JOIN USDispute between akharas threatens shahi snan
A factional feud among different akharas over controlling their apex body All India Akhara Parishad threatens to mar the second shahi snan, the royal bath by sadhus of 13 akharas next Sunday at the ongoing Mahakumbh here.
Sadhus belonging to six organisations, or akharas, have demanded from the Kumbh administration that Parishad president Mahant Gyan Das be invited to take part in the royal bath on Sunday, failing which they will boycott it.
The demand by the representatives of the six akharas has put the administration in a fix as the remaining seven akharas are against inviting Mahant Gyan Das, who is currently on a pilgrimage to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal.
While Gyan Das claims that he still is the chief of the Parishad, his rivals say he was now just an ordinary member of Nirvani Ani akhara after being removed from his post in 2011.
The Parishad, the apex body of Hindu saints and sadhus in the country, had split last year with seven of its members electing a new chief and replacing Mahant Gyan Das.
The new chief was elected at a meeting of representatives of seven akharas in Allahabad. Altogether, there are 13 akharas in the country.
Mahant Balwant Singh of Nirmal akhara was elected president of Akhara Parishad, replacing Mahant Gyan Das, who was not present at the meeting.
Gyan Das, who is also the mahant of the Hanumangarhi temple at Ayodhya, had termed the meeting in which the new chief was elected as “illegal”.
He said he was still the president of the Akhara Parishad.
The akharas play an important role in the Kumbh mela. A boycott by them could be a huge embarrassment to the authorities.
Already, one of the shankaracharyas had boycotted the Mahakumbh after his demand for specialised treatment was rejected by the administration.
The government is trying to persuade him to come to the mass religious gathering.
Disputes among akharas are common and at times, their representatives also resort to violence to assert their supremacy, especially at the time of taking the royal bath during Kumbh fair.
Akharas were established by Adi Shankaracharya for protecting and preserving Hindu religion and culture.
Initially, there were only seven akharas — Mahanirvani, Niranjani, Juna, Atal, Avahan, Agni and Anand. Now, the number has gone up to 13 due to splits in their ranks.