By John B Monteiro
On the night of Sunday, April 3, 2022, a man armed with a knife tried to forcibly enter the heavily guarded Gorakshanath temple premises in Uttar Pradesh injuring two constables. Some call it a terror attack but, the burden of this article is the historic link between Gorakshanath temple and Jogi Mutt atop Kadri Hill in Mangalore.
It may be recalled that Yogi Adityanath visited Jogi Mutt at Kadri, in Mangaluru, on February 21, 2021. That was the second time Yogi visited Jogi Mutt after becoming the CM of Uttar Pradesh during his first term as Chief Minister. This brings us to the history of Jogi Mutt.
Jogi Mutt on Kadri Hill is the most important Mutts of Jogi or Nath sect that are spread from Nepal to Kanyakumari. Who are Jogis or Naths? According to the scholarly book by George Weston Briggs, titled Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis, first published in 1938, the followers of Gorakhnath are known as Yogi, as Gorakhnathi and as Darsani, but most distinctly as Kanphata. The first of these names refers to their traditional practice of Hata Yoga, second to the name of their reputed founder, the third to the huge ear-rings which are one of their distinctive marks and the fourth to their unique practice of having the cartilage of their ears split for the insertion of the ear-rings.
In Punjab, in the Himalayas, in Mumbai and elsewhere they are often called Natha, which is a general term meaning ‘Master’. Women of the sect are called Nathni. In western India they are generally known as Dharmamati, after the famous disciple of Gorakhnath, by that name. In other parts of India the names Kanphata and Gorakhnathi are commonly used. The word Yogi, which is common in Karnataka, is a general descriptive term, applied to many who do not belong to the Kanphatas. It has many shades of meaning ranging from saints to sorcerer. It is also a general term for ascetics, particularly for those who are endeavouring, by restraint and discipline of the body, to secure union with Brahman.
It may be noted that the use of the word Kadali (later corrupted into Kadri) has its own background. The word Kadali may evoke the image of a variety of bananas. But, the other significance of the word is that it refers to the middle of a forest associated with, or suitable for, observing tapashya. Mangalore’s Kadali was associated with great saints of the Nath sect. It is in the Kadalivana or Muktivana, Shiva, in his avatar as Manjunatha, blessed the Nath sect founder Macchendaranath and his disciple, Gorakhnath, and indicated the way to mukti through the yogic route. The place has the samadhis of many gurus of the sect.
The religious head of this Jogi Mutt, called Raja or Arasu, is appointed every twelve years. He is selected during the Kumbha Mela, observed once in every twelve years, at the Trambakeshvara Temple near Nashik. The selected Raja travels on foot, with some followers, covering a distance of over 1150 km and stretching six months, halting on the way in some 79 Nath centres and receiving their hospitality and devotion.