Temple, to perform their daughter’s ‘annaprashan’ rite.
Following that, the chief minister performed the ceremony commemorating an infant’s first intake of food other than milk. He also bestowed blessings on her. “It is a great blessing for us to have the Chief Minister himself perform our daughter’s Annaprashan,” Vivek stated.
Vivek, a Municipal Corporation outsourced sweeper who is disabled in his foot, lives with his family in the employee housing established on the temple grounds. Vivek also has a three-year-old son. According to Vivek, on the day of his daughter’s birth, he requested a vow from Guru Gorakhnath that the girl’s Annaprashan be in the hands of Gorakshpeethadhishwar. According to a government announcement, the Chief Minister accepted and blessed the infant by feeding her ‘kheer’ with his own hands.
