A screengrab from the video that went viral.
Credit: Instagram/janta_darbaar123
The 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious events of the world has began Monday and will culminate on February 26 with crores of devotees taking a dip into the holy sangam. The inaugural day of the mela in Prayagraj was marked by the Paush Purnima bathing festival, during which millions of devotees converged for a holy dip.
Ash smeared sadhus and seers from across the country have also reached Prayagraj for the mela, and photos and videos from the holy event have gone viral all over social media.
Amidst all this, a video has gone viral of a sadhu who was being asked questions by a YouTuber. But what follows next had the internet talking. Seemingly irritated by a question, the sadhu suddenly stands up and starts thrashing the man with a pair of tongs who then flees from his tent. The sadhu, however, soon regains his composure and later on even blesses another man who comes in.
The video was shared on Instagram by a user called janta_darbaar123.
The YouTuber first asks the sadhu since how long he has been a seer, to which the latter replies by saying that he chose this path since his childhood. His next question about what bhajan does the sadhu perform for God seems to irk the seer, as he picks up a pair of tongs in front of him and starts thrashing the man 3-4 times, after which the YouTuber runs off.
“Tumlog dekh rhe ho kya galat bola isney (Do you all see what rubbish he is saying?)", the sadhu asks onlookers.
Social media users were divided in their opinions. While some felt the sadhu should not have lost his cool, a few others thought the person deserved the beating for not leaving the sadhu to his devices.
"Along with aashirvaad, sadhu is giving out prasadam too," one user joked.
Another commented, "His third eye opened up."
Meanwhile, state CM Yogi Adityanath congratulated the seers and devotees who took a dip in the Sangam and said 1.5 crore people bathed in the three-river confluence on the very first day of the festival.
The chief minister also thanked the Mela and Prayagraj administrations, state police, local civic bodies, Swachhagrahis, Ganga Sevadoots, Kumbh Sahayaks, and other religious and voluntary organisations for making the first bathing successful.
"May the virtues bear fruit, let Maha kumbh go on," he added.