GORAKHPUR: In a unique initiative, the flowers offered at the famous Gorakhnath temple in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, will now be a source of employment to women.
The introduction of new technology will help homemakers and unemployed women to make incense sticks from the flowers. It will take the shape of a cottage industry and provide employment to women.
Backed by the technical support from the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), the incense sticks are being manufactured by the MahayogiGorakhnathKrishiVigyan Kendra (MGKVK) and has been branded as 'Shree GorakhnathAshirwad'.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth, who is also the head priest of the Gorakhnath temple, inaugurated the brand at the temple on Sunday. The production and distribution will remain in the hands of the Gorakhnath Temple Trust.
Speaking on the occasion, Yogi said that Prime Minister NarendraModi's vision of converting waste into wealth was being realised by this effort to make incense sticks from the flowers offered at the temple.
"Besides giving respect to faith, this is also a big step towards women empowerment. It is also a belief in our tradition that nothing is a waste on this earth and this is a testimony of this fact", he said adding that the women have already started earning Rs 4000-5000 per month through this project.
The flowers offered at the temple were either thrown away or disposed of in the rivers adding to garbage. This was not only hurting the faith of devotees but was also polluting the rivers.
With the initiative of MGKVK and technical support from CIMAP, these flowers have now become a source of income for women and the experiment to make perfume from these flowers has also been successful.
In the coming days, the flowers used in various auspicious programmes and prayers in houses will also be used for making incense sticks. In addition, 'Belpatras' and basil leaves will also be used for making incense sticks in future.
Speaking about the initiative, Prabodh Kumar Trivedi, Director, CIMAP, Lucknow said that it is for the first time that the work has been taken up at a temple in UP.
"Incense sticks are already being made from flowers at the Sai temple in Shirdi and Vaishno Devi shrine. Soon, we will be also making incense sticks with flowers at the Chandrika Devi temple in Lucknow," he said. Explaining the process, he said that after storing the flowers offered in the temple, they are put into a machine and turned into a dry powder. (IANS)