New Delhi

Gorakhnath Temple complex which is also a Mutt (monastry) in Uttar Pradesh, and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as its head Monk, offers a unique example of communal harmony. The management, financial accounts, and construction of this historic monastery and temple have been in the hands of Muslims for decades.

Gorakhnath Temple is a centre of cultural and social activities of the city located on the border with Nepal.

Yasin Ansari is a Muslim supervisor who has managed the construction, maintenance, and day-to-day accounts of the Gorakhnath Math for nearly five decades. He served as the temple's official cashier from 1977 to 1983 and, even today, is a highly trusted figure overseeing the Temple's development and is very close to Chief Minister Yogi.

Local Muslims in support of Yogi Adityanath

During his half-century of service, not a single case of financial misappropriation or irregularities has been uncovered. Whenever Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visits Gorakhpur as Head Monk, he reviews development projects with Yasin Ansari.

Yasin Ansari says he shares a close relationship with Chote Maharaj, a local way of addressing Yogi Adityanath, the Mahant (Head Priest) of the Mutt.

The temple and the town are named after the medieval saint Gorakhshahnath (11th century CE), a Yogi who travelled across India and authored several texts that form a part of the canon of Nath sampradaya.

Whenever Yogi Adityanath is at the temple, he calls Yasin over to get updates on all aspects of the Mutt.

According to media reports, Yasin claims he has unrestricted access to Yogi Adityanath's private residence and has dined with the Maharaja several times. He is the third generation associated with the Mutt.

Yogi Adityanath also attends family gatherings, weddings, and festivals of Ansari’s family.

Besides Yasin Ansari's family, many other Muslim families have served the Gorakhnath Temple for generations.

Yasin Ansari’s uncle was the first to come to the Gorakhnath Temple during Mahant Digvijaynath's time, and he was given charge of the kitchen.

Yasin's mother-in-law, Hamida Begum, served as the community kitchen supervisor for a long time.

Ravi Kishen, Member of Parliament from the Gorakhpur Constituency speaking about Muslims of Gorakhpur in a podcast with Raj Shamnani::

His father-in-law was a gardener in the temple.

The responsibility of the temple's cowshed also falls to a Muslim youth.Thirty-year-old Maan Mohammad has been serving the cowshed since he was just ten years old. Currently, the temple has approximately four hundred cows, all of whom are cared for by Maan Mohammad.

Maan Mohammad’s father served the cows before him.

Maan Mohammad wakes up every morning at three o'clock. He milks the cows and feeds them. He also cares for Nandini, Yogi Adityanath's favourite cow.

Maan Mohammad says that this temple is like his home. Yogi Adityanath has always showered respect and love on him, and he would like to serve the Mutt for the rest of his life.

The Gorakhnath Temple's magnificent buildings are the brainchild of engineer Nisar Ahmed. He was the temple's first official engineer and has since retired as the principal of Maharana Pratap Polytechnic, Gorakhpur.

Nisar Ahmed explains that the Sadhana Bhavan, Yatri Niwas, Hindu Sevashram, and dozens of shops within the temple complex were all built to his design. Furthermore, the construction of the new Gorakhnath Hospital building, the Sanskriti Vidyalaya, the Radha Krishna Temple, the Shankar Temple, the Vishnu Temple, and the Hanuman Temple were also completed under his supervision.

The Gorakhnath Temple is not only a centre of faith but also a source of livelihood for many Muslim families.

For decades, members of the Muslim community have been operating their shops within and around the temple complex without fear.

A Muslim empoloyee of the Gorakhanath temple at work

Mohammad Mutaqim, who has run a bangle shop within the temple for the past twenty years, says that many Muslim families live within the temple and earn their living with dignity.

Altaf Ahmed has also been running a shop here for the past 16 years, says that the Gorakhnath Temple has helped him support his family. "Whenever shopkeepers face a problem, Yogi ji himself steps in to resolve it," he told the media.

Interestingly, the temple in located in a Muslim-dominant area. Fayaz Ahmed, a resident, who has played in the temple premises as a child, says that Muslims have never faced any problem .

Regardless of Yogi Adityanath's image to the outside world, the temple's Muslim employees consider him to be a very generous and just person.

Irfan Ahmed, a local leader of the BJP's minority wing, confirms this. Irfan's father, Inayatullah, was a temple volunteer when Mahant Digvijaynath and Mahant Avaidyanath were its priests.

Irfan explains that in terms of personal relationships, Yogi ji stands up for anyone in need, regardless of caste or religion. He has never discriminated against anyone on religious grounds.

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Yasin Ansari also says that Yogi Adityanath only opposes those who engage in anti-national activities. He always respects those who live with honesty. What people in politics say about him does not affect the atmosphere at the temple.