Dressed in a traditional white dhoti-kurta, Adhikari walked barefoot to the ISKCON ‘gaushala’ (cow shelter) in the sprawling temple complex around 11.30 am, and offered prayers as part of a special ‘gau seva’ programme.
He fed fruits and sweets to the cows, took part in a ‘yagna’, and later proceeded to the Chandradoya temple for prayers and interactions with monks and members of the ISKCON management.
The visit marked Adhikari’s first trip to the Mayapur shrine after assuming office earlier this month, following the BJP’s stupendous victory in the assembly elections.
As the chief minister reached Mayapur in the morning, he was greeted by monks and devotees amid the rhythmic beats of kirtan. Hundreds of people had gathered around the temple complex since early morning to catch a glimpse of him.
The temple town wore a festive look, while security was tightened in and around Mayapur with heavy police deployment, barricading at key entry points and movement restrictions in parts of the temple complex.An ISKCON spokesperson said the CM showed “deep interest and enthusiasm” towards the organisation and its activities.
“This is the first time he has come to ISKCON Mayapur after becoming the chief minister. He participated in ‘gopi-jan gau seva’ and yagna rituals. There will also be an interaction session with the monks,” the spokesperson said.
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Though projected as a spiritual visit, the tour carried unmistakable political undertones in a state where symbolism around religion and cultural identity has increasingly acquired electoral significance.
Political observers pointed out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the same shrine in February ahead of the assembly polls, with Adhikari accompanying him during the programme.
The BJP leadership has in recent years sought to cultivate stronger ties with influential religious and cultural institutions in Bengal, including ISKCON and the Ramakrishna Mission, as part of a wider outreach aimed at consolidating sections of Hindu voters cutting across caste and regional lines.
Adhikari’s Mayapur visit also comes barely a week after his trip to the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission at Belur Math, where he had met monks and invoked the ideals of Swami Vivekananda while emphasising education, healthcare, service and spirituality.
The sprawling ISKCON campus in Mayapur, regarded as one of the organisation’s most important global centres, houses temples, educational institutions, guest houses and large community facilities, attracting lakhs of devotees from India and abroad every year.
