Gorakhpur: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said traditions, cultural and spiritual legacy are integral for growth and universities and institutes of higher learning should promote them or else they will not be able to play their proper role and fail to serve the society.
After inaugurating the three-day seminar on Nath Sect at DDU Gorakhpur University on Saturday, CM Yogi said, “Our traditions, cultural and spiritual legacy are our integral part. We cannot achieve any goal by dissociating with our culture and traditions and become ‘Trishanku’. Universities and higher education institutes should promote culture and tradition along with formal education for overall development of students.”
The Nath Sect is very big and its followers are spread across the world, and is present in Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the CM added.
“The followers of Nath Sect always fought against social ills and hypocrisy. The Nath sect is not based on assumptions but on real experiences and there is no place of hypocrisy in the sect,” he added.
The Nath Sect is rich in literature. There is a need to compile the literature on Nath sect present in different parts of the world, said Yogi.
“The Hath Yoga of Nath sect emphasises on ‘kaya shuddhi’ and ‘mann shuddhi’. The Anand Math was also part of Nath Sect and ‘Vande Mataram’ was sung by the yogis of Nath Sect to spread awareness,” he added.
CM said the capital of Nepal Kathmandu is named after Guru Gorakshnath Taposthali the base of which is of ‘Kaashth’ (wood). There are Nath Sect temples in Dhaka, Bangladesh and is Peshawar, Pakistan.
“A Sikh family of Gorakhpur now living in Singapore went to Pakistan and saw the Nath Sect temple in Peshawar,” the CM added.
The chief minister said a 7th century prince of Nepal, Ratan Nath was a yogi of Nath sect and used to visit Devipatan temple in Balrampur.
Yogi also inaugurated first volume of Nath Sect encyclopedia which will be published in six volumes and seven languages. He also inaugurated two books written by DDU vice-chancellor Prof Rajesh Singh on the occasion.
The CM also gave prizes to the top three winners of the poster competition on Nath Sect and 10 consolation prizes. UGC chairman Prof D P Singh was special guest.