A resident of Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, Asad Khan has now taken a new name, Atharva Tyagi, after formally embracing Sanatan Dharma in Kashi. Recently, the religious ceremony was conducted on a boat in the middle of the Ganga river. During the ritual, 21 Brahmin priests performed purification rites and prayers while chanting Vedic mantras. Afterwards, the Gauri Ganesh puja was performed, and the Hanuman Chalisa was recited.
Following the purification ceremony, Asad was given the new name “Atharva Tyagi.” Meanwhile, the priest who conducted the rituals, Alok Nath Yogi, explained that the process included purification first and then a formal naming ceremony with Vedic chants. According to him, the entire ritual was carried out strictly as per traditional scriptures.
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Atharva Tyagi shared that he is an engineer by profession and that his entire family still lives in Sagar district. In addition, he works as a contractor with a government department. He said that although his family follows Islam, he personally felt drawn to temples and worship from a very young age. However, as he grew older, he often felt uncomfortable entering temples or performing rituals because of his name. Therefore, he decided to formally follow the faith he feels connected to. He also described himself as a devotee of Lord Hanuman and said this decision allows him to live according to his beliefs.
The religious rituals were conducted by Alok Nath Yogi, the state promoter of Hindu Yuva Shakti, along with Sudhir Singh, Saurabh Gautam, Nikhil Yadav, Soumya Singh, Richa Singh, Sachin Tripathi, and 21 young Brahmin priests. Together, they performed the Gauri Ganesh puja, followed by a ritual bath using five sacred substances, and finally offered prayers to the Ganga.
