Rawat, habitually, stays behind visiting colleagues and this time, he literally stayed behind the man in saffron, following him, as the doli of Baba Kedarnath moved amid fresh snowfall, the sound of bagpipers, traditional percussion towards Ukhimath.

Shiva seems the guiding force of their cultural partnership. Shiva can and must continue to become the nurturer of the combined efforts of Adityanath and Rawat in giving the people of the two states, and Hindutva-nourished national integration, a rich and solid cultural legacy.

Aspects that are common could work in their favour in the remaining part of their tenure as chief ministers.

A quick list:

Rawat and Adityanath hail from Uttarakhand.
They represent the same political party.
Rawat and Adityanath have the work of rebuilding of pilgrimage destinations ongoing in the states being governed by them. Kashi and Ayodhya for Adityanath and Kedarnath in Rawat-led Uttarakhand.
Their focus on districts — and on promoting ideas, destinations, crafts per district.
The two states are witnessing developmental projects that surround the prime pilgrimage destinations, involving huge infrastructural changes. Kashi developmental project, the infrastructural uplifting and facelift of Ayodhya, the all-weather road in Uttarakhand, the building of railway access up to Karnaprayag, among other projects.
As the projects progress under PM Modi's interventions and work from the Centre in two states, Adityanath and Rawat are often seen mentioning the "double engine" power of the state-Centre partnership. Rightly so.
In the two states governed by them resides the nuclei of Hindu dharm — the Chaar Dhaams, Kashi, Ayodhya and Mathura, Haridwar, Rishikesh, the Ganga, the Saryu, the Yamuna.
Livelihoods of the locals depend on the work and ideas emerging from temple life, related initiatives and events involving the matters of dharm. The two hold immense responsibilities as hosts to dharmics from across India and the world.
Adityanath and Rawat are on common ground when it comes to cultural sensibilities.
Both have the advantage of cultural strengths placed in Nepali cultural and spiritual values.
States governed by them serve as the sole (and soul) reason for Pakistani Hindu refugees to begin their spiritual journeys in Bharat. Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kashi, Ayodhya... they mark the beginning of a Pakistani Hindu’s journey to India.

In three years of their leadership in UP and Uttarakhand, Rawat and Adityanath, without doubt, could have achieved much (more) in using the existing cultural and spiritual cusps to enrich the lives of locals and the visiting dharmic/bhakta.

Their combined strengths, ideas, temperament (what a range) and sincerity in binding people and regions have immense power.

This author feels that the two governments led by them could have added a lot more to Indic life built around and thriving in temples and temple life by thinking as one — outside the temples.

Underused cultural partnership — in all.

Let's look at the set of first four cultural interventions that require urgent attention, sharing and partnership.

In Teaching Uttarakhand The Power Of The Delicate Agarbatti

Adityanath encourages the disposal of flowers and leaves offered to Baba Vishwanath. Hours before he departed for Uttarakhand, for his visit to Kedarnath, Adityanath inaugurated agarbattis made from flowers grown at the Baba Gorakhnath mandir.

Last year, he launched a project for recycling the botanical offerings made at the Baba Vishwanath mandir.

Speaking at the second India-Nepal Bilateral Dialogue in Lucknow (jointly organised by India Foundation, Neeti Anusandhan Pratishthan — Nepal, and Nepal India Chamber of Commerce and Industry) he had said that 50 women from a Naxal-affected village in Chandauli (eastern Uttar Pradesh) have been trained in the work of recycling flowers and leaves of dhatura and the bel tree that are offered to Shiva.

In all, two initiatives that have seen him use botanical offerings and flowers at temple ecosystems for the making of agarbattis.

Taking inspiration from this initiative could give Rawat a chance to offer solutions to a big set of problems being faced by the locals of the Kedar Valley — especially women. Making of agarbattis out of flowers grown in Uttarakhand and botanical offerings at Kedarnath mandir could become the turning point for women, who have been the sole earners since the 2013 floods.

Many women living in the villages of the districts, especially those of Devli Bhanigram lost their husbands and dear ones to the floods. Owing to their set of domestic responsibilities, they are cut off from direct involvement in livelihood options related to Shri Kedarnath Dham, and most likely will be, even in the coming years.

An opportunity that keeps them grounded in their village and next to children the entire day, while keeping them symbolically and meaningfully associated with livelihood and activity surrounding the mandir will cut their expectation and dependence on half-hearted non-governmental organisations (NGOs). It will set the beginning of a new change on ground with spurring opportunity, creativity and incomes.

Agarbatti is just one product and one element in a big set that could stir change in local economies that Rawat is already working on.

In Teaching UP That Rawness In Folk Narratives Is The Soul Of Culture

Uttarakhand continues to celebrate several spiritual milestones with local music forms of devotion, wind musical instruments, folk musicians and traditional percussion. Many of these are directly associated with rituals, temple life and local festivals.

During the rituals of the closing of the Shri Kedarnath Dham portals, and ceremonies at Shri Badrinath dham, the bagpipes form the core of local sound and music along with several traditional musical instruments. The rawness and its beauty are intact and preserved during the yatras dedicated to the devis.

Chaar Dham

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