Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was seen getting whipped as part of a ritual on the occasion of Govardhan Puja on Friday. He got whipped with ‘sonta’ (whip made up of kush, a grass) as per tradition, seeking blessings for the prosperity of the state, officials said.

In a video shared by Bhupesh Baghel on Twitter, a middle-aged man was seen whipping the Chhattisgarh chief minister with full force even as drums and other instruments were playing in the background.

The video was recorded in a village in Durg district of Chattisgarh when Bhupesh Baghel was taking part in the ritual. The chief minister was clad in traditional attire and a green-coloured turban.

The clip shows Bhupesh Baghel standing with his arms stretched after which a man starts whipping him. After eight rounds, the man finally stops and hugs Bhupesh Baghel.

Every year, Govardhan Puja is celebrated on the next day of Diwali. This year, it is being celebrated on Friday. According to the legend, Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain in his little finger to protect the people of Gokul from the wrath of Indra dev, which protected all the Gokul residents and broke Indra’s pride. Since then, the tradition of celebrating this festival is going on.

As per the tradition, on Govardhan Puja, a person is beaten up with the whip with full force on his hands as people believe that the practice helps in getting rid of the problems and bringing good luck, a report said.

“Like every year, CM Baghel took part in Govardhan Puja in Janjgiri village and bore the pain of sonta (whip) to uphold the custom that has been going on in the state for years for the well-being and prosperity of the people,” a state public relations officer was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

On the occasion, Bhupesh Baghel highlighted the significance of Govardhan Puja, during which cows are worshipped and said the festival signifies our gratitude towards govansh (cow progeny).

“It is the duty of everyone to preserve the identity of our soil and promote it,” he added.

Later, Bhupesh Baghel also shared a video on Twitter in which he can be seen being hit on his hands with the whip by a man.

Earlier, elderly Bharosa Thakur used to conduct the sonta tradition and hit people with a whip as per their wish in Janjgiri and after his death, his son Birendra Thakur has been carrying forward his legacy, the officials said