On Friday morning, a rare breed of cow from Andhra Pradesh, the Punganur cow, was introduced to the cowshed of the Gorakhnath temple. The arrival of two Punganur calves drew much attention, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath greeted them with affection, feeding them jaggery with his hands.

The chief minister, who had arrived in Gorakhpur on Thursday afternoon, traditionally began his Friday morning. After offering prayers to Guru Gorakhnath at the Gorakhnath temple, he visited the samadhi of his guru, the late Mahant Avedyanath, to pay his respects.

Serving cows is a vital part of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s routine whenever he is at the temple, but Friday held special significance as the indigenous Punganur breed from Andhra Pradesh had just arrived at the cowshed.

Yogi Adityanath lavished care on the pair, gently stroking their foreheads and necks, tenderly remarking, “Are re re, tumhe maayi ki yaad aa rahi hai na.”

He spent a few moments caressing them before feeding them jaggery with his own hands.

In addition to the Punganur cows, Chief Minister Yogi spent time with other cows in the temple’s cowshed as well. As he made his way around the gaushala, he lovingly called out the cows by names like Shyama, Gauri, Ganga and Bhola. The cows, familiar with his voice, came running towards him.

The chief minister caressed their foreheads, showered them with affection, and fed them jaggery. He also enquired about the health and nutrition of all the cows from the gaushala workers, providing necessary instructions for their proper care.